Twelfth Night Essays: Learning About Love :: Twelfth Night essays

  Ã‚   In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, it is clearly evident that the fluctuation in attitude in the dual role, situation and tribulations imposed upon the character of Viola/Cesario gives rise to a better understanding of both sexes, and thus, allows Viola to have a better understanding for Orsino. Through the love of Orsino and Olivia, Viola learns the difficulties of love from both standpoints, man and woman's. Near the opening of the play, when Viola is adopting her male identity, she creates another self like two masks and may decide to wear one or the other while swinging between the two identities in emotion and in character. She decides to take on this identity because she has more freedom in society in her Cesario mask, which is evident when she is readily accepted by Orsino, whereas, in her female identity she would not be. Thus, a customary role in society and to the outlooks of others is portrayed. Orsino sees Cesario, as a young squire just starting out in the world, much like himself as a young, spry lad, so he has a tendency to be more willing to unload onto her his troubles and sorrows, seeking a companion with which to share and to teach. Thus, Viola grows in her male disguise to get a better feeling for his inner self, not the self that he shows to the public, or would reveal and share with Viola in her true female self, but rather his secret self, as he believes he shares wi th a peer. So, she grows to love him.    But, Orsino's motivation is actually not love for Viola, but rather he seems to be in love with love itself. His entire world is filled with love but he knows that there might be a turning point for him, like when he says: "If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die" (I, i, 1-3). This quote shows that he knows that he is so caught up in "love," that he hopes his appetite for love may simmer when he takes more than he can handle.    Near the end of the play, when all tricks and treacheries are revealed and all masks are lifted, Orsino "falls" in love with Viola. He first forgives her of her duty to him, the master; then says that she shall now be her master's mistress.