Twelfth Night Triangles

     Unlike the other characters in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", Viola's feelings of love are genuine. She is not mistaken about Orsino's true nature and loves him for who he really is, while the other characters in the play seem to be in love with an illusion. Viola's love for Orsino does not alter during the play, nor is it transferred to another person.

Though Orsino seems to have his eyes set solely on Olivia, he also looks at “Cesario” with some interest, commenting, “Diana’s lip is not more smooth and rubious, thy small pipe is as the maiden’s organ, shrill and sound, and all is semblative a woman’s part” (I. iv. 34-37). He recognizes some key features in Viola that pique his interest, but does not show his love for her because she disguises herself as a man. Shakespeare presents him by showing his ability to notice Viola’s masculine and feminine features, unlike with what he does with Olivia which he only looks at the broad characteristics that consist only on her shallowest features. Later on, he goes as far as to propose to Viola, “Meantime, sweet sister, we will not part from hence. -Cesario, come, for so you shall be while you are a man…Orsino’s mistress, and his fancy’s queen” (V. i. 407-411). To contrast Olivia’s swift rejection of her own love for Cesario because of “his” gender, Shakespeare presents Orsino as a character who quickly accepts Viola’s love for him, regardless of her current state of gender. However, unlike his stubborn, selfish desire for Olivia, Orsino’s blossoming relationship with Viola transfers his desire into a more selfless aspect of true love.

Through great commotion it is created between the characters of the romantic drama and drives this Shakespeare’s play forward. As one of the main plot twists, it leads to the misunderstandings and the love triangle between Duke Orsino, Viola (Cesario) and Countess Olivia. The role of ‘identity’ begins when the noblewoman Viola, has just been shipwrecked near Illyria and therefore seeks employment in Duke Orsino’s court while searching for her lost (perhaps dead) brother. Duke Orsino accepts her, and soon becomes close to the male version of herself (Cesario), whom she had presented to the duke originally. Viola quickly falls for her master, and at times does not know how to act as her concealed gender, expressing words such as: “My father had a daughter loved a man, /As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman,/ I should your lordship.” (Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, 2.4.105-107) and hinting of “his” real identity. Although, Duke Orsino loves Lady Olivia, even if she does not return the love. Nevertheless, Viola is not the only character to conceal who she truly is. Lady Olivia does not love Duke Orsino because she will mourn her dead brother for seven years. She understands that the Duke is respected, handsome and rich however, cannot love him. Therefore, she hides behind a veil to refuse the Duke confessions of love. However, when meeting Cesario, the countess immediately forgets her grief and falls instantly for “him” and

While an argument may assert that since “journeys end in lovers meeting,” Sebastian and Olivia, likewise to Viola and Orsino, must transition from infatuation to love; however, as the Fool sheds light on the true fate of many characters, he makes no exception for Olivia: “She will keep no fool, sir, till she be married” (III.1.34-35). As they wed, Sebastian is indeed the infatuated “fool” that Olivia keeps; thus, these “lovers” that meet are not parallel to the lovers that are Viola and

At the beginning Orsino has an infatuation with Olivia before even meeting her because tales are told about her beauty. When Olivia and Orsino meet for the first time he says, “If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken and so die” (1.1. 1-3). This shows that the Duke’s passion has already grown past healthy levels. This can be seen by him insinuating that his desire needs to be sated which isn't healthy for either recipient. Orsino continues to fervently pursue Olivia throughout Twelfth Night by giving Cesario sickening notes begging Olivia to accept his proposal and to return his love. However the Duke may not be infatuated with Olivia especially, he could be an eager, over-passionate lover. This is proved when near the end of the play when Viola’s true identity is revealed. Olivia reveals her affections for Sebastian and the fact that they already married. Orsino is momentarily in disbelief but then Viola declares her love for him and he realizes all of her advice for Olivia was meant for him. This causes him to declare her his fancy queen and that he wishes to see her in a lady's clothes “Give me thy hand and let me see thee in thy woman’s weeds” (5.1 279-280). His actions and sudden shift in attraction proves that the Duke is perhaps a lonely bachelor who

Over these last three months something more complicated than expected has emerged. An intricate triangle of love has been all figured out and it is just more than surprising. After interviewing many of the people involved in this whole event we have figured all of the story. Within a short amount of time while working for the Duke Viola had fallen in love with him, but she couldn’t show it as when she was with him she was dressed as a man. Duke Orsino loved Olivia but that love was forever unrequited (unreturned). Olivia was not in love at the start but then she started to fall for Cesario, which would never work because he is actually a girl. Sebastian and

The relationship between Viola's twin brother, Sebastian, and the man who cared for him, Antonio, can be viewed in different ways. Antonio could be just a good friend to Sebastian but it is more likely he is in love with him because of the other gender uncertainty relationships presented earlier in the play. Antonio divulges his feelings in the play with sayings such as, "If you will not murder me for my love, let me be your servant" and "I have many enemies in Orsino's court / Else would I very shortly see thee there / But come what may, I do adore thee so / That danger shall seem sport, and I will go" (31-32,40-43). This shows the love that he feels toward Sebastian that goes further than just friendship. Antonio is willing to risk his life

Shakespeare 's Twelfth Night is a critical Elizabethan-era work that explores attraction and sexuality within the relationship between Viola (as Cesario) and Duke Orsino. Her role is one of steadfast love towards Orsino; she willingly courts Olivia on his behalf as Cesario, burying her feelings for him because she cares that he is happy. There is a rigid dichotomy between Viola and Orsino’s passion; where Viola is steady, Orsino is inconsistent. Feste states directly to Orsino that his “mind is a very opal” (2.4.71) which implies he is constantly changing what he wants and is more in love with the idea of love rather than Olivia. Duke Orsino’s evolution from a typical Petrarchan lover to passionate love, through trials of gender confusion

Much of the first half of the Twelfth Night is about disguised identities and general misconceptions about who is actually who. The play opens on a note of melancholy and death, Orsino grieving because Olivia refuses to love him and Viola and Olivia mourning the deaths of their brothers. It is following a shipwreck that Viola disguises herself as a male, ensuring that confusion will be part of the plot. The idea of masquerading as a member of the opposite sex is a familiar device and the “complications, artificial as they may appear, are an essential part of the play’s complete development.” (Travers 308) It is interesting to note that unlike other comedies such as “The Tempest”, Shakespeare does not create an older generation who prevent the young lovers from being together; instead it is the perplexity about gender and that keeps them apart. Sebastian, Viola’s identical twin, is the solution to all of the problems, though his appearance does add to it for a short while. Viola, dressed as Cesario, is mistaken for Sebastian by Antonio, and is asked for the money that he gave to Sebastian. However, this type of confusion adds to the comic nature of the plot as the audience is aware of the concealed identities. Order eventually comes from the chaos, disguises are shed and identities are revealed. The appearance of Sebastian ensures that the marriage will be possible for the main characters; Viola is free to marry Orsino and Olivia marries Sebastian, although she

Shakespear portrays the women as fragile, with the way they act, and the way others act towards them, Viola is seen as a very emotional woman, who is in mourning for the death of her brother in (1.2.4) "My brother he is in Elysium", but at the same time falls in love with duke Orsino as shown in (5.1.130-131) when she says: "After him I love/More than I love these eyes, more than my life,". While Viola is in love with Orsino, Olivia falls in love with Viola who, while masquerading as a man is charged with delivering massages of love to Olivia. Olivia's love becomes obvious when in (2.2.21) Olivia, desperate to spend more time with Cesario/Viola sends Malvolio to return a ring to Cesario/Viola which had never been his/hers to begin with. Viola quickly

He is one who is supposedly love-struck from the elegant and beautiful Olivia, yet she does not feel the same way. Instead, someone else feels the same regarding Duke Orsino: Viola (Cesario). Throughout the play, it is clear Duke Orsino is all about himself, as he places himself at the center of all situations, constantly repeating personal pronouns (Me, my, I) This complicated love triangle egotist Orsino encounters with his lavish lifestyle makes him a perfect form of communication for Shakespeare to share ideas about love and marriage. Some simple themes that Shakespeare communicates are that love is indeed something that occurs first sight, as with Viola, Orsino, and Olivia, but also that it is something one must learn that they cannot control. Viola, Orsino, and Olivia all realize this to a degree, and Orsino ends up changing his love for Olivia to love for Viola (other factors contribute as

One interesting character, Viola, spends most of the play cross-dressing, something that was very taboo at the time. Her disguise causes a difficult love triangle between herself, Olivia, and Duke Orsino. While this creates quite a bit of confusion, it also plays a key role in the denouement. Viola’s disguise allowed her to explore the ways in which she would like to be wooed, which resulted in her feelings toward Duke Orsino. It also allows Olivia to end the mourning of her brother and to come out of her shell, resulting in her marriage to Viola’s twin brother, Sebastian: “There, before him and underneath that consecrated roof, plight me the full assurance of your faith, that my most jealous and too doubtful soul may live at peace” (Shakespeare 1240).

Twelfth Night or What You Will is one of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies. It has been performed hundreds of times and adapted into a number of modern films. The main plot of the play follows Viola, a girl who is rescued from a shipwreck and enters into the service of the Duke Orsino disguised as a man. Rising quickly in his estimation, Viola begins delivering messages of love on his behalf to Olivia, a noble woman who has no interest in Orsino’s advances. Over the course of the play Olivia falls in love with the disguised Viola, Viola falls in love with Orsino, and Viola’s twin brother Sebastian, who supposedly died in the shipwreck, returns. Following Sebastian’s return the twins are mistaken for each other, leading to both

Comedy, in the Elizabethan era, often included themes of wit, mistaken identity, love, and tragedy, all tied up with a happy ending. These themes are prevalent in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, a comical play that explores the pangs of unrequited love and the confusion of gender. Love is a powerful emotion that causes suffering, happiness, and disorder throughout the play. The play also demonstrates the blurred lines of gender identity, which ties into the modern day debate on sexuality and gender identity. The main characters in the play, Viola, Olivia, and Orsino are connected by a love triangle, each person pursuing an unrequited love. Suffering from love and the fluidity of gender are the prevalent themes explored throughout the play and intertwined with Viola, Olivia, and Orsino.

In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare was able to embody the perfect love triangle between Olivia, Orsino, and