How Does Shakespeare Present Relationships In Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night features many love relationships. These relationships can be difficult to follow. At the beginning of the play, Olivia the beautiful heiress, has sworn off men for seven years because of the recent deaths of her brother and father. However, when a new attractive male, Cesario comes to Illyria Olivia quickly shifts her thoughts on men. Desperate to find a man to tell her what to do, Olivia quickly falls into infatuation. This infatuation is evident because she has sworn off men, the way she talks about men, and she is in “love” with Cesario.
In the beginning of the play Olivia has sworn off men for seven years because of the recent deaths of her brother and father. However, when Cesario comes to Illyria
she finds herself falling for him fast. Olivia says, “Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions and spirit, do give thee fivefold blazon” (1.5.266-67). Olivia is talking about his face and body. A sign of infatuation is being attracted to the person’s looks and not the person themself. Olivia surprises herself when she says, “How now? Even so quickly may one catch the plague” (1.5.268-69). Olivia is questioning why she is feeling so strange and how one can fall in love so quickly. Infatuation takes off fast like a flame in dry grass and briskly burns out. Olivia does not realize the reason she is in immediately “love” is because it is infatuation. Olivia objectifies men by loving their physical features and not the actual person.
When Olivia talks about men she focuses on their outward appearance, not the inside. When talking to Cesario about Duke Orsino she says, “Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble, of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth” (1.5.232-33). Evidently, Olivia describes him as rich, young, and with a good reputation. None of these descriptions focus on the person the Duke is. Alternatively, Olivia talks about him based off of his outward appearance to others. Throughout the play Olivia describes men based off of their accomplishments or belongings. This leads to the belief that Olivia incapable of love and has only ever been infatuated with men. She possess many signs of infatuation.
In the beginning of the play Olivia has sworn off men for seven years because of the recent deaths of her brother and father. However, when Cesario comes to Illyria
she finds herself falling for him fast. Olivia says, “Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions and spirit, do give thee fivefold blazon” (1.5.266-67). Olivia is talking about his face and body. A sign of infatuation is being attracted to the person’s looks and not the person themself. Olivia surprises herself when she says, “How now? Even so quickly may one catch the plague” (1.5.268-69). Olivia is questioning why she is feeling so strange and how one can fall in love so quickly. Infatuation takes off fast like a flame in dry grass and briskly burns out. Olivia does not realize the reason she is in immediately “love” is because it is infatuation. Olivia objectifies men by loving their physical features and not the actual person.
When Olivia talks about men she focuses on their outward appearance, not the inside. When talking to Cesario about Duke Orsino she says, “Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble, of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth” (1.5.232-33). Evidently, Olivia describes him as rich, young, and with a good reputation. None of these descriptions focus on the person the Duke is. Alternatively, Olivia talks about him based off of his outward appearance to others. Throughout the play Olivia describes men based off of their accomplishments or belongings. This leads to the belief that Olivia incapable of love and has only ever been infatuated with men. She possess many signs of infatuation.