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How Does Olivia Deceive

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In “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare, Olivia told lies and deceived others to ensure that she would stop being courted by men she did not want any part of allowing that courter to continue his pursuit because she never explicitly rejects him. Olivia lied about her health and state of being to stop a man she did not like from courting her. After the death of her brother Olivia wants no man near her “... till seven years’ heat, Shall not behold her face at ample view”.Olivia claims she wants to see no man until seven summers have passed after the death of her brother but in reality she does not want to see a specific man: Duke Orsino. She has continually stopped Orsino’s advances but when she sees Cesario for the first time she falls in love with him and allows him into see her. If she was truly distraught from the death of her brother she would not have allowed any man to see her she just …show more content…

Olivia never fully rejects Orsino’s love instead she opts to just avoid him by ordering her gentlewoman to tell Malvolio who comes to summon Olivia on behalf of Duke Orsino “If it be a suit from the Count, I am sick”. Olivia claims that she must stay secluded in her room to recover from health issues and sorrow. However, she never goes out as to avoid Duke Orsino who she does not want any part of being with him. However, Duke Orsino is not able to take the hint from Olivia that she has no interest in him and to leave her alone instead of continuing his fruitless endeavour of attaining her love. Courtly love was dominated the landscape of medieval Europe which only work if both lovers have a common interest in each other but it is useless if the love is not shared among both of them. The playwright conveys that love can only be true when both people have a common interest in each

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In his play, Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare has his characters participate in the practice of deception and dishonesty of others - after all, the foundation of Shakespeare’s play resides within a lie. One of the major deceptions in the play is executed by the Illyrian countess, Olivia, as she repeatedly claims to need solitude to mourn her brother’s death in order to avoid Duke Orsino and his obsession towards her. This deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole by adding the thematic message, deception and dishonesty is sometimes the better option when it comes to love.     From the beginning of the play, Olivia is introduced as the grieving countess that has recently lost a brother.

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Malvolio’s delusional dream of Olivia falling in love with him is not a romantic one but a beneficial one. Malvolio sees Olivia as a vehicle to carry him towards power and privilege and thus move up the social ladder. He yearns to transcend and transgress through the boundaries that are in place. Malvolio, in turn, collides with the social limits, ‘from his transgression of sumptuary codes to class intermarriage’ (Selden, 1989, 168). Shakespeare is evidently elaborating what could happen if one tried to transgress in society.

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