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What Are The Similarities Between A Midsummer Night's Dream And Twelfth Night

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What Are The Similarities Between A Midsummer Night's Dream And Twelfth Night
Twelfth night was written by William Shakespeare in 1601 it was one of the last comedies he wrote. Twelfth Night is seen by many people as a traditional romantic comedy. It includes devices of gender confusion, mistaken identity and speaks about the madness of love. Looking throughout William Shakespeare’s plays similarities can be brought up and seen between A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night both include confusion, mistaken love for another and a romantic comedy setting.

Orsino is the first character we encounter in the play. Orsino is the Duke of Illerya, he is in love with a woman called Olivia who also holds a high position in Ilerya. Because of this Shakespeare asks the question is this true love or the formal courtly Elizabethan love encountered in that period of history.

In Act 1, Scene 1, the whole scene opens with an extended metaphor to love. Music is the metaphor. “If music be the food of love, play on.” From this quote it becomes apparent to the audience that Orsino is in love with the idea of love. He longs for what it shall bring. Orsino wants to be so immersed in the music, for it to completely fill …show more content…
Although in this scene Orsino talks of love that is ‘sweet’ that is overwhelming like the heady smell of ‘a bank of violets’ it can also be stifling to him: “Enough, no more; tis not so sweet as before” There are many contrasts to Orsino’s feelings abot love which fits with the idea of the ups and downs of emotions. Love may be stifling, but it is also pure and cleansing: “Methought she purged the air of pestilence;” Even though there are troubles in getting to your goal it is well worth it. Like in Hamlet “whether tis nobler in mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or take arms against a sea of
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