Many modern critics, among them T.S. Eliot and Hugh Grady, focus on Shakespeare's role as avant-gardist and precursor of modern literature. Thus, most of their critical notices are concerned with Shakespeare's influence on literature, theatre, and language. One particularly frequently chosen subject is the assessment of his various contributions to English culture and, concomitantly, the examination of new standards Shakespeare has set. Last but not least, they elucidate his role as a preeminent model, when dissecting the effect his works had on authors like Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf.
What these contemporary critics often do not emphasize strongly enough is the extent to which Shakespeare draws from tradition to compose his plays. This term paper will show the ascendancy of history in "Twelfth Night", where Shakespeare analyzes the various considerations of love present at that time, weighs up good and bad aspects, and, subsequently, develops an own theory on true love. In a first step, the paper reveals Elizabethan love concepts in the relationships between the main characters and points out how Shakespeare evaluates these various concepts. Finally, it makes a supposition on his understanding of true love.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Orsino as a Petrarchan: enacted feelings
3. Melancholic love: Olivia in a mood of de-pression
4. Congeniality: union of souls between Orsino and Cesario
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how Shakespeare utilizes and evaluates Elizabethan love conventions—specifically Petrarchism, melancholic love, and congeniality—within his play "Twelfth Night" to develop his own theory of true love.
- The role of Petrarchism and enacted feelings in Orsino's character.
- The impact of melancholic love and ritual mourning on Olivia.
- The dynamics of congeniality and spiritual union between Orsino and Cesario.
- Shakespeare's critique of traditional, passive, or irrational love concepts.
- The synthesis of reason and emotion as essential components of authentic love.
Excerpt from the Book
2. Orsino as a Petrarchan: enacted feelings
Orsino as a tragic figure stands for the predominant attitude towards love in Twelfth Night: Petrarchism. The importance of this concept becomes apparent from the fact that it is introduced exceptionally early in the play—during Orsino´s exposition—and re-occurs in many subsequent scenes, for example in Act I Scene V, where Cesario has to court Olivia on Orsino´s behalf.
In preparation for the actual analysis, it is important to define the term “Petrarchism”. For this purpose, I will revert to Pearson´s Elizabethan Love Conventions. Therein, she writes, “The most essential characteristic of Petrarchism is adoration of the loved one, an adoration which makes her the center of all earthly beauty and relates all creation to her” (252). This quote indicates aspects of passion, exalted expression of emotion, and worship of beauty.
At first sight, Orsino seems to comply with all three of these indicators. Concealed behind a curtain of melancholic reflections about love, however, the attentive reader soon detects a number of more disputable intentions with Orsino. He, apparently, does not entertain real feelings towards Olivia—the alleged object of his desires—but rather emotes his sentiments.
De facto, Orsino tries to maintain a self-imposed image of himself as a lover devoured by the fire of passion. Whenever the topic of love is addressed, he emphasizes the strength of his feelings—either by himself or via Cesario as his messenger. Consequently, he compares them simultaneously to “hunger” (2.4.100) and to “sighs of fire” (1.5.48). Because his entire behavior is targeted to his desideratum to be perceived as an ideal devotee, it is no wonder that we only encounter him in intimate gatherings with his servants, to whom he overtly expresses his “innermost” feelings, or—to use Orsino´s own words— “[unclasps] . . . the book even of [his] secret soul” (1.4.13-14). Each time Orsino enters the stage, we see him indulging in long daydreams and “wallowing in the rhetoric of amorous surfeit, displaced into images of auditory and gustatory consumption” (Slights 341).Drawing on his master´s words, Cesario describes the pain adherent to Orsino´s manner of love, “If I did love you in my master`s flame, With such a suffering, such a deadly life, In your denial I would find no sense, I would not understand it” (1.5.256-58).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research focus on Shakespeare's use of historical Elizabethan love conventions and establishes the methodology for analyzing the main characters.
2. Orsino as a Petrarchan: enacted feelings: Examines Orsino's performance of love, arguing that his Petrarchan behaviors are superficial, irrational, and based on self-image rather than genuine affection.
3. Melancholic love: Olivia in a mood of de-pression: Analyzes Olivia's ritualistic mourning as a passive, exclusionary state that denies her own femininity until she is moved by Cesario.
4. Congeniality: union of souls between Orsino and Cesario: Discusses the deep intellectual and emotional bond between Orsino and Viola-as-Cesario, exploring how this relationship challenges gendered expectations of the era.
5. Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis to conclude that Shakespeare values constancy and active pursuit, ultimately defining true love as a balance of reason and emotion.
Keywords
Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Petrarchism, Melancholic Love, Congeniality, Elizabethan Love Conventions, Orsino, Olivia, Viola, Cesario, True Love, Gender roles, Emotional performance, Literary analysis, Human passion
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how William Shakespeare incorporates and critiques traditional Elizabethan love conventions within his play "Twelfth Night."
Which specific love conventions are discussed in the analysis?
The study focuses on three key conventions: Petrarchism and restrained adoration, melancholic love, and congeniality combined with spiritual love.
What is the author's central research objective?
The objective is to reveal how Shakespeare analyzes various love concepts of his time to ultimately develop and present his own theory of what constitutes "true love."
What methodology does the author apply?
The author relies on scholarly definitions from Pearson's "Elizabethan Love Conventions" and conducts a textual analysis of character relationships and internal monologues within "Twelfth Night."
What does the main body of the work address?
It provides a character-by-character analysis, looking at Orsino’s performance of love, Olivia’s self-imposed mourning, and the interpersonal connection between Orsino and the disguised Viola.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Keywords include Petrarchism, Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, congeniality, melancholic love, and the synthesis of reason and emotion in relationships.
How does the author interpret Orsino's "Petrarchan" behavior?
The author argues that Orsino’s behavior is largely performative and superficial, noting inconsistencies that suggest he is more in love with the image of being a lover than with Olivia herself.
What role does Viola's disguise play in the "congeniality" chapter?
Her male persona allows her to engage in activities and discussions that were traditionally considered male-dominated, thereby bridging the gap between friendship and spiritual union while challenging gender barriers.
How does the conclusion reconcile the critiques of these three love forms?
The conclusion suggests that while Shakespeare critiques all three as insufficient in their pure, conventional forms, he suggests that true love requires a move toward constancy, selflessness, and a balance of reason and feeling.
- Citation du texte
- Ann-Kathrin Latter (Auteur), 2014, Variety of love in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/354500
