Examples Of Orsino's Selfishness In Twelfth Night '

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Throughout the play, “Twelfth Night”, by William Shakespeare, Orsino’s selfishness diminishes his capacity to relate meaningfully to others. This is shown when Orsino is talking about how Olivia will love him and also when Orsino thinks that Cesario (Viola) betrayed him. Orsino speaks to Valentine, Orsino’s worker, about his liking for Olivia and how he feels about Olivia’s decision to mourn her dead brother for seven years “To pay this debt of love, but to a brother, how will she love, when the rich golden shaft hath killed the flock of all affections else that live in her, when liver, brain, and heart.” (1.1.33-36) Orsino’s reaction to Olivia choosing to mourn her brother for seven years, is to think about himself. He says, “but to a brother, how will she love” meaning that if Olivia is willing to show her love to her brother by …show more content…

Orsino thinks only about himself and how Oliva teasure hum and how he will tesure her in retrun. He does not grant a thought to whether Olivia feels the same way, which his achiving a meaningful relationship with Olivia. Orsino has just found out that Olivia and Cesario (Viola) got married, even though Olivia actually marries Viola's twin brother Sebastian “O thou dissembling cub! … Or will not else thy craft so quickly grow that thine own trip shall be thine overthrow? Farewell, and take her; but direct thy feet where thou and I henceforth may never meet.” (5.1.162,164-167) By Orsino saying to Cesario (Viola), “Or will not else thy craft so quickly grow that thine own trip shall be thine overthrow,” Orsino wishes harm on Cesario hoping that one day Cesario's tricks will destroy him. Orsino's heart is so broken and he feels so betrayed that he doesn't even question if it was in fact Cesario who married Olivia since Cesario has been working for Orsino for three