Unrequited Love In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night most of the character’s actions and thoughts are motivated through love. In modern and past society love is viewed as a gift or blessing, but in this case love is the main cause of suffering and characters that do fall in love are most of the time misguided and acts of cruelty either fall on them or they cause them. Straight from the beginning Orsino is manipulated with love for Olivia. His obsession over her causes him to refuse to go hunting or any other activity that does not have to do with her. Orsino is blinded and cannot see the reality of the situation he is in and he suffers throughout the play because of his unrequited love. The gifts he sends out and the notes he writes always end up in rejection.