Characters Olivia and Orsino in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

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Characters Olivia and Orsino in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

Introduction

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The main characters that I will be focusing on are Olivia, Orsino,

Viola and Sebastian. I will write about the way that Shakespeare

presents Olivia and Orsino their changes during the play and why these

changes occur. I will also include the affects Viola and Sebastian

have on them.

Orsino is the duke of Illyria, he would like to ask Olivia to marry

him she is a rich lady with a waiting-gentlewoman Maria. She has

recently lost her brother and is in mourning for him. Because of this

she does not seem to be interested in any other men including Orsino.

Sebastian and Viola are twin brother and sister who during the play

are involved in a shipwreck and believe each other to be dead as they

become separated. Viola dresses as a man called Cesario and goes to

Orsino's court looking for work.

Orsino is seen to be very much in love with Olivia. He seems to be so

overwhelmed with his passion for her that he acts rather strange. The

arrival of Cesario who Orsino seems to take a liking to takes his mind

off Olivia but soon he is using Cesario to woo her for him. This

affects the situation in a way that he clearly did not intend as

Olivia regains her interest in men again but not in him but in

Cesario!

Orsino becomes desperately unhappy about his failure to win the

affection of Olivia. In a conversation with Cesario he argues that men

love more than women do. Cesario disagrees and almost gives away her

true identity and love. She is sent to Olivia again.

Olivia states her love for Cesario but is turned down, a love triangle

forms Cesario (Viola) for Orsino, Orsino for Olivia and Olivia for

Cesario.

After meeting Sebastian who she believed to be Cesario, Olivia invites

him into her home. Sebastian enters in a complete daze. He is given a

jewel by Olivia who now proposes a ceremony of betrothal as a step

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