Julie Tagg| Think and Write for CSEC English

Themes

Themes are the underlying and often recurring ideas that are explored throughout a literary work. Themes can encompass a wide range of topics, including but not limited to love, loss, morality, justice, identity, and power. These themes help to convey the author’s message and can often provide insight into human experience. Additionally, themes can be viewed as the central organizing principles of a literary work, helping to tie together various elements such as plot, character development, and symbolism.

Love

Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy play that mainly focuses on romantic love. Although the play ends on a happy note, Shakespeare shows that love can also bring pain. Many characters view love as a curse that attacks them suddenly and disruptively. Some of them suffer painfully from being in love, especially when it is unrequited. Orsino, for instance, describes love as an “appetite” that he wants to satisfy but cannot, and as “fell and cruel hounds.” Olivia, on the other hand, sees love as a “plague” that she suffers terribly from. These metaphors contain an element of violence that portrays the love-struck individuals as victims of random forces in the universe. Even Viola, who is less melodramatic, sighs unhappily that her state is desperate for her master’s love. The desperation has the potential to result in violence, as evidenced in Act V, scene i, where Orsino threatens to kill Cesario because he thinks that Cesario has forsaken him to become Olivia’s lover.

Love is also exclusionary in the play. Some individuals achieve romantic happiness, while others do not. At the end of the play, the happy lovers rejoice, but both Malvolio and Antonio are prevented from having their desired objects. Malvolio, who has pursued Olivia, ultimately realizes that he is a fool, socially unworthy of his noble mistress. Antonio is in a more complicated situation, as social norms do not allow for the gratification of his apparent sexual attraction to Sebastian. Thus, love cannot conquer all obstacles, and those whose desires go unfulfilled remain no less in love but feel the sting of its absence all the more severely.

Make it more detailed

Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy that explores the theme of romantic love. Although the play has a happy ending, Shakespeare illustrates that love can be a source of pain. The characters in the play view love as a sudden and disruptive force that can cause suffering. The play portrays love as both a curse and a blessing. The lovers in the play go through various trials before they get together, and some of them experience unrequited love.

Orsino is one character that suffers from unrequited love. He describes love as an “appetite” that he wants to satisfy but cannot, and as “fell and cruel hounds.” Olivia, another character in the play, describes love as a “plague” that she suffers terribly from. These metaphors portray love as a violent force that can strike its victims randomly. Even Viola, who is less melodramatic, sighs unhappily that her state is desperate for her master’s love. The desperation that love creates can lead to violence. In Act V, scene i, Orsino threatens to kill Cesario because he thinks that Cesario has forsaken him to become Olivia’s lover.

Love is also exclusionary in the play. Some individuals achieve romantic happiness, while others do not. At the end of the play, the happy lovers rejoice, but both Malvolio and Antonio are prevented from having their desired objects. Malvolio, who has pursued Olivia, ultimately realizes that he is a fool, socially unworthy of his noble mistress. Antonio is in a more complicated situation, as social norms do not allow for the gratification of his apparent sexual attraction to Sebastian. Thus, love cannot conquer all obstacles, and those whose desires go unfulfilled remain no less in love but feel the sting of its absence all the more severely.

Overall, Twelfth Night is a play that illustrates the complexities of love. The play shows that love is a powerful and unpredictable force that can bring joy and pain. The characters in the play experience different forms and degrees of love, and some of them find happiness in the end, while others do not. The play, therefore, presents a nuanced and realistic portrayal of love.

Gender

In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, gender is a central theme that is explored through the use of cross-dressing as a narrative technique. Viola, who is shipwrecked in a foreign land, disguises herself as a man named Cesario to protect herself and find employment. However, this creates a complicated love triangle as Viola falls in love with Duke Orsino, who is oblivious to her true identity, while Olivia, the object of Orsino’s desire, falls for Viola in her male guise.

The play is also notable for its homoerotic undertones. Olivia is unknowingly in love with a woman, while Orsino is attracted to Viola, even before her true gender is revealed. Orsino often comments on Cesario’s beauty, suggesting his attraction to Viola. This latent homoeroticism finds an explicit echo in the character of Antonio, who is openly in love with his male friend, Sebastian. However, his desires are left unfulfilled, while Orsino and Olivia eventually end up in heterosexual relationships.

Despite the resolution of the love triangle, Shakespeare leaves some ambiguity in the Orsino-Viola relationship. Orsino’s declaration of love to Viola suggests that he enjoys the pretense of her masculinity, even after he discovers her true gender. Orsino continues to address her by her male name and implies that he prefers her male persona. Even in his last lines, Orsino says, “Cesario, come- For so you shall be while you are a man; But when in other habits you are seen, Orsino’s mistress, and his fancy’s queen” (V.i.372-375). This leaves us wondering if Orsino truly loves Viola or is more enamored with her male disguise.

In conclusion, Twelfth Night is a complex play that explores gender roles, sexual identity, and the ambiguity of desire.

The Recklessness of Ambition

In the play “Twelfth Night,” the issue of social ambition is a prominent theme that is portrayed through the character of Malvolio, who is the steward of Olivia. Initially, Malvolio seems to be a competent servant, though he is prudish and dull. However, as the play progresses, it becomes apparent that he is a self-centered character with immense aspirations to rise in social status, and he ultimately becomes a victim of a cruel prank played by Maria and other characters.

Maria, who is Olivia’s chambermaid, forges a letter from Olivia that makes Malvolio believe that Olivia is in love with him and wishes to marry him. Malvolio’s intense desire to rise in social status makes him very vulnerable to this deception, and he falls for it, believing that he has a chance to marry a noblewoman. Sir Toby and other characters in the play find this scenario hilarious because of Malvolio’s unappealing personality, but also because he is not of noble birth. During Shakespeare’s time, a noblewoman would generally not marry a man of lower social status because it would harm her reputation.

However, the play’s atmosphere may make Malvolio’s aspirations less unreasonable than they initially appear. The Twelfth Night festival, from which the play is named, was a time when social hierarchies were inverted, and the servants would become masters, and vice versa. This same spirit is present in the fictional world of Illyria, where the play takes place. In fact, Maria is able to increase her social standing by marrying Sir Toby. However, Maria’s success may be attributed to her acceptance and promotion of the anarchy that Sir Toby and others embrace.

Malvolio, on the other hand, does not embody the Twelfth Night spirit. Instead, he wants to blur class lines for himself alone and does not wholeheartedly embrace the upending of order and decorum. He is a complex character who is both sympathetic and unsympathetic, depending on the reader’s interpretation. On the one hand, he is a victim of a cruel prank, but on the other hand, he is a pompous and conceited character who has little regard for his fellow servants. Ultimately, the play highlights the tension between social ambition and the desire for social order and stability, and it raises important questions about the nature of power and hierarchy in society.

Love and Desire

Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” weaves the themes of love and desire throughout its plot, making them the driving force behind the story’s events. These emotions are portrayed as sudden and unpredictable, often leaving the characters helplessly caught up in their feelings. Olivia, for example, is taken aback and somewhat disconcerted by the desire she feels towards Cesario, a character who is revealed to be Viola in disguise. Similarly, Viola finds herself caught in a love triangle with Olivia and Orsino, leaving her feeling tangled and hopeless. Malvolio, on the other hand, is convinced that Olivia is in love with him despite being her servant, and interprets it as a sign of his destiny.

The characters’ belief in the power of fate is evident throughout the play. Malvolio believes that their love is a gift from fortune, and Olivia’s affection for her servant is a step towards his true destiny. Sebastian too, is content with his relationship with Olivia, believing that it is an “accident and flood of fortune.” It is only Malvolio who fails to find happiness at the end of the story, having been tricked into believing that Olivia loves him and making a fool of himself in the process.

Overall, the portrayal of love and desire as powerful and almost supernatural forces in “Twelfth Night” is a testament to their importance in shaping human behavior and emotions.

Deception and Disguise

In the play “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare, Viola is a young woman who finds herself stranded in Ilyria after a shipwreck. In order to protect herself from potential harm and sexual assault, she decides to disguise herself as a man and entrusts her secret only to the Captain. This disguise provides her with a sense of safety, but it also leads to numerous misunderstandings and complications.

Viola’s intentions and actions are often misinterpreted by others, and she struggles to correct these mistakes without revealing her true identity. For example, when Orsino falsely believes that Cesario (Viola’s male alter ego) has stolen Olivia away from him, Viola’s life is put in danger.

Despite the difficulties and dangers of disguise and deception, the play suggests that it can also serve a positive purpose. During a time when women were expected to follow strict rules of social decorum, Viola’s masculine disguise gives her the opportunity to speak her mind more freely. In a scene where Orsino and the disguised Viola argue about love and gender roles, Viola defends women, arguing that they are “as true of heart as we” (2.4).

Overall, “Twelfth Night” explores the theme of deception and disguise, highlighting the risks and benefits of hiding one’s true identity. Viola’s experience serves as a reminder that while disguise can be a useful tool, it can also lead to misunderstanding and danger.

Gender and Sexuality

In Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night,” the themes of gender and sexuality are portrayed as ambiguous, unstable, and sometimes fluid. Viola, the main character, disguises herself as a man and asks to be presented as a eunuch to the Duke. Eunuchs were men who had been castrated and were often used as personal servants to high-ranking individuals or in positions where they would have close contact with women. By presenting herself as a eunuch, Viola positions herself as not quite a woman and not quite a man. This ambiguity is further highlighted by the reactions of the other characters in the play, with both Orsino and Olivia recognizing that Viola defies traditional binary gender conventions.

Orsino, the Duke, comments that Cesario (Viola’s male persona) seems to be playing a woman’s part. Interestingly, Viola’s ambiguous gender position seems to make her more attractive to both Orsino and Olivia. Other storylines in the play also suggest a fluid form of desire that is not rooted in gender. For example, Orsino’s relationship with Cesario might be just a close and affectionate friendship, but it also seems to hint at romantic elements, such as when he refers to Cesario as one “whom, by heaven, I swear, I tender dearly.”

However, while the play introduces elements of fluidity and ambiguity, it ultimately ends with a firmly heteronormative conclusion. Viola reveals her true identity as a woman, and she and Orsino end up together, while Olivia falls in love with Viola’s twin brother, Sebastian, who is also male. Thus, while the play explores the complexities of gender and sexuality, it ultimately reverts to traditional gender roles and heterosexual relationships.