Compare Orsino and Olivia, and discuss how their attitudes about strong emotions are similar. What does Shakespeare suggest about the nature of love in his portrayal of these two characters?

Essay by Defklan14 June 2006

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In the dramedy "Twelfth Night", William Shakespeare presents to us the many different aspects of love and its effects. All the characters in the play are, in one way or another, intertwined in a relationship or committed to a bond of trust. In a story teeming with humor and melancholy, both Orsino and Olivia stand out as perfect examples of how romance can be so influential and overpowering in one's life. It is therefore interesting to note the similarities in their attitudes towards love and other strong emotions. In the following paragraphs, I will attempt to explore these phenomena and uncover the true message behind these intricacies.

At the start of the play, Orsino can be seen pining away in a melancholic mood for his inamorata, Olivia. He talks about his passionate love for her, and how "when his eyes did see Olivia first, he thought she purged the air of pestilence".

He continues to wax lyrical about his passion, commenting how "his desires, like fell and cruel hounds, e'er since pursue him". Orsino laments how he is so in love with Olivia that he is totally mesmerised by her. One inference which can be made of Orsino's character at this moment is his masochistic nature; savouring the pain of love, drowning himself in self-pity and acting ever so restless. It is worthwhile to note that throughout Orsino's lovelorn confessions, he has neither a glimpse nor idea of the physical appearance of Olivia. Bearing in mind this fact, it is safe to say that Orsino's perspective of love and his viewpoint is one that is totally superficial and shallow in nature. How is it possible for someone to claim he is so deeply in love with another person whom he has no idea or perception...