Analyzing Themes in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay

William Shakespeare, an English writer in the seventeenth century. He is considered to be the most influential writer in English literature. He wrote various genres, but the common types he wrote were: Tragedies, Comedies, and Histories. Among the many plays he wrote he wrote one his most famous play, â€Å"Twelfth Night†, which he wrote during the middle of his career. â€Å"Twelfth Night† is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies that he has written. In addition to it is also the only play that he wrote that has an alternate title which is called, â€Å"Twelfth Night, or What You Will†. By analyzing the themes presented in the play: Actions of love, Gender, and madness, helps show what Shakespeare conveyed about love. In the play,†¦show more content†¦Each time he go tries to woo her it always brings him more pain. So to him it seems that love is an awful savage that keeps attacking him. On the other hand Viola, who is disguis ed as a man and who falls in love with Orsino, states that, â€Å"My state is desperate for my master’s love† (Act II. Scene II. Line 37) in which she means that she is hopelessly in love and she will do anything to gain it. This results into violence in a later scene with her and Orsino because he thinks that Cesario (Viola) is Olivia’s lover. Viola does bring pain to Olivia due to her deception because Olivia fell quickly in love with Cesario when he comes to woo her for Orsino. As stated, the play does have a happy ending. Those who were set out pursuing for love got it for the most part. Orsino and Viola ended up together, Olivia and Sebastian (Viola’s twin brother) ended up together (partly because she mistakes him for Cesario), and Maria and Sir Toby ended up together. The same could not be said for Malvolio who was in love with Olivia. He was tricked into thinking that Olivia returned the same affections, but in it was all a trick. Malvolio had the mindset that Olivia loved him, but Olivia just thought he was going mad so she sent him off to this dark cell where he remained until the end of the play. Malvolio’s love for Olivia hurt him more than it did more good. He had to suffer because of his actions which portrayed him as a fool. LoveShow MoreRelated A Midsummer Night’s Dream - The Feminist Subtext Essay1905 Words   |  8 Pagesof A Midsummer Nights Dream    Shakespeares works have persistently influenced humanity for the past four hundred years. Quotations from his plays are used in many other works of literature and some common phrases have even become integrated into the English language. Most high schoolers have been unsuccessful in avoidance of him and college students are rarely afforded the luxury of choice when it comes to studying the bard. Many aspects of Shakespeares works have been researched but one ofRead MoreThe Wise Fools of Shakespeare1868 Words   |  8 Pagesamusement during the medieval period. Rather Shakespeare’s fools appear to be in the best of their wits when they are in possession of the wisest minds. Fools whether in their rustic vigour displaying grotesque humour or in the forms of the sophisticated court jesters with their polished puns occupied a substantial position in his plays. Not only they added the element of humour but often alluded a deeper context under their apparent comic facade. Shakespea re’s plays embodied a varied range of comic charactersRead More William Faulkners Use of Shakespeare Essay5388 Words   |  22 PagesWilliam Faulkners Use of Shakespeare Throughout his career William Faulkner acknowledged the influence of many writers upon his work--Twain, Dreiser, Anderson, Keats, Dickens, Conrad, Balzac, Bergson, and Cervantes, to name only a few--but the one writer that he consistently mentioned as a constant and continuing influence was William Shakespeare. Though Faulkner’s claim as a fledgling writer in 1921 that â€Å"[he] could write a play like Hamlet if [he] wanted to† (FAB 330) may be dismissed asRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Twelfth Night3268 Words   |  14 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night In Act 1, scenes 1-3, there are many ways to which these scenes provide an effective opening to the play. Individually, these scenes each serve a different aspect, which contributes to an effective opening. In Act 1, scene 1, Orsino is introduced into the picture, with his whining and pining towards this love for Olivia, with much exaggeration, due to the excessive use of imagery, and gives us one of the central theme of the play –