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How Does Shakespeare Reveal The Character Of Orsino

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Shakespeare immediately conveys the character of Orsino when he writes— "If music be the food of love, play on" hinting that he will be the most over the top character that Shakespeare has ever created. This would be unusual for 17th century Shakespeare viewers as they would have expected him to write about happy or funny comedic people. Shakespeare does this to shock and entertain his confused yet utterly amused 17th century audience. Duke Orsinos entire opening speech is filled with words such as "excess," "surfeiting," "appetite” “sickening," and "dying fall," words which show the duke to be sentimentally in love with love, also again expressing how dramatic he is. By ridiculing Orsino through his language choices, Shakespeare is able to show a 17th century duke in another way. …show more content…

Shakespeare does this as he tries to make Orsino different to any other role play duke and by doing this he not only had the 17th century audience hooked but now in the 21st century we are just as hooked in by Shakespeare as they would’ve been. Orsino has seen Olivia once, and the very sight of her has fascinated him to such an extent that his romantic imagination allows him to believe that he will perish if Olivia does not agree to be his wife. Therefore, this romantic, melancholy indulgence is the crux of the play because the duke uses Cesario (Viola) as his bait to get Olivia to be his. He claims he is a true lover, yet he knows nothing or has any experience in the presence of being in love, so also deluded. He has no idea that viola is in love with him even though she has subtly been dropping hints at Orsino. Orsino doesn’t realize that Olivia doesn’t love, him further proofing how self absorbed he

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