The Twelfth Night - Development of Themes - 889 Words

‘Analyse how the writer develops a significant idea or theme in an extended txt you have studied.’ Many say William Shakespeare is the most influential writer in all of English literature with works hailed by Elizabeth I, James I and literary luminaries such as Ben Jonson. Shakespeare wrote the critically acclaimed Twelfth Night in 1601 during the middle of his career. This play incorporates illusion, deception, disguises, madness and shows the extraordinary things that love with cause us to do. Shakespeare cleverly develops the theme of ‘love as a cause of suffering’ through language techniques, motifs such as Madness and disguise and through the idea of superficial love. Twelfth Night is classified as a romantic comedy as romantic†¦show more content†¦Orsino is a very interesting character in twelfth night. Shakespeare describes him as a very emotional yet self-indulgent count who persists in his belief that he is in love with Olivia. The type of love Orsino has for Olivia is called superficial love, a love that is without depth. We see this as not true love but merely Orsino adoring the idea of love within his imagination. Shakespeare illuminates this as impossible love through Olivia’s dialogue, â€Å" Get you to your lord; I cannot love him; let him send no more.† Olivia knows Orsino loves her but she chooses not to accept it because she is mourning her brother’s death. Shakespeare also helps the reader to see that Olivia may fear that Orsino’s love is not constant but his love for her is a dream. Shakespeare shows that love causes suffering because love in this situation has been exclusionary due to the reject ion of superficial love so readers can vividly see that Orsino is left with a sense of pain and suffering. Shakespeare is an expert in the field when his comes to the development of themes in English literature. In Twelfth Night he develops the idea of ‘Love as a cause of pain’ through techniques such as negative connotations. His development also includes the ideas of madness, superficial love and the art of disguise. The collaboration of these language features makes one amazing extended text, which is hailed by many to be one of Shakespeare’s mostShow MoreRelatedThe Twelfth Night: A Happy Ending? Essay1501 Words   |  7 Pagesdegree of expectation with the genre of comedy that despite whatever difficulties appear within the play, by the end these will be resolved and the play will have a traditional happy-ending with a marriage or a celebration in the final scene. The â€Å"Twelfth Night† is no exception to this rule. 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