William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
One of the first lines in the play Twelfth Night reveals the main theme of the play. Curio asks, "Will you go hunt, my lord?" And Duke Orsino replies, "Why, so I do, the noblest that I have. O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, methought she purged the air of pestilence; that instant was I turned into a hart, and my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, e'er since pursue me." The Twelfth Night is all about hunting the "heart," and seeking love. Love and relationships rule in Illyria, and are the focus of each of the characters in Twelfth Night. There are four types of love in Twelfth Night: Romantic love, friendly love, brotherly love, and self love. Shakespeare also portrays all of the aspects of love: Love is painful, love is mad, love is foolish, and love is sincere.
English: Scene from "Twelfth Night," Act III IV, w...
English: Scene from the play "Twelfth Night" by Wi...
A Scene from Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare:...The first character in the play is Duke Orsino. He seems to be madly, passionately in love with Olivia, who does not return his love. He claims to be terribly heart-sick and wrought with grief over Olivia. He mopes around his house, wallowing in sorrow. He does this until the end of the play, where he quickly shifts affections when he learns that Cesario is really a woman. Orsino is not truly in love, but instead he is in love with the idea of being in love. He enjoys indulging in his misery, and complaining of his aching heart. He likes that melancholy feeling that comes from unrequited love. His love for Olivia is only superficial, and he comes across as being very emotionally shallow. Orsino is only a likeable character because he relates in a much different way to Viola. She brings out his real personality, showing that perhaps he is...