Unrequited Love In Twelfth Night

Even though the play has a happy ending, the suffering that each character has to go through proves that sometimes people have to overcome conflicts to obtain happiness. Unrequited love not only results in melancholy, but also heartbreak, and even though someone does not love you back, that does not mean they do not deserve your love. In the 15th century playwright, The Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare explores the torture of unrequited love, which reveals that however wonderful love can feel, sometimes the pain overwhelms even the strongest of people.

Unrequited love will drive even the most joyful person to melancholy. Olivia, still upset over the death of her brother, refuses to marry anybody for seven years. Duke Orsino, unwilling to accept her grief, loves her deeply. Orsino compares love to music, stating, “Give me excess of it that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die” (I.i.2-3). Shakespeare illustrates the allure of love, stating that while Orsino cannot stop loving, he so desperately desires to stop. He loves her but she does not return his feelings.

Orsino’s love brings him misery and makes him wonder whether anything good will ever come out of it. She refuses him her love because of not only her grief of her brother, but also because of his status. “She’ll not match above her degree, neither in estate, years, nor wit” (I.iii.93-94). The author portrays Olivia as a person who does not need much in life, but her simplicity brings her deeper into melancholy. Her want of a man of lower status in society leads her to her feelings for Cesario.
Often times, misconceptions can lead to heartbreaking realizations when it comes to love. Olivia has no trouble falling in love with Cesario, as he does not give her any reason to doubt his gender. As Viola learns of Olivia’s feelings for Cesario, she does not know what to do. “She’s deluded enough to be in love with me” (II.ii.31) Shakespeare says through Cesario that Olivia might as well love a ghost, because the man she loves does not actually exist. Very few options are available to fix the situation and it shows how in sometimes, a solution does not seem possible. A misconception such as this will cause an unpreventable heartbreak when Olivia figures out the truth, because Cesario cannot return her feelings. However, because of her lack of insight, Olivia continues to yearn for Cesario’s love. She knows that he does not love her back by what he says to her and how he says it. When Olivia says “The clock upbraids me with the waste of time” (III.i.121), she realizes that the man she loves will never love her back, and it breaks her heart because the one man that she loves dearly cannot return her feelings.
Even when someone does not receive the love they give, that does not mean that he or she will stop caring.

Even though Olivia has rejected Orsino many times, he does not give up. Orsino still believes she deserves his love, saying, “Here comes the Countess. Now heaven walks on earth” (V.i.92-93). Shakespeare reveals the desperation many people feel when in a complicated situation like this. He knows she does not return his feelings, but he continues to pursue her. He reveals the perseverance of a man in love, and he does not stop until Olivia proclaims her love for Cesario. When Orsino says he will kill Cesario for marrying Olivia, Viola, still disguised as Cesario, states “to do you rest, a thousand deaths would die” (V.i.129). Her willingness to do anything for his happiness represents a love truer than most. She does not care what becomes of her as long as Orsino has the love he

deserves.
Unrequited love reveals the tenacity of different people, how much effort they put into a challenge, how they handle rejection, and how they can continue on with life even after their happiness has been ripped away from them. This playwright shows the strength of every single character dealing with rejection, heartbreak, and melancholy. Although love has its risks, the suffering often leads to unimaginable happiness, because everyone has to go through conflicts, but it makes them stronger in the end.