Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night | Analysis

William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, is a rich comedy delving into the innate human desire for love.
Shakespeare uses these characters merely as vessels for a larger insight into society as a whole. No person
wants what they can truly have, but rather, what they cannot. Shakespeare conveys a cryptic portrayal of
romance where his characters are masochists and shows how love can blind and act so impulsively to
satisfy an innate need. By ending of the play with three weddings Shakes pear sends the comments that
love has no boundaries.

When the reader is first introduced to Duke Orinso, he is accounting the first time he laid eyes upon the
lady Olivia. Through the use of language, the Duke speaks of a love that he wishes he could be full of and
die away, “If music be the food of love, play on Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting The appetite may
sicken, and so die” (Act I, I, 1-3). The Dukes case seems to be self indulgent, and gains enjoyment from
being overdramatic. From the on set of the play, he gives off the impression that he knows he will never
obtain the love of Olivia, but he enjoys wallowing in self pity, and encouraging others to be sympathetic
to his situation as well. In a separate speech, the Duke refers to his desires for Olivia as “my desires, like
fell and cruel hounds, E’er since pursue me (Act I, I, 20-24). It seems as though love or romance for him is
a game, rather than an emotion to be taken seriously. Throughout the rest of the play, his pursuance of
Olivia never ceases, and at one point the even threatens to kill his own servant Cesario because of Olivia’s
mistaken thinking that Cesario was the man she had just married. With that threat from the Duke, this
comedy could have potentially been turned to tragedy. The Duke never once elaborates on the finer
feelings for Olivia, he merely pines over her in a superficial way, and had Olivia given in to his persistence,
the Duke would have gained a trophy wife, just someone pretty to look at. Only when Cesario revels
himself as a woman, Viola, does the Duke show the capacity to love someone he has had a deeper
relationship with than just looks. With this ends his masochistic ways of loving someone who will never
love him back, but it says nothing for the sometimes transparent emotions the Duke has.

Another character that falls deeply into a self satisfying love affair is Countess Olivia. Olivia is blinded by
love she and ignores the evidence that points to Cesario as actually not being whom he says he is, and
over looks the possibility that Cesario might be a female despite his lack of masculine features. Olivia
justifies his feminine features as a eunuch and is will to fall in love with Cesario. Olivia decision to fall in
love with a eunuch despite knowing she won’t be able to have children enforces shows how that she is
willing to cross the boundaries of society for true love.

She describes love as something that comes upon her unexpectedly and out of nowhere, “Not too fast;
soft, soft unless the masters were the man. How now? Even so quickly may one catch the plague? (Act I,
V .282 -284). Through the next few acts she schemes to obtain the love of Cesario, a measly servant rather
than giving her love to the Duke or Sir Andrew to retain the power she has being the woman of the house.
It is hard to take the character of Olivia seriously when we first find her in such despair that she doesn’t
want to be seen by any man other than her servant Malvolio and her uncle, then in an instant she can
turn to giving her love away to a younger, lower class servant that she barely knows.

Shakespeare’s creativity of the foil between the sayings “loves is blind” and Sebastian’s mistaken disguise
as being Cesario, Olivia disregards Sebastian comments about being a stranger ignoring him and insisting
that he is the man she fell in love with “So comes it, lady, you have been mistook But nature to her bias
drew in that. You would have been contracted to a maid Nor are you therein, by my life, deceived, You
are betroth’d both to a maid and man” Act (V, I, 2460). The feeling of true love is so strong with in Olivia
that she is will to accept a complete stranger to fill him that gap that true love meant. When Viola raveled
herself, the reaction of Olivia is very calm for she has married the disguise that she has fallen in love with.
Olivia crosses the boundary of basic society values of getting to know some one before marry that person.
In the end of the play, both Olivia and Orinso end up happy, but this is mainly because they marry the
man and woman versions of the same person.

Viola who was only trying to find refuge from a shipwrecked, disguises herself as a young boy. Viola is left
alone and must look to her own resourcefulness to secure her safety. “Conceal me what I am, and be my
aid/ for such disguise as haply shall become/ the form of my intent. I’ll serve this duke” (Act I, II, 49-51).

Viola’s disguise soon turns into a dilemma, while falling in love with Orsino; she innocently becomes the
object of affection of Olivia, the woman she is suppose to help fall in love with Orsino. Orsino looks past
the disguise of Cesario and falls in love with Viola regardless of her depictions. When Orsino learns that
Cesario is really Viola his actions are surprising. Orsino gives no second thought to the fact that he has
fallen in love with a woman while she was disguised as a man. Viola crosses the boundary deception in
taking on a disguise to make the Duke fall in love with her.

Maria and Sir Toby’s wedding at the end of the play was very surprising. Sir Toby who is a drunk and has
a bit of noble blood falls in love With Olivia’s maid Maria. Sir Toby love for Maria is not because she is
beautiful or very attractive but because of her cleverness in handling the hoax on Malvolio “I could marry
this wench for this device.” Act (II, IV, 1208). Sir Toby is willing to cross to boundary of social class by
marring Maria who happens to be beneath him in society.

In conclusion in Twelfth Night Shakespeare’s commentary on love and romance is that most times it is
transparent, that people have their own agendas for their feelings, whether it be beauty, power, or social
advancement. None of these characters actually had the true feeling of love, but all were melodramatic
and flailed around like they had found the loves of their lives, their missing half.

Here is a brief plot summary of Twelfth Night:

Twelfth Night opens with the lovesick, Orsino, Duke of Illyria feeling sorry for himself as his beautiful
neighbour, Countess Olivia, has been rejecting his advances. She has sworn to have nothing to do with
men for seven years as she plans to spend that time mourning the death of her brother.

On the coast of Illyria there has been a shipwreck. A young woman, Viola, has survived and is stranded on
the beach. She has heard reports that her twin brother was drowned in the stormy sea. In spite of her
grief, she decides to be positive and seek a job in Illyria. She has heard of the Duke and, with the help of
a sea captain she disguises herself as a boy and is appointed as a page in Orsino’s household.

Orsino is determined to woo Olivia in one way or another and he sends Viola, now known as Cesario, to
do it on his behalf. The first complication is that Viola has fallen in love with Orsino at first sight. The next
is that after going through the wooing process she is pursued by Olivia’s pompous steward, Malvolio to
give her a ring from Olivia, who has fallen in love with the young page.

Olivia has a large household with several servants and guests, including her fat, gluttonous, drunkard
uncle, Sir Toby Belch, who lives permanently with her. He has welcomed the absurd Sir Andrew
Aguecheek, who is visiting him in the hope of being able to woo his niece, and encourages him in his
hopeless venture, taking money from him and making fun of him. Their late night drinking and carousing
has angered Malvolio, who threatens them. With the help of some servants, including one of Olivia’s ladies
in waiting, Maria, they use a false letter to trick him into believing that Olivia is in love with him. In the
letter she tells the black-clad puritan to appear in the latest fashion – yellow stocking and cross-garters –
and to smile, something no-one has ever seen him do. He does that and Olivia is horrified. Malvolio is
locked up in a dark cell as a madman.

We now learn that Viola’s twin brother, Sebastian, has also survived the shipwreck and with the help of
Antonio, a pirate captain, goes into the town. He meets Ophelia who thinks he is Cesario. She declares her
love for him and they become engaged. Sir Andrew, jealous of the disguised Viola, led on by Sir Toby,
challenges the young page to a duel. Neither wants to fight but, egged on by Sir Toby, they begin the duel.
Antonio, passing by, thinking that Cesario is Sebastian, intervenes and, recognised by the police as the
wanted pirate, is arrested.

All the confusion is resolved when everyone sees the twins together. The plot against Malvolio is exposed
and he is released, assuring the plotters that he will get his revenge on them. Orsino realises that he is in
love with Viola and promises to marry her as soon as she dresses as a woman. Olivia and Sebastian
celebrate their union.

Macbeth Is in Control of His Own Destiny /

Essays /

The witches could foretell the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, but they
could not control his destiny. Macbeth created his own misery when he kills people. This causes
him to become insecure, because of the reasons for his actions, which in turn causes him to
commit more murders. The witches give great enticement, but in the end, it’s Macbeth’s decision
to fall for the temptation. The three Witches are only responsible for introducing the ideas to
Macbeth, and putting the ideas in his head, but they are not responsible for his actions throughout
the play.

However it’s more realistic to believe that Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s ambition, and his own
responsibilities ended it for him, not the witches. Lady Macbeth is shown early as an ambitious
woman who can manipulate Macbeth easily. This is shown in the line That I may pour my spirits
in thine ear(I,V,26). She is selfless, and wants what is best for her husband. Before the speech
that Lady Macbeth gives in act one scene five, Macbeth does not want to go through with the
killing of the king.
ORDER N OW

She manipulates Macbeth’s self-esteem by playing on his manliness and his bravery. Macbeth
has the final say in whether or not to go through with the killing, but he loves Lady Macbeth and
wants to make her happy. Lady Macbeth is the dominating individual in the relationship. It
seems that she can convince him to do anything as long as she pushes the right buttons.
Macbeth’s ambition is present before the witch’s prophesies. He would never have thought
seriously about killing Duncan without the witches.

But the combination of his ambitious and the witch’s prophecies leads him to kill the king. Lady
Macbeth even says,Thou wouldst be great/ Art not without ambition. (I,V,80-81). Macbeth also
says, his besetting sin: I have no spur/ To prick the sides of my intent, but only/ Vaulting
ambition. Macbeth’s ambition is shown while he waits to have a succession of kings after him.
Macbeth has a lot of ambition in him and because of this, both the witches and Lady Macbeth are
able to make him evil. It is this ambition that gets him into so much trouble not the witches.

Once Macbeth kills for the first time, he has to cover up his wrong doings, or risk loosing
everything he has worked so hard for. In the end, it all comes to Macbeth himself. Everyone is
responsible for his own destiny. This is what I think the theme is in this tragedy. Macbeth
chooses to gamble with his life and when he does this, it is only him who chooses to lose it. He is
responsible for everything he does and must take responsibility for his actions. Macbeth is the
one who made the final decision to carry out his actions.

He made these final decisions and continued with the killings to cover the murder of King
Duncan. The killing of Duncan starts an unstoppable chain of events in the play that ends with
the murder of Macbeth and the suicide of Lady Macbeth. While the witches are not totally
responsible for the actions of Macbeth, they are responsible for introducing the ideas to Macbeth.
Macbeth’s ambition led to the deadly chain of events. The witches never had any real power to
affect the future in the play. It was Macbeth all along who ended it for himself.