Introduction

Twelfth Night is one of the many exciting plays written by William Shakespeare. One of the most obvious themes explored in the play is the theme of love. From the play, each of the major characters finds love or is in search of love. Throughout the play, Shakespeare artistically uses different characters to depict instances of love along with the tribulations that happen in search of love (Shakespeare). Most of the scenes in the play involve love, and one can quickly identify the lay’s happenings and what happens in life.  Love is a dominant concept in the contemporary world, and most people are already in love or search for love.  It is also imperative to point out that there are several instances in real life that a lot of harm has occurred due to love-related issues. This paper will look at parallels of love in the play and real life situations.

Analysis

To start with, Act I Scene I, the Duke expresses his feelings of love “If music is the food of love play on, give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken and so die ……”. From this phrase, it is clear that Orsino is obsessed with the idea of being in love.  His lengthy speech in this scene is full of melodramatic words that portray him as fully indulged in love (Shakespeare). Orsino is carried by the thoughts of her love for Olivia to an extent that he can hardly afford the time to think of other important issues in life. Just like is the case with so many young people today, Orsino seems too overwhelmed by the thoughts of Olivia. Total obsession is evident as he is determined to win love from Olivia.

Shakespeare also depicts fanatics in love when he portrays Orsino as so fanatical in pursuit of Olivia. He is drawn to an emotion which he believes is love. The play intends to show that people will always create a false image with an affection which they claim to love. In the play, the Duke has created a false image of Olivia, and he is madly in love with the illusion that he puts Olivia’s name to.  From the play, it is evident that most people fall in love blindly due to physical attractiveness rather than adoring the personalities of the people they claim to love. Orsino is drawn o Olivia because she can offer her status of wealth and beauty as evidenced by the phrase” O when mine eyes did see Olivia first , Me thought she purged the air of pestilence “. The phrase explains that the Duke hopes to get rich and happiness if he succeeds in marrying Olivia. It is, however, prudent to note that this is not always guaranteed to most people who fall in love due to physical attributes ends up in unhappy marriages.

The play also shows how people fail to draw a line between feelings of love and physical attraction. From the play, the Duke is seen as a person who finds it difficult to differentiate between feelings of love and physical attraction. For instance, in Act II Scene IV,  ” For women are as roses whos fair flower, Being once displayed doth fall that very hours”. This phrase is the Duke’s thought on women, and he expresses that women’s beauty does not last forever but rather fades with time (Shakespeare). This is despite the fact that he loves Olivia. This is also the case today where people fall in love just because of the physical attraction and not on any other meaningful basis.

The play ‘’Twelfth Night’’ has also taken the time to portray the dangers of love.   Shakespeare asserts that love requires acceptance from both parties. Nevertheless, this is not always the case since it is possible to love a person who does not respond. For instance, in this case, Olivia is mourning the death of his brother at a time when the Duke is so obsessed with love. Olivia is not willing to listen to any marriage proposal, and this puts Orsino in a very precarious position. He is very stressed despite his senior position in the society. Orsino feels that Olivia does not love him back which ‘’flatters’’ his ego. The determination to win her love makes him involve Cesario to help woo her (Shakespeare). This is a clear indication that being obsessed with love can lead a person to do the unthinkable. For instance, there are several cases of suicides and murder in the contemporary world simply due to love-relate issues.

Conclusion

In essence, love is a major theme in the play ‘’Twelfth Night’’.  The playwright has been able to use Orsino and other major characters in the play to show the path followed by people in search of love. Orsino compares love to ‘’appetite’’ that he wants to satisfy (Shakespeare). This comparison is true to real life situation since most people are in love or pursuit of love. Besides, the play also shows the pains that come along with love as most of the characters in the play have gone through painful moments in their love life. All these issues are real and are experienced day to day.

Work cited

Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night, Or, What You Will. Champaign, Ill.: Project Gutenberg. Print.

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