Connotation Of Love In Twelfth Night

One of the main themes in Twelfth Night is Shakespeare's exploration of love. Typically, during Elizabethan times, courtly love was simply arranged however a large majority of Shakespeare's plays explore the deeper complications and conflicts of love using the themes of obsession and melancholy. Throughout Twelfth Night, Shakespeare mocks the superficiality of love between characters within the upper class status spectrum and the hyperbolic nature of their expressionism. He combats the chaos love can create and digs beyond the surface depth where only the simplicity of marriage is conveyed. Although Orsino is portrayed to adore Olivia, his devotion is undermined by his inconsistency and shallowness while Olivia, emerges to be driven by lustful

He confesses the unlikeliness of him being able to retrieve a surplus amount unless he is able to "recover" Olivia. The connotations of such are to regain possession of something suggesting Olivia is just an object for Sir Andrew to manipulate. His supposed love for her appears shallow and false. The verb also implicates the coercivity of Sir Andrew's character because he aims to deliver Olivia back to her 'normal state' of health. It hints at the fact he currently sees her as vulnerable and a target as she is blinded and wounded by the loss of her

In opposition to this, Olivia appears driven lustfully toward Cesario as she rapidly appears to fall in love with him on the basis of his attentions. However, during the recitement of his noble qualities "thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions and spirit do give five-fold blazon." She appears to focus solitarily on the physical attributes of his character. In consideration of this, it can be concluded she focuses solely on lustful desire as opposed to romanticised love. Furthermore, she continues to ask "what is your parentage?" Diverging the intentions of her love toward