Viola Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night

In Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, Viola is trying to make a new life for herself. Shakespeare develops her character to be a sentimental, trustworthy, and brave woman. She comes to Illyria on her own because she thinks that she lost her brother at sea. While in Illyria, Vola gets stuck in a love triangle and can not seem to escape it.

From the beginning of the play, the audience gets the sense that Viola is extremely sentimental. When she arrives to the new land she is speaking to the captain about her brother. She says, “My brother he is in Elysium. Perchance he is not drowned. -- What think you, sailors?” (1.2.47). The captain proceeds to tell her that it was a miracle that she herself was saved. Viola responds by saying, “O my poor brother! And so perchance may he be.” (1.2.51). Viola and her brother were extremely close, because growing up they only had each other. So it was a big change for Viola to be alone, and not have her brother to be with her all the time.

Each of them felt that they could trust her to complete important tasks. Orsino thought that since she looked more feminine and young that she could talk to Olivia and get her to fall in love with him. As Valentine is talking with Viola, he is telling her, “If the Duke continues these favors towards you, Cesario, you are like to be much advanced. He hath known you but three days, and already you are no stranger.” (1.4.250). There was something special about Cesario, so special that Orsino immediately trusted him to talk to Olivia. Most of his men that have been with him for months have never done any big task for Orsino. However, Cesario helped Orsino bathe and talk to Olivia after three days on the