The Analysis of Twelfth Night (Book Review Sample)

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The Analysis of Twelfth Night
General Overview of Shakespeare’s Creation
The oeuvre of the great English dramatist William Shakespeare coincides with one of the most fascinating pages of the history of European Culture, the Revival of Learning. That is the period between XVI and XVII centuries in England.
The human being, dowered with brilliant talents, was given the central position under Renaissance era. The individual’s soul, body, thoughts, conducts – all were considered to be glorious or pressing to it. That was the basis of the art of the classical studies that time. Consequently, the view on life, there and then, was characterized to the pursuance of self-actualization, the treatment of both self-importance and the self-belief as well as active position towards the achievement of one’s goals. Twelfth Night is one of the best comedies of body of William Shakespeare’s work. It was penned at the end of the optimistic period of his creations, which is referred to 1600 year by researchers.
The Setting, Plot and the Characters
The first cluster centers on the Illyria’s ducal, which encompasses Duke Orsino and his staff. Countess Olivia, the primary subject of the first scene, also belongs to the authorities. After the shipwreck, the victims make up the second division. The major characters in the class include the twins, Sebastian and Viola, the captain of the damaged vessel and Antonio the pirate. The third bunch is the collection of tricksters and pranksters that feature Fabian, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Maria, Sir Toby Belch and Feste the Clown. The author drafts to create a classic love mesh between Maria Olivia, a Countess of Illyria, Duke Orsino and Viola, who simulates a “handsome” servant Cesario, a survivor of a sea cruise accident. Although the principal theme of the plot is to vindicate that love can induce agony and torment, victims intend to gain an enormous bliss out of it.
Major Themes of the Plot
The romance theme dominates the narrative, as much as love interconnects the players. Count Orsino desires to marry Olivia while she adores Cesario, actually Viola who just changed her clothes to manlike, and who is the administrator’s messenger at the country. The drama describes a happy finale, as couples find each other and say "I do" in bliss. However, the author illustrates that love is a source of pain. Noble Orsino has workers, power and honor that earn him respect in Illyria. He has wealth and high social status, which make his soul appear contended, as one is when happy. Unfortunately, he hurts inwardly because of his target bride Olivia, who turns him down. He confesses Cesario to fall in love at the first sight. Shakespeare delineates it as follows, “O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, / Methought she purged the air of pestilence! / That instant was I turn’d into a hart; / And my/ desires, like fell and cruel hounds, / E’er [ever] since pursue me” (Shakespeare 5).
Being the possessive character, Lady Olivia puts effort to impress her mate. She blatantly reveals to Cesario her wishes for tying the knot, “Unless the master were the man. How now! / Even so quickly may one catch the plague? / Methinks I feel this youth’s perfections / With an invisible and subtle stealth / To creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be. / What ho, Malvolio” (Shakespeare 27).The aristocratic description of Countess’ infatuation towards Cesario, being a real “plague”, makes her be soft on “him”, as if under a mysterious universe’s force.
At the same time, it seems as if Viola has composed something while being under the guise of Cesario. Viola also struggles to suppress the exposing her true feelings towards the boss Orsino. “My state is desperate for my master’s love” (Shakespeare 43).The simulating of a man caused a lot of challenges to Viola.
The Analyses of the Scene that Occurs at the Chapter Five
Chapter five of the Twelfth Night recapitulates the prime theme of the play as it confirms that love is a source of both bliss and pain. The other focal point in the Shakespeare’s masterpiece is highlighted in the following act. Antonio, who is apprehended by the law enforcers for fighting with Sir Andrew (Chapter 3), brings back there. He shares his friend the bitterness of his soul after having broken the law when trying to protect him from bullies. Antonio, being the friend of Viola’s brother, mixes her with his fellow, as the woman tricks everybody of being a man. Additionally, Cesario embarrasses him, after he states that he neither knows the suspect, nor has his wallet. , other words, he does not deal with the accident. The pain of reminder is apparent because he treats Viola to be Sebastian. The robber presumes that he denies him for personal gain. He reprimands viola furiously.
“His life I gave him and did thereto add / My love, without retention or restraint,/ All his in dedication; for his sake / Did I expose myself, pure for his love, / Into the danger of this adverse town; / Drew to defend him when he was beset: / Where being apprehended, his false cunning, / Not meaning to partake with me in danger, / Taught him to face me out of his acquaintance” (Shakespeare 132).
Sebastian would like to turn back the hands of time and retrieve her brother sister Viola from ruin when they suffer shipwreck. He loves his sibling; that he convinces his fugitive friend to take him to the city. Antonio accompanies him to the town where he is a wanted criminal. He intends to stay indoors where he is safe from coming across people who know he is a thug. However, he exposes his identity in order to defend Viola, whom he mistakes for Sebastian, after he finds some bullies tormenting her.
"the brother from his tormentors, but she claims that they have not met previously. The pirate curses Viola because he mistakes her for Sebastian. The author’s message here is to display again the entire disadvantage of love; but this time of the fraternal affection, the other kind of it.
The thief argues that he deserves Noble Orsino’s mercy because he shows mercy and love to his servant Cesario after the vessel’s accident. However, the Aristocrat hurts his feelings, he commands his security to take him away.
“Here comes the countess: now heaven / walks on earth. / But for thee, fellow; fellow, thy words are madness: / Three months this youth hath tended upon me;” (Shakespeare 132).
Orsino communicates the adorable Olivia, trying to impress her. Nevertheless, she appears unenthusiastic towards him, and more than this, she arrogantly expresses her romance obsession with his messenger César. The Countess’ egotism enrages the Duke. He is confident that they could be happy, since they both come from imperial families. As a result, he boasts that Olivia cannot find a partner who will love her as much as he does. Furthermore, he pleads for accepting his proposal, promising to dedicate entirely his love to her.
“What, to perverseness? you uncivil lady, / To whose ingrate and unauspicious altars /My soul the faithfull’st offerings hath breathed out / That e’er devotion tender’d! What shall I do?” (Shakespeare 133).
Orsino’s diction and disappointment after Lady Olivia reject him betrays the pain love causes him. Luckily, his frustration ends soon after realizing that Cesario was a woman, and she was head over heels in love with him. For the time she stays with the Duke, her heartaches for circumstances confine her in the man “Cesario” that will not her woo the nobleman. The pain goes away after she reveals her identity. Immediately,...