Love, undoubtedly one of the most powerful emotions that sway humanity, takes center stage as the driving force behind Shakespeare’s Romantic Comedies. Among them, Twelfth Night stands out as a play that delves into the multifaceted aspects of romantic love, exploring how it evolves within different characters facing diverse situations and circumstances.
Right from the opening scene, the spirit of the drama sets the tone for what unfolds. Through cleverly constructed backgrounds and social environments, Shakespeare compensates for the lack of elaborate scenery on the Elizabethan stage. The scene is filled with musical strains, and when the music fades, the Duke delivers a remarkable speech on love and imagination that encapsulates the essence of the play. It becomes clear that Twelfth Night is a story where love, in all its unpredictable and capricious nature, takes center stage, much like Cupid in his cruel and whimsical ways.
Love dominates the thoughts and actions of nearly every character in the play. The Duke’s love for Olivia is a fantasy, an unreal and sentimental infatuation. He emphasizes the beauty and significance of love itself rather than focusing on Olivia’s physical charms, the supposed object of his affection. Even in his conversations with Cesario (Viola), whom he appoints as his proxy, he delves into music and poetry as they relate to love more than he discusses Olivia or the potential success of his courtship. His love is a creation of his imagination, as he finds pleasure in the anguish of love. He enjoys proclaiming his love openly, but his love remains passive. If his feelings were genuine, he would personally woo Olivia instead of relying on a surrogate. In this aspect, he resembles Olivia, as both of them indulge in sentimental love. The Duke’s sentimental love ultimately leads him to transfer his affections to Viola without considering whether he deserves her genuine, sincere, and self-sacrificing love. Thus, Orsino’s love can be described as love in idleness. It becomes evident from his speeches that Olivia’s beauty has merely captivated his imagination and failed to capture his heart. His self-love remains the ruling passion of his life.
Olivia’s love for Cesario is impulsive and fantastical, born out of a momentary impulse. She lacks control over her emotions, similar to Orsino. Like the Duke, her grief for her deceased brother is sentimental and theatrical, easily forgotten when she becomes infatuated with Viola’s physical attractiveness in her male disguise. Unlike the Duke, Olivia is genuinely invested in pursuing love and seeks to solidify her connection with someone who resembles Viola in appearance. Her mistake lies in her shallow understanding of love, one that originates solely from her superficial perception. She behaves like a spoiled child who is accustomed to having her desires fulfilled and cannot tolerate opposition. She falls passionately in love and becomes, in her own words, “mad.” Her love for Cesario consumes her, causing temporary neglect of Malvolio’s well-being and providing Sir Toby and Maria with an opportunity to mock him. However, once she regains her composure and finds happiness with Sebastian, her concern for Malvolio is rekindled, and she strives to restore justice. In all these aspects, she contrasts with Viola’s profound, silent, and self-sacrificing love. Olivia sees through the Duke’s insincere love, recognizing it as a mere heresy. As she wisely notes, they are not a suitable match in terms of social status, wealth, age, or wit. The fortuitous mistake that leads her to marry Sebastian hastily instead of Cesario becomes one of the delightful pranks played by love in this Romantic Comedy.
Viola’s love for the Duke, on the other hand, is deep, genuine, silent, sincere, and selfless. Her love remains a secret, locked within her heart, never seeking public validation. Her sense of duty and loyalty to the Duke is so strong that, despite her own love for him, she goes to great lengths to advocate for him with Olivia. Her love is a complex blend of her very being, displaying strength without force, preserving her innate modesty. It is as deep as life itself, tender as infancy, and pure, peaceful, and unwavering like truth. In all these aspects, Viola stands in stark contrast to Orsino and Olivia. She never confesses her love openly, allowing concealment to eat away at her innermost desires, causing her to suffer in silence. She withers away in her thoughts, wearing a melancholy mask of green and yellow, embodying patience atop a metaphorical monument, all the while smiling through her pain. Viola is willing to sacrifice herself to bring joy to her beloved. It is only in their final meeting that she musters the courage to reveal her love for Orsino and impart a lesson in true love. A woman’s love often extends to where it is most needed.
Love, unquestionably one of the most powerful emotions that sway humanity, reigns as the driving force behind Shakespeare’s Romantic Comedies. Among them, Twelfth Night emerges as a play that delves into the multifaceted aspects of romantic love, exploring its evolution within different characters facing diverse situations and circumstances.
From the very outset, the spirit of the drama sets the stage for what unfolds. Shakespeare masterfully constructs backgrounds and social environments to compensate for the lack of elaborate scenery on the Elizabethan stage. The opening scene resonates with musical strains, and as the music fades, the Duke delivers a captivating speech on love and imagination, encapsulating the essence of the entire play. It becomes evident that Twelfth Night revolves around love, with Cupid himself playing a capricious and often cruel role.
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Love becomes the chief preoccupation for almost all the characters in the play. The Duke’s love for Olivia is a product of fantasy, unreal and sentimental. He delves more into the beauty and significance of love itself rather than focusing on Olivia’s physical charms, the object of his supposed affection. Even in his conversations with Cesario (Viola), whom he appoints as his emissary, he delves into music and poetry as they relate to love more than discussing Olivia or the potential success of his suit. His love is a creation of his imagination, finding pleasure in the torments of love. He revels in proclaiming his love openly, yet his love remains passive. If his feelings were genuine, he would personally woo Olivia instead of relying on a surrogate. In this aspect, he shares similarities with Olivia, as both indulge in sentimental love. The Duke’s sentimental love ultimately leads him to transfer his affections to Viola, without considering whether he is worthy of her genuine, sincere, and self-sacrificing love. Thus, Orsino’s love can be described as idle infatuation. His speeches reveal that Olivia’s beauty has merely captivated his imagination but failed to conquer his heart, and his self-love remains the driving force in his life.
Olivia’s love for Cesario, on the other hand, is impulsive and fantastical, born in a fleeting moment of impulse. She lacks control over her emotions, much like Orsino. Like the Duke, her grief for her deceased brother is sentimental and theatrical, easily forgotten when she becomes infatuated with Viola’s physical attractiveness in her male disguise. However, unlike the Duke, Olivia is genuinely invested in pursuing love and aims to solidify her connection with someone who bears a resemblance to Viola in appearance. Her mistake lies in her shallow understanding of love, one that originates solely from superficial perception. She behaves like a spoiled child accustomed to having her desires fulfilled and cannot tolerate any opposition. She falls passionately in love and, in her own words, becomes “mad.” Her love for Cesario consumes her, leading her to temporarily neglect Malvolio’s well-being and providing Sir Toby and Maria with an opportunity to mock him. Yet, once she regains her composure and finds happiness with Sebastian, her concern for Malvolio is rekindled, and she strives to restore justice. In all these respects, she contrasts with Viola’s profound, silent, and self-sacrificing love. Olivia sees through the Duke’s insincere love, recognizing it as mere heresy. As she wisely notes, they are not a suitable match in terms of social status, wealth, age, or wit. The fortuitous mistake that leads her to marry Sebastian hastily instead of Cesario becomes one of the delightful pranks played by love in this Romantic Comedy.
Viola’s love for the Duke, on the other hand, is deep, genuine, silent, sincere, and selfless. She keeps her love hidden, a secret treasure locked within her heart, never seeking public recognition or validation. Her unwavering sense of duty and loyalty compels her to go to great lengths to advocate for the Duke’s cause with Olivia, despite her own love for him. Her love is a complex tapestry woven from the very fabric of her being, characterized by strength without restlessness, preserving her innate modesty. It is as profound as life itself, tender as an infant, pure, serene, and unchanging like truth. In all these aspects, Viola stands in stark contrast to Orsino and Olivia. She never reveals her love openly, allowing concealment to slowly devour her rosy cheeks. She languishes in her thoughts, her melancholy complexion tinged with shades of green and yellow, embodying patience atop a metaphorical monument, bravely smiling through her grief. Viola is prepared to sacrifice herself to bring joy to her beloved. It is only in their final encounter that she musters the courage to confess her love for Orsino, imparting a profound lesson on true love. A woman’s love often extends to where it is most needed, embracing selflessness and sacrifice.
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