An exploration of the different types of love in Shakespeares Twelfth night. What does Shakespeare convey about the nature and variety of love in this play?
An exploration of the different types of love in Shakespeare's "Twelfth night". What does Shakespeare convey about the nature and variety of love in this play?
Shakespeare explores a great variety of themes in this play, the main one being love and its many different natures. The aim of this essay is to examine the text to discover ways in which Shakespeare portrays love using characterisation and style.
Orsino is the first character to speak in "Twelfth night"; his first words are "if music be the food of love play on". The main part of his speech describing his love for Olivia is consists of refined and eloquent language, which seems to be used to impress rather than to express his feelings, he also talks more of love its self than Olivia which makes you doubtful of his sincerity:
"O spirit of love, how quick and fresh thou art"
"Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers"
He also thinks himself to be "as all true lovers are" in that the love he feels for Olivia is so intense that it is painful:
"And my desires like fell and cruel hounds,
Shakespeare explores a great variety of themes in this play, the main one being love and its many different natures. The aim of this essay is to examine the text to discover ways in which Shakespeare portrays love using characterisation and style.
Orsino is the first character to speak in "Twelfth night"; his first words are "if music be the food of love play on". The main part of his speech describing his love for Olivia is consists of refined and eloquent language, which seems to be used to impress rather than to express his feelings, he also talks more of love its self than Olivia which makes you doubtful of his sincerity:
"O spirit of love, how quick and fresh thou art"
"Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers"
He also thinks himself to be "as all true lovers are" in that the love he feels for Olivia is so intense that it is painful:
"And my desires like fell and cruel hounds,