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Theme of Shakespeare in Love: Critical Essay
In twelfth night, Shakespeare presents love as a type of madness through the character of Orsino and Olivia when he writes ‘If I am as mad as he, then sadness and merry madness equal be’ In these lines, Olivia suggests she is as mad as Malvolio, who has been different after reading the letter from ‘Olivia’. However, Olivia makes a clear observation here. Her ‘madness’ functions as an announcement of her feelings for Cesario, which still are not returned, thus sinking her deeper into despair. This line is key as it links the theme of madness to lovesickness and implies that desire has the power to prevent rational choice-making. In this way, the many antics of Twelfth Night led to the enormous influence of this play. If music is the food of love, play on, give me excess of it; that surfeiting that appetite may sicken and die.’ In this extract, Orsino suggests he is sick of his love for Olivia, as his love is unreturned and is just making him more melancholy. The theme of madness links here as he is implying if he is rejected enough, his love for Olivia may die, and that it is suggesting that love is a madness that takes over us, that we cannot control. Olivia has never been one to initiate anything, being a woman and so she finds herself unknowing as to what to do and is caught up in the madness of being in love with someone. Orsino is used to the attention of women, so he finds rejection hard as he is so madly in love with Olivia.
In twelfth night, Shakespeare presents love as causing suffering through the characters of Orsino and Olivia when he writes ‘I have said too much unto a heart of stone and laid my honor to unchary on’t’ In this extract, Olivia mourns that her feeling for Cesario is firmly unreturned and voices her pain that a woman like her cannot openly voice her feelings due to societal standards at the time. For an esteemed lady like Olivia, she would have waited for her father to choose a suitable husband for her, however, her confessing her love for Cesario leads to the rejection and resultant suffering of her stuck with her emotions inside. ‘My desires, like fell and cruel hounds E’er since pursue me’ In this piece, Orsino tells of how he fell in love with Olivia. Here he makes a comparison between himself to a deer being pursued by a hound to emphasize the stress he is experiencing as a result of his one-sided love for Olivia. The line demonstrates his suffering because of love. women were ruled by strict societal standards that influenced every decision they made- which was few as their lives were primarily directed by men. Sermons and books written during the Elizabethan era encouraged women to be silent and obedient to male authority, and among the aristocracy, the marriages were more about politics than actual love, which shows the lack of control women had in the era.
In twelfth night, Shakespeare presents love as deceiving through the characters of Malvolio and Olivia. Malvolio is contentedly reflecting on how his plan of pursuing Olivia seems to be working, but he is completely unaware of the plot against him. Malvolio is unaware of the plot revolving around him, thus demonstrating the deceit of love. ‘Methinks, I feel this youth’s perfections, with invisible and subtle stealth, to creep in at mine eyes’ Olivia is extremely surprised and even slightly distressed at realizing that she feels attracted to Cesario, but she cannot express these feelings for him. The quote is ironic, because while Olivia is astonished to find herself romantically invested in another man, she is really interested in another woman pretending to be a man, thus demonstrating the deceit of love. In Shakespearean, women were expected to do housework and look after the children and the men were expected to go out and earn money. This highlights Viola’s need for a disguise, so she could be employed, as women were highly unlikely to be taken on by men. Thus, the deceit was essential for her survival in Ilyria.
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