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Viola's Unselfish Love

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Viola's Unselfish Love
Some people will do anything for love. They will cheat, steal, lie, and even give up their life. In some cases they will sacrifice their dreams just to make them happy. This is what real, pure, unselfish love is. In "Twelfth Night" by Shakespeare, Viola, disguised as a man, has found herself in love with her master. Her love for the Duke Orsino is so great that she sacrifices her chances to be with him just so she can make him happy. This story of love shows through Viola's character that love is not just an attraction to another person, it is a undying passion and loyalty to make the other person happy.

Viola is probably the most loyal person in the play other than Antonio. She has such love for the Duke Orsino that she will do anything for …show more content…
[Aside.] Yet a barful strife!

Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife."(I.v.40-42)

She says how willing she is to do anything for him even though she wishes she could do it differently. She goes to Olivia a number of times when she knows nothing will make Olivia love the Duke Orsino. She does it just because the Duke Orsino wants her to. This could prove as a weakness because she might do something that would harm her or others just for the Duke Orsino. Loyalty is a very key part in Viola's character that shows she is truly in love with the Duke Orsino.

Compared to the Duke Orsino's pursuing of Olivia, Viola is very aggressive. She has the will power to become one of Duke Orsino's top servants. The Duke Orsino, who mopes around his home thinking of Olivia, is not very aggressively passionate. If he was truly in love with Olivia, he would go over to her house himself and get to know her instead of sending off servants. When Viola goes to visit Olivia for the first time, she seems to be very rude and even tells the servants to leave her and Olivia alone.

"The rudeness that hath appeared in me have I learned from my entertainment. What I am, and what I would are as secret as maidenhead- to your ears, divinity; to any other's, profanation."
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