Shakespeare's comedy, 'Twelfth Night', is not only about tricks, pranks or black humour; moreover, it's deeply about love and different types of love and how they affect different personalities. The different types of love mentioned by Shakespeare in 'Twelfth Night' are: True love, boasting love, self-love and friendship.
'Twelfth Night' consists of many love triangles and the different characters involved in the triangles don't end up with the ones they love or even their love makes them blind to see that the person they love is their same gender! An ideal example of true love is Viola's love for Orsino. She falls in love with Orsino at first sight of him; however, she has disguised herself as a man and as she is unknown in Illyria she finds it very difficult to express her love to the Duke directly; although, she always hints him that she is a woman and loves him a lot during the play.
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:..."Viola: To woo your lady. [Aside] Yet a barful strife!
Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife.
Viola is a true lover because she is very sincere to Orsino throughout the play; moreover, obediently carries out Orsino's orders to woo Olivia; she tells Olivia what genuine love really is like and she is willing to die for love.
There was another true love situation; however, this time Viola was on the receiving end. Viola was given the job to woo Olivia, it went completely wrong and Olivia started to have affection for Viola instead. Olivia thinks very highly of her: 'Is't not well done?' Olivia didn't know that Viola was a woman; however, Viola knew what a woman would like to hear from a lover; therefore, Olivia fell in love with Viola. Olivia equates love with...