Twelfth Night Essays: Three Types of Love

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Three Types of Love in Twelfth Night

In the play "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare explores and illustrates the emotion of love with precise detail. According to "Webster's New World Dictionary," love is defined as "a strong affection or liking for someone." Throughout the play Shakespeare examines three different types of love: true love, self love and friendship.

"Twelfth Night" consists of a large number of love triangles, however many of the characters who are tangled up in the web of love are blind to see that their emotions and feelings toward other characters are untrue and based merely on falsification. They are being deceived by themselves and/or the others around them. There are certain instances in the play where the emotion of love is true, and the two people involved feel very strongly toward one another. Viola's love for Orsino is a great example of true love. Although she is pretending to be a man and is virtually unknown in Illyria, she hopes to win the Duke's heart. In act 1, scene 4, Viola let's out her true feelings for Cesario, "yet a barful strife! Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife (1)." That statement becomes true when Viola reveals her true identity. Viola and Orsino had a particularly good friendship, and making the switch to husband and wife was easy. Viola was caught up in another true love scena...

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... Toby's company because he always lifts his spirits and makes him feel like a true knight.

Love is a ubiquitous theme within literature. Love plays a major role in "Twelfth Night," and Shakespeare addresses true love, self love, and friendship in a very compelling and interesting way. "Twelfth Night" helps the reader form their own definition of love, and Shakespeare does a great job of explaining a topic with many dimensions.

Work Cited and Consulted:

David, R. W., ed. The Arden Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost. London: Methuen, 1951.

Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare. Edited Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997.

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