How Does Shakespeare Represent Love in the Play ‘Twelfth Night'?

How does Shakespeare represent love in the play ‘Twelfth Night?’

Shakespeare represents love in the play ‘Twelfth Night’ in many different ways, as the plot is entirely driven by the search for love. In ‘Twelfth Night’ there are many different types of Love represented ranging from forbidden love to unrequited love and being in love with love itself.

One example of how love is represented in the play is Duke Orsino’s vanity and obsession with himself which gives him a distorted view on how love should be. It is also evident throughout the play that he is struggling with what he feels for Viola/Cesario, and because he thinks that she is a man he is conflicted over this fact as he believes it to be a forbidden love. Because of Orsino’s overwhelming obsession with himself he is unable to express what he believes to be love to Olivia so he sends Cesario to do it for him. Even though Orsino thinks he is being romantic and brave due to his persistent attempts to woo Olivia he is in fact very cowardly as he is unable to face Olivia and tell her his feelings in person. Another character driven by his own vanity is Malvolio. Due to being blinded by his own extreme vanity, what he believes is love for Olivia is unrequited and goes ignored. The love Malvolio feels for Olivia has nothing to do with her but only improving his image and his standing in social society. He wants to marry Olivia in order to obtain her money, class, power and estate. He also wishes to get rid of Sir Toby, so he feels no actual emotions towards Olivia herself but in his deluded and self-obsessed state believes his love is true.

Olivia on the other hand has a very confused and clouded idea of love. After swearing off men for seven years due to losing the two prominent male role models in her, she then falls for the first person who matches her whit and shows her true kindness. She is at first very untrusting in the play and rejects the Duke’s advances because she has enclosed herself into a...