Shakespeare, Twelfth Night Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shakespeare, Twelfth Night - Essay Example Viola realized that her year of mourning would also be spent hidden. Olivia would not take her. "O that I served that lady and might not be delivered to the world" (Viola,I,ii). She then proceeds to ask the capitain to dress her as a "eunuch" to the duke. Olivier was in a "monastery " and Viola lived as a "eunuch" Viola as the center of the play showed the importance of how boys dressed as women to perform. Shakespeare took it one step further to show her strength of a girl dressed as a boy who had to sway another girl to fall in love. At one point, the play takes another turn. Olivia and Viola started as a one of the many dualities. Both as they stood behind their veils were strong willed and intelligent. The Duke took a liking to Cesario. Viola had fallen in love with the Duke. Some say he understood that she was a young woman. In Scene IV, Viola describes her first love as though it was the Duke. As early as Scene V in the first Act, Viola comments on Olivias beauty but takes it as a gift from the devil. She goes back and forth from being Cesario and Viola. "If I did love you in my masters flame, with such a suffering, such a deadly life, in your denial I would find no sense†¦."(Viola,I,v) She is putting herself in Olivias shoes as she has lost her brother and has fallen in love with the Duke. "Love sought is good, but given unsought is better. "(Olivia,III,i) As she speaks to Cesario, let me love you first, it is not bad as it is truer love. Viola talks of female love being stronger than male love." But died thy sister of her love, my boy" (Orsino,II,iv) "I am all the daughter of my fathers house†¦.."(Viola,II,iv) One has to ask if Orsino knows at this time the love "Cesario" has for him. As Shakespeare was writing these plays, the Elizabethan "golden world" of privilege and prestige--and idleness--enjoyed by royalty and the nobility was beginning to lean in favor of an empowered middle class (merchants and manufacturers) who