Discuss the different kinds of love presented in the play.

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Discuss the different kinds of love presented in the play.

Twelfth Night, in itself, portrays many hidden meanings and themes that speak out to different people, in different ways. Shakespeare makes use of the many characters, and choreographs different steps and creates relationships and the plot, and sub-plot, to make Twelfth Night complete, with its many themes. One of the central messages of this play is prominently, love. With this main theme, Shakespeare creates an interesting plot and sub-plot, to entertain, and also provoke his audience to think hard, and allow them to decide for themselves, which kind of love is one that they would choose in their own lives.

Different kinds of love, such as in love with the idea of love, imaginary love, self-indulgent love, self-love, or true, sacrificial love are displayed in this play. Shakespeare uses this theme of different kinds of love to show the many different situations that can arise from these different kinds of love, and henceforth lead the audience to think deeper and ponder upon the wonders of the different kinds of love. "What you will", could probably be speaking out to the audience as well, to carefully think about which type of love impresses upon them most, and allow the audience to choose for themselves, what applies to them the most.

The theme of love is brought up over and over again in the play. It is portrayed through many of the characters, and each character specially brings out something special about the main theme of love. Shakespeare skilfully crafts the play, and allows the play to speak out to the audience, and make a difference, in some way, or another.

One of the main types of love portrayed would be romantic love. Romantic love is shown between many of the characters, in comparable ways, yet unique in each of their own portrayals. From Orsino's superficial, transient love or infatuation for Olivia, to Olivia's fleeting and overwhelming love at first sight for Cesario (Viola), to Viola's true, sincere and sacrificial love for Orsino, we can surely see the importance of love in the play.

Through these three types of romantic love, Shakespeare creates a love triangle involving the three, and creates a plot that is complex, yet entertaining at the same moment. The theme of love is prominent in the plot of the play. Also inclusive in the category of romantic love would be the one between Sir Toby and Maria. Though not apparent and prominent, Sir Toby and Maria get married in the end. The love, thus shared between Sir Toby and Maria is one that is subconscious, and growing unknowingly. This relationship shared between Sir Toby and Maria is what contributes to the sub-plot of the play, as their bond grows through the times they spend together.

Orsino's superficial, yet stubborn love for Olivia is overwhelms him. In turn, Viola's love for Orsino is that of one that is sacrificial and true, touching the audience through her genuine and selfless love for Orsino. Also, Malvolio is thwarted by self-love, seen especially from how Olivia says, "O, you are sick of self-love Malvolio". In addition, Olivia is torn by her love for her dead brother and concurrently adores Cesario. Each character has their own unique ways of displaying and showing their love. Each kind of love differs in the constancy, quality and nobility of their love. Somehow, this in turn seems to determine each one's ending. For instance, Orsino's superficial love for Olivia, lacking in quality, nobility, and constancy, causes him never to gain Olivia's love. Henceforth, we can infer that Shakespeare infixes a difference purpose and plan in each of his characters, to bring out fully his ideology of love.

In Act I Scene I, there is already the theme of love being transfixed into the play. Duke Orsino starts off the scene with, "If music be the food of love, play on/Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting/The appetite may sicken and so die." In this exclamation, we can imply that Orsino is a highly emotional person, dependent on external factors (in this case, music), and feels that creating the right mood is integral to love. From thus, we can see that his kind of love is self-indulgent, focusing more on his own feelings rather than the person he 'loves'. We can also infer that he has a love that does not go beyond himself, and hence, in some way, he is also full of self-love, pitying himself, wallowing in his own self-pity, and having a cynical depiction of love.

We can also infer that he is more in love with the idea of love, than being truly in love. This can be seen from how his love is temporal, fickle, inconstant, transient, fleeting, and unreliable. From his description of love, "O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou", it is indeed evident that Orsino's idea of love is that of one that is fast-changing, new, exciting, refreshing, and yet, "falls into abatement and low price/Even in a minute."

All these examples clearly emphasize more on the idea of love, and how Orsino wallows in his own pity and self-love at the same time, seen from "my desires, like fell and cruel hounds/E'er since pursue me". This actually shows that he indulges in his own pity of Olivia not accepting him, and whines about his hurt and pain in the comfort of his own room. Also, we can infer from his speech, "Methought she purged the air of pestilence/That instant was I turned into a hart", that his kind of love, is one that is full of emotions, one that can cause him to have ups and downs, and a change in mood if swift. He is controlled, driven by his own emotions rather than reason, deceived by his own desires for Olivia. Hence, Orsino's kind of love displayed here is rather surface, transient and superficial.

In addition, we can also see that Orsino's kind of love portrayed is self-seeking, self-indulgent. This can be inferred from how he whines about his own pains rather than describing the subject of his love, he describes vividly, his own emotions and his own sufferings. This is implied in, "with one self king!", which referring to himself brings forth his selfish nature, and egoistic nature, presumptuously assuming that Olivia would fall for him. He believes that he, the "king" would attain the "sovereign thrones" of Olivia's "sweet perfections".

From hence, we can infer that his kind of love for Olivia is self-seeking and self-delusional. He refers himself as the ruler and authoritative figure within Olivia controlling her. His kind of love is one that he wants to fill up every part of his subject of love, selfish and ambitious. Also, from "passion of my love", "my dear faith", "well to act my woes", we can notice the repetition of the word "my", that he is self-centred, and presumptuously thinks that Olivia would be fascinated by his love for her. Hence, we can infer that Orsino's way of loving is self-indulgent, self-centred, and not at all sincere.

Another evidence that would show that Orsino's kind of love is more imagined than genuine is the last two lines of Act 1 Scene 1. "Away before me to sweet beds of flowers!/Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers". Shakespeare uses rhyming couplets to end this scene that is filled with descriptions of Orsino's pining and love for Olivia. Through these rhyming couplets, the audience is left hanging within a romantic atmosphere, while pondering upon how Orsino's love is self-seeking, selfish, superficial, transient and inconstant, and whether it would apply to their own lives.

Furthermore, when we later compare Act 1 Scene 1 to Act 2 Scene 4 of the play, we see a vast similarity between the two. In both scenes, we picture a melancholic Orsino, whining about his love for Olivia, and praising himself of his faithful and true love for Olivia. However, evidently, the audience can feel that Orsino's kind of love is superficial, insincere, self-praising, attention seeking, self-indulgent, blind, manufactured, shallow, stereotypical, temporal, fickle, over-sentimental, and materialistic. All these can be inferred from the exchange between Viola and Orsino in Act 2 Scene 4.

Firstly, a re-emphasis on the idea of music reminds us on how Orsino indulges himself in music, and needs music to set the mood right. This further reinforces that his love for Olivia is dependent on the external environment. This is also evident from, "(the song) did relieve my passion much". From hence, we can see that music is needed to revive his love for Olivia, which quite noticeably proves that Orsino's love is rather superficial and on the surface.
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Next, through the exchange shared between Viola and Orsino, we see the irony that Orsino's self-claim produces, and how Shakespeare uses this irony to bring out both types of love, true and sincere, or superficial and transient, belonging to Viola and Orsino respectively. Orsino starts off by claiming that, "For such as I am, all true lovers are", proclaiming that he is a true lover, when evident to the audience is the well-known fact that his love is superficial, and insincere. He goes on to self-praise himself of the intensity of his love, drawing attention to himself. He ...

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