Twelfth Night Essay Example

Twelfth Night Essay Twelfth Night is a comedy and a marvel. This play conveys many messages that are seen by the audience, but not seen by the characters in the play. There are many points involving love, friendship, conflicts and confusion. Twelfth Night displays characters that are mad, in love, and desperate for love. Twelfth Night has many conflicts that occur because characters fail to listen to messages. Viola is a character who has just thought that her brother has died in a shipwreck that they were both in. Viola disguises herself as a man to seek employment under the Duke Orsino’s court. The confusion occurs, when Viola tells Orsino that she loves someone (Orsino), when she tells Olivia that she cannot love a woman, and when Viola reveals some true facts about her identity to other characters, such as Festé the fool. Confusion is always occurring in Twelfth Night, and characters are too blinded by love to see the truth behind everything. Viola speaks to Orsino as a servant, and explains her past, her family, and her love, even though she is disguised as a man. She speaks to Orsino in a secretive manner, not to give away her true identity and feelings towards the Duke. “I am all the daughters of my father’s house, and all the brothers, too – and yet I know not.” (II.VI. 130-135) Viola reveals that she is a different person inside, and that she is both brother and daughter, meaning that even though her appearance is that of a man, she is truly a female. Viola also explains her love many times to Orsino, but in a way that he does not understand. Orsino does not realize that Viola/Cesario is a woman. Viola expresses her love for the Duke to Olivia as well. [Olivia] “Where lies your text? [Viola] In Orsino’s bosom. [Olivia] In his bosom? In what chapter of his bosom? [Viola] To answer by the method, in this first of his heart.” (I.V. 220-225) Viola tells Olivia that she loves Orsino, and is in his heart, but Olivia, thinking that Viola is a male, does not