Twelfth Night Olivia

One of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, Twelfth Night, is full of romance and comedy. It tells the tale of twins, Sebastian and Viola, who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola assumes that Sebastian is dead and disguises himself as a man called Cesario. He finds work as a page in the house of Duke Orsino and becomes one or Orsino’s favorites. Orsino is in love with Lady Olivia, so he sends Cesario to call upon her. However, Cesario (Viola) is falling in love with Orsino while Lady Olivia is falling in love with Cesario. While all this is happening, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew are playing tricks and jokes on Malvolio, providing the comedy for which Twelfth Night is known. After much confusion, and the reunion of Sebastian and Viola, all is revealed.

From the beginning Orsino seems to be head over heels for Lady Olivia. However, Orsino seems to be in love with the idea of Olivia instead of actually being in love with her as a person. This can be seen in the line, “O, she that hath a heart of that fine frame” (1.1.35). This shows that he too admired her looks, like Olivia did with Cesario. However, Orsino seems to be the kind of man who once he falls, he falls hard, “To whose ingrate and unauspicious altars / My soul the faithfull’st off'rings have breathed out” (5.1.112-113). This shows that even though his love for Olivia may have been because of her appealing looks, his heart felt deeply for her. Contrary, for Orsino, Viola means something “And whom, by heaven I swear, I tender dearly” (5.1.125). This was said to Lady Olivia about Cesario, who at this point, has not been revealed to be Viola. This proves that Orsino’s love for Viola transcended gender and began when Viola was believed to be a man (Spencer). Orsino’s love for Cesario only deepened when he found out that he was indeed Viola. Perhaps Duke Orsino loved Cesario deeply even when he believed him to be a man but could not act on it because of the difference in social status or because they were of the same