Themes

Love

Overview

Key Moments in the Play

• Orsino's opening speech in Act 1, Scene 1: Introduces his melancholic and obsessive love for Olivia.
• Viola's disguise as Cesario in Act 1, Scene 2: Sets up the central love triangle of the play.
• Olivia falling in love with Cesario in Act 1, Scene 5: Adds complexity to the love dynamics.
• The revelation of identities in Act 5, Scene 1: Resolves the romantic entanglements and leads to the formation of new couples.

Key Characters

• Viola (Cesario): Her love for Orsino drives much of the plot, and her disguise complicates the love triangles.
• Orsino: His unrequited love for Olivia and eventual realization of his feelings for Viola highlight the fickle nature of love.
• Olivia**:** Her quick shift from mourning to loving Cesario (Viola) showcases the unpredictable nature of love.
• Sebastian: Viola's twin, whose appearance resolves many of the romantic conflicts.

Key Quotes

"If music be the food of love, play on, / Give me excess of it; that, surfeiting, / The appetite may sicken, and so die." (Act 1, Scene 1)

• Orsino expresses his melancholic obsession with love.
• Illustrates the overindulgence and performative aspect of Orsino's love.

"My master loves her dearly; / And I, poor monster, fond as much on him; / And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me." (Act 2, Scene 2)

• Viola describes the complicated love triangle.
• Highlights the theme of mistaken identities and unrequited love.

"Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." (Act 3, Scene 1)

• Olivia declares her love for Cesario.
• Emphasizes the spontaneity and sincerity of love that is freely given.

"I am all the daughters of my father's house, / And all the brothers too." (Act 2, Scene 4)

• Viola hints at her true identity to Orsino.
• Reflects the blending of genders and roles in the play.

"A contract of eternal bond of love, / Confirmed by mutual joinder of your hands, / Attested by the holy close of lips, / Strengthened by interchangement of your rings." (Act 5, Scene 1)

• The priest confirms the marriage between Olivia and Sebastian.
• Represents the resolution and union brought by love.

Gender

Overview

Key Moments in the Play

• Viola's decision to disguise herself as Cesario in Act 1, Scene 2: Sets the stage for exploring gender fluidity.
• Olivia's attraction to Cesario in Act 1, Scene 5: Highlights the confusion and fluidity of gender and attraction.
• Viola's revelation of her true identity in Act 5, Scene 1: Resolves the gender confusion and restores order.

Key Characters

• Viola (Cesario): Her disguise as a man challenges traditional gender roles and creates romantic complications.
• Orsino: His attraction to Cesario blurs the lines of gender and attraction.
• Olivia: Her love for Cesario (Viola) questions the fixed nature of gender and sexual orientation.

Key Quotes

"Thy small pipe / Is as the maiden's organ, shrill and sound, / And all is semblative a woman's part." (Act 1, Scene 4)

• Orsino describes Cesario's (Viola's) feminine qualities.
• Highlights the ambiguity and fluidity of Cesario's gender.

"I am all the daughters of my father's house, / And all the brothers too." (Act 2, Scene 4)

• Viola hints at her dual identity.
• Reflects the blending and performance of gender roles.

"Disguise, I see, thou art a wickedness / Wherein the pregnant enemy does much." (Act 2, Scene 2)

• Viola reflects on the complications caused by her disguise.
• Emphasizes the theme of gender performance and its consequences.

"One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons! / A natural perspective, that is and is not!" (Act 5, Scene 1)

• The recognition of Viola and Sebastian's identical appearance.
• Illustrates the confusion and resolution of gender identities.

"Cesario, come; / For so you shall be, while you are a man; / But when in other habits you are seen, / Orsino's mistress, and his fancy's queen." (Act 5, Scene 1)

• Orsino's acceptance of Viola's true identity.
• Reinforces the theme of gender fluidity and transformation.

Madness

Overview

Key Moments in the Play

• Orsino's melancholic love for Olivia in Act 1, Scene 1: Sets the tone for the theme of love-induced madness.
• Malvolio's behaviour after receiving the fake love letter in Act 2, Scene 5: Exemplifies the literal madness caused by deception.
• The confusion and mistaken identities in Act 4, Scene 1: Highlight the chaotic and madcap nature of the play.

Key Characters

• Orsino: His obsessive and melancholic love borders on madness.
• Olivia**:** Her sudden infatuation with Cesario reflects the irrationality of love.
• Malvolio**:** His descent into madness due to the prank played on him represents the darker side of deception.

Key Quotes

"If music be the food of love, play on, / Give me excess of it; that, surfeiting, / The appetite may sicken, and so die." (Act 1, Scene 1)

• Orsino's excessive and melancholic view of love.
• Illustrates the connection between love and madness.

"Why, this is very midsummer madness." (Act 3, Scene 4)

• Olivia's reaction to Malvolio's strange behaviour.
• Highlights the theme of madness in the play.

"Go hang yourselves all! You are idle shallow things; I am not of your element." (Act 3, Scene 4)

• Malvolio's arrogant and mad response to the other characters.
• Reflects his descent into madness and isolation.

"This fellow's wise enough to play the fool, / And to do that well craves a kind of wit." (Act 3, Scene 1)

• Viola's observation about Feste's role as the fool.
• Emphasizes the fine line between wisdom and madness.

"If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction." (Act 3, Scene 4)

• Fabian's comment on the absurdity of the situation.
• Meta-theatrical reference to the madness and chaos in the play.

Deception

Overview

Key Moments in the Play

• Viola's disguise as Cesario in Act 1, Scene 2: Initiates the central deception of the play.
• Maria's prank on Malvolio in Act 2, Scene 5: Exemplifies the use of deception for comedic effect.
• The mistaken identities of Viola and Sebastian in Act 4, Scene 1: Create confusion and drive the plot towards its resolution.

Key Characters

• Viola (Cesario): Her disguise sets the stage for the play's central deceptions.
• Malvolio: The victim of a cruel prank that leads to his public humiliation.
• Maria: The mastermind behind the prank on Malvolio.
• Feste: The fool who uses his wit to deceive and mock other characters.

Key Quotes

"Disguise, I see, thou art a wickedness / Wherein the pregnant enemy does much." (Act 2, Scene 2)

• Viola reflects on the complications caused by her disguise.
• Highlights the theme of deception and its consequences.

"I am all the daughters of my father's house, / And all the brothers too." (Act 2, Scene 4)

• Viola hints at her true identity.
• Reflects the layers of deception in the play.

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." (Act 2, Scene 5)

• Malvolio reads the fake letter.
• Illustrates the use of deception to manipulate and mock.

"This fellow's wise enough to play the fool, / And to do that well craves a kind of wit." (Act 3, Scene 1)

• Viola's observation about Feste's role as the fool.
• Emphasizes the use of deception and performance.

"If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction." (Act 3, Scene 4)

• Fabian's comment on the absurdity of the situation.
• Meta-theatrical reference to the deception and chaos in the play.

Social Class

Overview

Key Moments in the Play

• Viola's disguise as Cesario in Act 1, Scene 2: Allows her to navigate different social spheres.
• Maria's prank on Malvolio in Act 2, Scene 5: Exposes the ambitions and pretensions of different social classes.
• The resolution of identities in Act 5, Scene 1: Restores social order and reveals the true identities of the characters.

Key Characters

• Viola (Cesario): Her disguise allows her to move between different social classes.
• Malvolio: His ambition to rise above his social class leads to his downfall.
• Sir Toby Belch: Represents the dissolute and irresponsible behaviour of the nobility.
• Feste: The fool who can speak truth to both nobles and servants.

Key Quotes

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." (Act 2, Scene 5)

• Malvolio reads the fake letter.
• Highlights his ambition and the fluidity of social status.

"This fellow's wise enough to play the fool, / And to do that well craves a kind of wit." (Act 3, Scene 1)

• Viola's observation about Feste's role as the fool.
• Emphasizes the subversion of social roles.

"Go hang yourselves all! You are idle shallow things; I am not of your element." (Act 3, Scene 4)

• Malvolio's arrogant response to the other servants.
• Reflects his sense of social superiority.

"If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction." (Act 3, Scene 4)

• Fabian's comment on the absurdity of the situation.
• Highlights the theme of social performance.

"Give me thy hand / And let me see thee in thy woman's weeds." (Act 5, Scene 1)

• Orsino's acceptance of Viola's true identity.
• Restores social order and resolves the class-based deceptions.

Melancholy

Overview

Key Moments in the Play

• Orsino's opening speech in Act 1, Scene 1: Establishes his melancholic love for Olivia.
• Viola's disguised confession of love in Act 2, Scene 4: Reveals her melancholic feelings.
• Olivia's mourning and sudden shift to love in Act 1, Scene 5: Highlights the performative nature of melancholy.

Key Characters

• Orsino**:** His melancholic love for Olivia defines much of his character.
• Olivia**:** Her mourning and subsequent love for Cesario demonstrate the fluidity of melancholy.
• Viola (Cesario): Her hidden love for Orsino adds to the play's exploration of unspoken and melancholic desire.

Key Quotes

"If music be the food of love, play on, / Give me excess of it; that, surfeiting, / The appetite may sicken, and so die." (Act 1, Scene 1)

• Orsino's expression of his melancholic love.
• Illustrates the consuming nature of melancholy.

"I am all the daughters of my father's house, / And all the brothers too." (Act 2, Scene 4)

• Viola hints at her true identity while expressing her hidden love.
• Reflects the theme of unspoken melancholy.

"Disguise, I see, thou art a wickedness / Wherein the pregnant enemy does much." (Act 2, Scene 2)

• Viola reflects on the complications of her disguise.
• Highlights the emotional toll of hidden identity and love.

"What is love? 'Tis not hereafter; / Present mirth hath present laughter: / What's to come is still unsure." (Act 2, Scene 3)

• Feste's song is about the transient nature of love.
• Contrasts with the melancholic experiences of the other characters.

"My father had a daughter loved a man, / As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman, / I should your lordship." (Act 2, Scene 4)

• Viola's disguised confession of love to Orsino.
• Illustrates her melancholic longing and hidden emotions.