Orsino and Olivia Character Analysis in Twelfth Night Analysis

Shakespeare goes far to convince the reader that Orsino is a true lover to Olivia. One way he does this is at the beginning of the play. In Act 1, Scene 1, lines 9-11  Orsino gives a speech about his love for Olivia, to his servants: “ O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou, That, notwithstanding thy capacity, Receiveth as the sea”. With this, the author has implied from the beginning that this play is about love, specifically about the love  Orsino feels for Olivia. The whole speech is poetic, romantic, and melancholic and this helps the reader to understand how the Duke wants this love more than anything in the world and that he feels unhappy without it. Therefore Shakespeare shows that Orsino’s love for Olivia is completely genuine.

On the other hand, Shakespeare shows that Orsino’s feelings for Olivia are not love, but can be considered an obsession. We can see this in Act 5, Scene 1, lines 119-120 where Olivia tells Orsino that she is in love with Cesario, and he threatens to kill her: “I’ll sacrifice the lamb that I do love, To spite a raven’s heart within a dove.”. The author is trying to show how selfish Orsino is because if he loved Olivia he would have left her alone to live with the love of her life. Instead, the Duke has practically shown how obsessed he is with the lady and that if he doesn’t have her, no one else will. This cannot be called love, because love is when someone cares deeply about the happiness of another even if it is not with them. Therefore, Shakespeare shows that the Duke’s so-called “love” is just an undeniable obsession towards Olivia.

Although some might view Orsino’s feelings as fake, Shakespeare again shows us that they are completely genuine. This is shown in Act 2, Scene 4, lines 89-92 where Orsino tells Cesario that no woman can feel such strong love for someone: “There is no woman’s sides Can bide the beating of so strong a passion As love doth give my heart; no woman’s heart So big, to hold so much. They lack retention.”. The author is trying to make the reader understand how in love the Duke is. He describes the love as almost painful and torturous. This intensifies the love he feels to the point where the reader almost pities him because such a strong lover should never be rejected. The quote is even able to show how Orsino never gave up on Olivia and this is another action that someone would only do if they were unconditionally in love with the other person. Thus, Shakespeare once again highlights the Duke’s tender, passionate, and caring love.