Explore How Ideas About Love and/or Madness Are Presented in Act 4 of Twelfth Night

978 Words4 Pages
Explore how ideas about love and/or madness are presented in Act 4 of Twelfth Night One of the most important aspects of the first half of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ is the love triangle between Orsino, Olivia and Viola (Cesario). Viola, disguised as Cesario, is in love with Duke Orsino. Unfortunately for Viola, Orsino is in love with Olivia and has employed Viola, disguised as Cesario, to woo Olivia for the Duke. Orsino believes the Viola is a young man, Cesario, and therefore knows nothing of Viola’s love. Throughout the play, there does not appear to be a resolution to this conflict until Act IV, Scene 1. In this scene, Feste the Clown meets Sebastian, Viola’s twin brother. Viola thought that Sebastian had in fact died at sea. Feste, believing Sebastian to be Cesario, takes him to see Olivia. At Olivia’s house, Sebastian is attacked twice, first by Sir Andrew and shortly after by Sir Toby. Sebastian, overcome by confusion, asks ‘Are all the people mad?’ Sebastian, who does not know his sister is alive or that he has been caught in a game of mistaken identity, does not know how to react. However, Olivia enters the scene and quickly takes charge. She begs Sebastian, who she also thinks is Cesario, to come into her house and pleads that Sebastian be “rul’d by me!” Sebastian, although he does not know Olivia, quickly consents. During the play, we see how deeply devoted Antonio is to Sebastian. However in Act 4, it is clear that Sebastian does not feel as strongly about Antonio. In this act he says; ‘This is the air; that is the glorious sun; this pearl she gave me, I do feel't and see't; and though 'tis wonder that enwraps me thus, Yet 'tis not madness. Where's Antonio, then? I could not find him at the Elephant: Yet there he was; and there I found this credit, that he did range the town to seek me out. His counsel now might do me golden service’. Here, as

More about Explore How Ideas About Love and/or Madness Are Presented in Act 4 of Twelfth Night

Open Document