What Is Love?

People tend to invest so much of themselves into a particular person they love, yet their investment in their relationship oftentimes end in utter rejection. Orsino appears to have a strong love for the Countess Olivia, but in the end, he falls in love and marries Viola. In the early 1600s comedy Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare reveals through the development of Orsino the love and desire towards an apparent loved one, thereby, showing the fluidity of love and its presence in interactions between two people.

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

I have decided to talk on a topic that people would not expect a teenage boy to talk on. And so said topic is love. Now I do not mean to talk about the love that a boy has for a pretty girl, because that is way to complicated for anyone of us to figure out. The type of love that I want to talk about is a simple love, and sadly it is unknown by most people on this Earth, and that is the love of our Heavenly Father, and brother has for each and everyone of us.

Most of the major characters in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night experience some form of love or marriage. Whether it’s unrequited like with Antonio and Malvolio, or it is something seemingly unattainable like with Duke Orsino. Regardless, it is clear that love is prevalent as one of the central themes Shakespeare seems to emphasize in Twelfth Night. With that, we see him communicate different interpretations and feelings regarding the subject. He does this with the medium of melodramatic characters. In this essay, I will elaborate on the opinions of love that Shakespeare communicates through one of the leading characters:

Much Ado About Nothing is a classic play written by William Shakespeare. It follows the story of a young prince, Claudio, returning home after fighting in a war. Claudio has reached his prime and is ready to settle down. However, a lot more drama than necessary takes place, and as a result we are able to exam several different types of relationships in the play. The relationships between characters sets a definition for different kinds of love. The types of love to be studied include: romantic love, love between friends, and family love. By comparing and contrasting these different kinds of love and affection we will be able to understand the working relationships between the characters better.

In William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, love as the cause of suffering is one of the most prominent theme of the story. Even though this play ends in love and wedded bliss, Shakespeare also shows us that love can also cause pain. The characters often view love as a curse, something that is thrust upon you and you cannot easily or willing escape. Examples include Malvolio’s love for Olivia, the love triangle between Olivia, Duke Orsino, and Viola as Cesario, and Antonio’s crush on Sebastian. There are countless occasions where unrequited love for another results in heartbreak and sorrow.

The word love can mean many things. Love can be an object, emotion, and a life. However, love could lead to a loss of power, prosperity, and status. In the literary work “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare, the readers are introduced to a tragic love story. In this play, readers are also shown the different perspectives of love and the many downfalls it could lead to. The central theme of this work is the recklessness of love. The theme is significant because it is shown throughout the whole story and it’s a strong force that takes place of all the other emotions and values. In this play, Shakespeare uses characters to present different aspects of love. In addition, Nurse, Mercutio, and Romeo completely show what actual love is and what it is like to lose it due to their experiences.

Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s main focus. Despite the fact that the play offers a happy ending, in which the various lovers find one another and achieve wedded bliss, Shakespeare shows that love can cause pain. Many of the characters seem to view love as a kind of curse, a feeling that attacks its victims suddenly and disruptively. Various characters claim to suffer painfully from being in love, or, rather, from the pangs of unrequited love. At one point, Orsino depicts love dolefully as an “appetite” that he wants to satisfy and cannot, at another point; he calls his desires “fell and cruel hounds”. Olivia more bluntly describes love as a

Sara Bell Professor Endicott Literature 181 11/22/15 What is Love? The idea of true love is a popular theme in Shakespeare's writings. In his play, Twelfth Night, Viola, Olivia, and Orsino are all involved in a love triangle, but their love is not based on reality.

From a child’s first words to a grandparent’s last, the phrase “I love you” is a staple of the human vocabulary. Defined as “a passionate affection for another person,” love takes on many forms throughout life and literature (Merriam-Webster). Through its passionate drama and witty repartee, Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, explores the intricate, and often complicated, realm of interpersonal love. By tracing the intertwining storylines of four unique characters, Shakespeare communicates the futility of self-love, the desperation of hopeless love, and the immeasurable virtue of selfless love. An after-effect of human’s sinful condition, self-love manifests itself in the heart of a lowly servant, causing vanity and conceit. Hopeless love, bleak and austere, causes love-sick nobility to develop deep infatuation for unattainable partners. Lastly, selfless love aids an honorable woman in diligently serving her master. Throughout the entire storyline, all forms of love perform an integral role. In his play, Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare demonstrates the complexity of love through the selfish ambitions of Malvolio, the romantic passions of Orsino and Olivia, and the self-sacrificing devotion of Viola.

Love is the one emotion that can lead you to make decisions that you would not normally make. In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Viola develops a plan to get close to Orsino by dressing up as a man and becoming good friends with him. Being in love with Orsino, she hopes that he will love her in return. Meanwhile, a letter is written by Maria, but claims how it is written by Olivia. Although the letter is not directly addressed to Malvolio, he is easily convinced that the letter is meant for him.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s main focus. The play starts by following Viola, a girl who has been shipwrecked. Viola and the many other characters face many obstacles due to who they love. Despite the fact that the play offers a happy ending, in which the various characters find one another and achieve wedded bliss, Shakespeare shows that love can cause pain. Throughout the play, many of the characters seem to view love as a kind of curse, a feeling that attacks its victims suddenly and disruptively. In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare shows that the theme is that strong and abrupt emotions, like love and hate, can be the cause of suffering.

In Shakespeare’s play, an illustration of love and obsession is revealed even though the ending is contradictory. The facet of infatuation is usually exhibited as precipitous and inevitable; love utilizes an outward attack method that is equivalent to an ailment. Individuals who are in love are acutely arduous to liberate or even alleviate. Many people struggle immensely with love; however, it is not easy to distinguish if someone is suffering or not. Twelfth Night’s Orsino depicts love as an “appetite” that needs to be appeased. Also, love is described as an epidemic by Olivia. The character of Viola groans “my state is desperate for my master’s love” (line 35). If one is hurt by love, then he/she becomes overcome with a feeling of desperation.

Twelfth Night, a play constructed by William Shakespeare, revolves around a chaotic misconception of love. Well known for the way he presents love stories, among other skillful attributes, it is the use of dramatic irony within the play causes that confusion amongst the characters as to who they should love. To truly understand the play, there must be an understanding of dramatic irony. This type of irony consists of knowledge that is prevalent amongst the audience and possibly a character within the play, meanwhile the rest of the characters are left clueless to vital information. In this play, the one character who holds the most knowledge is Viola, who is known as Cesario while secretly dressed as a man.

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.