The play also opens with Orsino hopelessly in love with Olivia. Olivia, however, is consumed with grief for her brother, and rebuffs Orsino's attempts to woo her. For the play to reach its conclusion, which has the two of them marrying others, it first has to address the issue of Orsino's feelings for Olivia. Elsewhere in the play, it is clear that Orsino's love for Olivia is largely based upon her physical beauty, and he also seems to reveal that he is in love with the idea of being in love with her more than with any of her specific qualities. However, Orsino fails to directly address any of those issues within the speech. Instead, the audience is left to presume that those issues have somehow been resolved, because the audience is aware that Olivia has fallen in love with Sebastian and plans to marry him. The one clue that Orsino gives to the resolution of his feelings is that he addresses Olivia as "sweet sister." (Twelfth Night, V.i., 384). This may refer to the notion that they will soon be in-laws. However, it could also simply refer to the idea that his feelings for her have changed from amorous to simply friendly. Either way, it signals the audience that Orsino is no longer in love with Olivia, and that Olivia is free to marry Sebastian without causing distress to Orsino.
Finally, the play must deal with the fact that Orsino has only been acquainted with Viola in her disguise as a man. Apparently, Viola's disguise was convincing, because, when she was dressed as a man, Olivia believed that she was her twin brother, Sebastian, and asked "him" to marry her. Therefore, the audience cannot assume that Orsino saw through Viola's disguise and never believed her to be a man. This concept is highlighted...
He instructs her, "Cesario, come- for so you shall be while you are a man; but when in other habits you are seen, Orsino's mistress, and his fancy's queen." (Twelfth Night, V.i., 385-388). This speech is remarkable because Orsino has not actually seen Viola in other habits. Though he obviously has some idea what she looks like, he does not know how she will actually look like when dressed as a woman. This is a major transformation for Orsino; he loved Olivia only for her beauty, but has fallen in love with Viola without truly knowing her physical appearance.
Obviously, one of the themes in a play in which one of the main characters spends the majority of her time in disguise is that appearances can be deceiving. Orsino's speech not only helps bring in the resolution of the play, but also helps highlight the importance of that theme. Though Malvolio appears to be an antagonist at the beginning of the play, the speech verifies that Malvolio has been abused by the other characters, rather than being the villain. Though Orsino appeared hopelessly besotted with Olivia, he has resolved his fascination with her physical beauty and is able to treat her in a wholly-platonic manner by the conclusion of the play. Most significantly, Orsino is able to fall in love with Viola, even though she spends the majority of the play dressed as a man. By highlighting the differences between perception and reality, Orsino's speech helps the setting in the play return to normal, and puts Twelfth Night into its role as a comedy.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. New York: Penguin, 2005.
