Olivia's choice is to withdraw from the world, ostensibly for seven years. Both, at the time of the play, are young, single, and attractive. Her beauty and innocence attracts Orsino majorly. Right now Orsino is in love with Olivia, or rather the idea of Olivia because he is too self-absorbed to do anything about it himself. Not affiliated with Harvard College. .. Moreover, Viola's disguise also allows Orsino to respect her intelligence which causes her to win his love. twelfth night is a commonly reviewed work when discussing the recurring homoerotic themes throughout shakespeare's works. All rights reserved. | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. Another similarity between the women is that both Olivia and Viola's mourning periods are interrupted by an unexpected infatuation. Duke Orsino and Olivia, both bound by strong emotions and acts of self-indulgence, have many traits, and emotions shared between each other. In complete contrast, Olivia is emotional, sentimental and changeable. Companies and representatives throughout the world That being said, the two young women differ greatly in character. at l Analyzes how viola displays the same behavior towards olivia in the process of wooing her, not knowing she is really a woman. He goes on to use the metaphor of the sea to compare love to. Some theoretical differences between structuralism and Duke asked for Cesario to vouch for him to Olivia. He is in love with Olivia and he thinks he has a chance because of a forged letter he received. However, the main reason we find her a rather fascinating character is that she is at her ease in any situation; whether philosophizing with the Duke, jesting with Feste or conversing with Olivia. Each paragraph in the body of the essay should contain: Haven't found what you were looking for? They are fundamentally kind, decent, and respectable people, but they have their faults and . A division of Macmillan Publishers Limited ra li Provide at least two examples. As one of the guys, Viola knows how to act, but she associates herself with her in-group. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, The Image and Metaphor of "Drowning" in Twelfth Night, Worm i'the bud: The Games of Love in Twelfth Night, Present Me As An Eunuch: Female Identity in Twelfth Night, Malvolio and the Eunuchs: Texts and Revels in Twelfth Night, On Not Being Deceived: Rhetoric and the Body in Twelfth Night, Twelfth Night Literary Criticism (Vol. Olivia, according to Valentine, vows till seven years heat,/ Shall not behold her face at ample view (1.1.25-26). Violas using what she knows best female to female communication allows for Olivia to fall in love with Viola because of the way Viola speaks and addresses the situation of love. . 85). This suggests that, as a wealthy young woman, Olivia has learned to take a somewhat cynical view of her suitors, seeing that they are interested only her her appearance or wealth, and her being attracted to Viola's kindness and intelligence actually does suggest good judgment. While we know that both women are beautiful, one would say that Olivia is too aware of her beauty. Analyzes how viola rejects the woman's advances and is attracted to orsino, but falls in love with him as she is playing a masculine role, complicating her sexuality. Our first encounter with her is certainly less favourable than that of Viola. By continuing well assume youre on board with our cookie policy. Thank you for downloading our book! 26), Twelfth Night Literary Criticism (Vol. She is very direct and straightforward with confessing her love for Cesario. We deal with academic writing, creative writing, and non-word assignments. The plot of the reason why they became men is very different. p. cm. We do not immediately meet Olivia, but are introduced to her through Duke Orsino, who describes her breathtaking beauty. Viola is then introduced to the audience, in a completely different scene. But, Maria, Sir Toby and Sir Andres, servants to Olivia, all decided to play practical jokes on Molvolio. "Compare and contrast the characters of Viola and Olivia in Twelfth Night." Both women have lost their fathers, and both believe they have recently lost their only brothers. VIOLA Ultimately, I argue that while Olivia uses her higher social status in order to maintain control of herself and others, Viola resorts to trickery in order to bring about her desires. Written by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet is a play of unexpected love, yet there are certain expectations for men and women that are hindrances to the characters. Oh, when I first saw Olivia. Two of the most popular comedies he wrote were Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Nights Dream. She is not prepared to accept refusal, and thinks of tactics to win Cesario over: indeed, love is more oft bought than begged or borrowed. Viola and Olivia are both extremely witty and intelligent; Viola a little more so. He goes on to mention surfeiting which illustrates the idea of Orsino being so infatuated and reliant upon love that he desires to overdose, and consequently acquire so much love that it ceases to exist. Such capacity for deep feeling is something which is most prominent throughout the play, in particular in Act 2, Scene 4, in which she tells Orsino a story, which begins, My father had a daughter lovd a manOlivia, however, possesses a number of altogether characteristics. Olivia's response of mourning is to mourn for seven years with her face under a veil while refusing all declarations of love and weeping daily. She had to figure out how to defend for herself in the new country. The violin is smaller than the viola, sometimes by up to 25%. The portion of the play I have chosen to analyze are lines 188-256 in Act 5 scene one when Sebastian enters the stage and discovers Viola alive. Click here! Selected reading - 60 Numerous events and conflicts from Twelfth Night are dependant on Violas disguise, as she is caught in between Olivia and Orsinos affection due to her disguise. The second falls to Sebastians demeanor. It must not be sold in any format. Her brother has recently died after a good religious life because Feste declares him to be in "heaven." Published by Pearson. She loves Duke Orsino, and it is true that she is sometimes frustrated at not being able to declare her love for him. Not only does she have to repress her feelings toward Orsino, but to add to her pain, Orsino assigns her to spend her time trying to persuade Lady Olivia to marry him. www.cxc-store.com Viola did not have a choice but to reveal her true identity to everyone. Opines that olivia is the most beautiful, educated lady they ever set their eyes upon. Why did Shakespeare title his play Twelfth Night? The most important qualities Viola and Olivia share in Twelfth Night are, first, their profound grief and, second, their opennness to folly and improvisation. The Dukes capacity for love mirrors the vastness if the sea, but the way in which the sea is unstable and constantly changing and moving makes us question the extent of Orsinos love and raises the question of its genuineness. Shakespeare shows her helplessness in this situation because she has to help her love, try to woo someone else. Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. Both women have lost their fathers, and both believe they have recently lost their only brothers. But she keeps her love a secret, and sometimes is indeed like Patience on a monument. In marked contrast, Viola, when she learns that she is the only survivor of the ship wreckage, and that her brother might be one of the victims, tries and looks ahead in an attempt to rebuild her life. The idea of love being a cause of suffering is also reflected upon in the way that Orsino plans to hunt harts. 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW Viola withdraws into her male identity, seemingly denying her feminine youth as well, becoming something of a counterfeit Sebastian. Men are able to express their feelings to one another more freely, which gives their bonds strength that heterosexual relationships fail to display. Analyzes how sebastian will be able to free viola from her ruse and she will drop the disguise once she learns that he is alive. Life before and after Industrial Revolution. Permission to copy When Shakespeare writes A Midsummer Nights Dream, there are roles, behaviors, and expectations for the dominant men and submissive women. Home; Dante Opera. Since Viola was so pretty and the way she used her words were great, she won Orsinos trust. some adaptations depict viola as shy, signifying her return to feminine modesty. Password: They are "gently bred" and educated in womanly arts rather than in such masculine skills as swordplay and classical languages. orsino laments his love for olivia, but she refuses to take a husband. In Olivia 's house there is the weak and foolish Sir Andrew who has a crush on Olivia and is wishing one day he would get a chance with her. (Blooms classic critical views) Includes bibliographical references We also discover during this first encounter with Viola that she is very trusting; she accepts the sea captain's help and resolves to use her accomplishments in order to gain employment in Orsino's court. In Shes the Man Viola impersonates her twin brother because she wants to prove that she can play with the guys even though she is a girl. both orsino and olivia seem to shift easily between lovers. He says that he saw Sebastian trying to keep afloat by tying himself to a broken mastViola does not know whether or not it is worth holding onto hope. The two major female characters in the story are Viola and Lady Olivia. They all have affection for each other but those they have affection for do not give back the same affection for them, rather they prefer other people. he compares him to the goddess diama, compliments his rosy lips, and notes his ladylike voice. His justification for having such affection is that Cesario looks a lot like a young woman. Analyzes how viola's sudden love for orsino illustrates a universal truth about life that sometimes people fall in love too quickly without thinking far ahead. In the beginning of the play, she dresses up as a male in order to conceal her identity and to get a job at Orsinos court. . Situational irony and the love triangle give big laughs to the viewers. characteristics of olivia and viola compare and contrast 25. Still, due to the fact both characters believe their brothers to be dead for the majority of the play, their attitudes are affected by this. Though they are similar in background, their responses to the deaths of their loved ones are quite different. to date - 8 It is foolish for Viola to think that Orsino could ever truly love, In Shakespeares comedy Twelfth Night the great bard uses humor and mistaken identity not only to poke fun at romantic stories of perfect love and the foolish behavior of the aristocrats, but also to reveal mans anxieties surrounding courtship, gender performance, and love as a whole. Analyzes how feste, the castle's jester, utters this ironic statement when he was talking about countess olivias cousin sir toby. Sebastian is noble and capable of strong, deeply felt emotion, just like his sister. Dialectic helps businesses and organizations improve the way people work, learn, and collaborate through person-centred design and the latest in social psychology, industrial organizational psychology, neuroscience, and behavioural economics. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Illyrian coast Young noblewoman named Viola speaks with the captain whose crew has just rescued her from a shipwreck. Signs of the fathers - Saussure - 41 Therefore, good youth, address thy gait unto her. Similarly, Olivia 's steward, Malvolio, remains encumbered by vanity and narcissism, while Olivia 's Uncle Toby shows himself to be selfish, and his drinking partner, Sir Andrew, stands as a caricature of vanity. Firstly, Viola is a very emotional and unsure person, with this character trait comes her empathy and emotional attachment to, Olivia is easily the largest victim to love and disguise. Examine the character of Feste the Fool. Although Olivia and Viola possess a number of qualities which are not just different, but in complete opposition with one another other, they do in fact have a great deal in common. the tall man aboriginal spirit; metadata api request failed: component conversion failed: file_ended; caleb foote sandlot The scope of structuralism - 46 We soon learn that she is intelligent, witty and charming, and there are many examples of occasions illustrating this, for example during her short conversation with Feste in Act 3, Scene 1:It is these qualities that enable Viola to gain Orsinos special confidence and that cause Olivia to all in love with her. Analyzes how shakespeare uses gender confusion to explore the limits of female power and control within courtship, and their dominance within society. This paper is an analysis of the lives of Viola and Lady Olivia, their similarities, their differences and their reaction to. Analyzes how olivia has a strong willed personality throughout the play, and she is able to show her strength in getting what she wants when she asks sebastian if he will marry her. Viola and Olivia are both gentlewomen raised to self-esteem, manners, breeding, wealth and luxury (Olivia more so) who both recognize and accept the role of Fate in their lives. Analyzes how viola is different from orsino in that she takes time to get to know him and his love for her isn't real. Jackson, Mississippi Duke is already in love with Olivia, who is not interesting in dating at the time. Latest answer posted May 21, 2007 at 1:17:56 PM. L Though Olivia originally falls in love with what she believed to be a man, it is apparent that it is the feminine qualities in Cesario that drive her passion for him and his identical twin, Sebastian. 2 Structuralism - 39 Introduction - 1 Viola experiences both in-group and out-group throughout the movie. Twelfth Night centers on a blurred depiction of gender, as Viola disguises herself as a man. Olivia pursues Cesario relentlessly, with little concern for the behaviour demanded by her own status as a countess and his as a servant. The main theme that revolves around the story is that of love. Suite 130 Atlanta, GA 30319 Belhaven University 5200 Vineland Rd. This deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole by adding the thematic message, deception and dishonesty is sometimes the better option when it comes to love. it En Firstly, and most obviously, their statuses in the play are very similar: they are both women, of approximately the same age, and have recently lost their brother. Analyzes how orsino's affections for cesario are peculiar. Again, we hear the tale types of love as well as mistaken identity/uncertainty of gender. , When Sebastian makes his reveal, Olivia marries him for two reasons. 4 Pages. He could not move forward, forgive and forget, so he left. There is much trickery that goes on in Twelfth Night, but the ending is for the most part happy. enterswith his lordsOrsino is in love beautiful Lady Olivia. It is even possible that her vow to retreat from society fueled her lack of interest in the duke who pursues her called Orsino. this is an obvious allusion to love. olivia's father hired them to be the butler of his house until death took him to the afterlife. Despite being the two heroines of the play, caught up in matters of love, Viola and Olivia could not have been more different. This is where their character descriptions part company. Olivia becomes infatuated with Cesario, hinting again at a homoerotic relationship. . , 2010 170 . One only has to look at Feste in Act I, scene 5. Compare and contrast the characters of Viola and Olivia in Twelfth Night. Languages 74), Twelfth Night Literary Criticism (Vol. The names Shakespeare has given the two characters is perhaps a reflection of this; the words "Olivia" and "Viola" consist of almost exactly the same letters, yet are clearly arranged to form two different names. Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife. Here she is already expressing her anxiety and emotion at being a woman, and having to keep her emotions hidden from those around her. She longs to be able to express her love as a man could, and in her disguise as Cesario she finds an opportunity to vent her feelings for the Count, but concealed as his words and towards Olivia.