The Importance of Madness as a Theme in Twelfth Night by...

The Importance of Madness as a Theme in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare Madness is a very important theme that is present in the whole course of the play Twelfth Night. Firstly, we have Malvolio almost turning mad because of the cruel joke the other servants play on him. They make him think he is mad and they also make Olivia think he is mad because of the funny way in which he is acting. There is also the theme of mad love. Some examples of this are Orsino being madly in love with Olivia, Olivia being madly in love with Cesario/Viola and Viola falling madly in love with Orsino. This mad love makes Orsino mad from â€Å"a savage jealousy† when he realises Olivia’s love for Cesario/Viola. Another†¦show more content†¦Love and loving madly are quite important in Twelfth Night. The audience can see various examples of being madly in love throughout the play. Orsino’s â€Å"unconditional† love for Olivia is one of them. He claims to have his â€Å"desires like fell and cruel hounds† pursue him ever since he firs t saw her. He sends Cesario to â€Å"unfold the passion of [his] love† and â€Å"surprise her with discourse of [his] dear faith†. However, his love turns into â€Å"a savage jealousy† and mad anger and reaches a point where he says â€Å"I’ll sacrifice the lamb that I do love, to spite a raven’s heart within a dove† as he realises Olivia is in love with Cesario/Viola. This is another example of being madly in love. Olivia falls desperately in love with Cesario/Viola reaching a point where she declares â€Å"nor wit nor reason can my passion hide† which is quite an expression of mad love and even admits it is â€Å"a most extraordinary frenzy†. She becomes desperate for a hint of love from Cesario/Viola when she declares her love for him but he keeps on rejecting her as he is in love with Orsino. Viola’s love for Orsino is also a very strong love that touches madness. She â€Å"most jocund, apt and willingly,† to please Orsino â€Å"a thousand deaths would die† which shows how intense and maddening her love for himShow MoreRelatedThe Limitations Of Frye s Green World 1729 Words   |  7 PagesWhat are the limitations of Frye’s ‘Green World’ model as applied to ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare? Twelfth Night was thought to be written in 1600-1. The play – known for adhering to a genre of romantic comedy by utilising pathos combined with humour – is listed under comedies in the First Folio of 1623 with another of Shakespeare’s works As You Like It. Twelfth Night adheres to Frye’s theory to some extent. The old world, one of repression, is conveyed through the puritanical beliefs ofRead MoreTwelfth Night- Literature Cape Unit !7125 Words   |  29 PagesTwelfth Night Criticism William Shakespeare and The Twelfth Night Known for his tragedies, comedies, sonnets and love stories, William Shakespeare is argued to be one of the best writers of his time. Throughout his plays, including The Twelfth Night, he uses disguise and deceit to fool the other characters to benefit another. Shakespeare was born in April of 1564 in the town Stratford-upon-Avon. Although the exact date of his birth is not known, historians traditionally celebrate it on the 23rdRead MoreThe Dramatic Importance of Act 1 Scenes 1 and 2 of William Shakespeares Twelfth Night4384 Words   |  18 PagesThe Dramatic Importance of Act 1 Scenes 1 and 2 of William Shakespeares Twelfth Night The title Twelfth Night seems to suggest that Shakespeare, who wrote the play around 1602, wanted it to be performed on the twelfth day after Christmas; the festival of the Epiphany. This day formally marked the end of the Christmas season, which at the time was celebrated as a special festival. In addition to eating, drinking and generally over indulging, the performance of plays wasRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 PagesTrithemius in Book 2 of his notorious Steganographia (1500) and in his Antipalus Maleficiorum (c. 1500). One copy (British Library, Sloane manuscript 3679) passed down from Simon Forman (d. 1611) to Richard Napier (d. 1634) to Elias Ashmole (d. 1692) to William Lilly (d. 1681). E.M. Butler wrongly associates it with Gio. Peccatrix, (no doubt a pseudonym) who edited an Italian version of the Key of Solomon (British Library, Sloane manuscript 1307). Misled by some comments by Mathers and others, Dr. Butler