Character Analysis in Twelfth Night
Viola, Orsino and Olivia of Shakespeare's Comic Play
Aug 24, 2009
The characters of Twelfth Night are varied in terms of personality and plot device. Each character has their own role to play to help the plot develop.
Viola
Viola is introduced to the play while she is in mourning for the brother she believes she has lost. However, although suffering from grief, she is strong enough to decide on a course of action now that she is alone. When she begins work for Orsino she falls in love with him – Orsino himself is in love with love and is self-indulgent in his lust for Olivia.
Viola tries to discourage Orsino from trying to win the affections of Olivia, but helps him to do so anyway out of loyalty for him and as she wants him to be happy. She manages to overcome her emotions by using her humour, and her wit is shown when she mocks the second-hand love she conveys to Olivia by using rich and over-the-top language.
Her intelligence and wit are also shown when she has an exchange with Feste, the fool, and shows that she is capable of word-play on as high a level as he is. She is one of the most admired of Shakespeare's heroines for her strength and sincerity at all times.
Orsino
Orsino believes himself to be in love with Olivia, when really he is in love with the idea of love, and also in love with himself. He enjoys the sadness he feels of his unrequited love and likes to wallow in his melancholy. His language is always over-the-top and insincere although he tries to make his emotions vocal, and his love is seen as superficial.
Orsino gets Viola/Cesario to try and win him the affections of Olivia, rather than doing so himself, which gives him the appearance of being lazy. He is too busy enjoying his sorrow to do anything himself. When he discovers that Cesario is infact the female Viola, he transfers his love from Olivia to Viola instantly. This confirms his desire to be in love rather than loving anyone individually. A reader is left feeling that perhaps he isn't good enough for the admirable Viola.
Olivia
As with Viola, Olivia is introduced to the play whilst mourning for her dead brother. In comparison, she is not as quick as Viola, shown when Feste the clown outwits her. When Cesario/Viola first meets her to convey Orsino's emotions, Olivia falls instantly in love.
Her emotions are real and she has compassion for her fellow characters – the exchange with Malvolio after he has been tricked into believing that she loves him causes her confusion but she is caring and orders that he be looked after.
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