Twelfth Night

Act 5, Scene 1
Lines 90-130
By Afrah, Rayhan and Thea
 Table Of Contents
1. 2. 3.
Summary Characterisation Themes

4. 5. 6.
Imagery and Extract Analysis Group Roles
Language
 Summary
● Olivia and her attendants come outside and enter on stage.
● Olivia demands to know where “Cesario” has been. She yells at “him” for neglecting her so soon after their marriage.
● Olivia has actually married Sebastian off-stage but she thinks she married “Cesario.”
● Duke Orsino tries to woo Olivia, but she dismisses him and wants to know what “Cesario” has to say.
● "Cesario" says that his master (Duke Orsino) wants to speak, which means "he" needs to be quiet, but Olivia says she
doesn't want to hear anything from the Duke.
● Orsino is upset that Olivia is still so cruel to him. He tells Olivia he should kill her out of “savage jealousy”, or kill Cesario
to spite Olivia, although he holds his page boy dear.
● Cesario replies that to give Orsino rest, he would die a thousand deaths: he loves Orsino more than he will ever love a wife.
● Upset, Orsino gets ready to leave and “Cesario” moves to follow him. Olivia asks “Cesario” where “he” thinks “he's” going,
and “he” says “after the one I love.”
● Confused, upset and horrified, Olivia sends one of her attendants to go fetch the priest that sealed her marriage with an
“eternal bond of love”.
 Characterisation
Main 3 Characters :
1. Olivia → Dismisses the confusion.
2. Duke Orsino → Believes the confusion.
3. Cesario (Viola) → Is lost in the confusion.

Olivia’s goal is to communicate with her “husband” as she demands to know of his
whereabouts and wonders about his commitments towards their marriage (even though
she is confusing Cesario for Sebastian whom she married).

Duke Orsino vocalises his pain and feelings of betrayal through a poetic style.

Cesario’s (Viola) goal is to find some clarity in the midst of the chaos and convince the
Duke that she has remained loyal and that her love, in fact, lies with him.
 Duke Orsino
His initial representation : fickle minded, sentimentally in love with love.
Sentimentally in love with love →
Duke Orsino’s very first sight of Olivia has fascinated him to such an extent that his romantic
fantasizing convinces him that he will perish if she does not marry him. Thus, this romantic,
melancholy indulgence is the crux of the play because the duke uses Cesario (Viola) as his
emissary to court Olivia.

Fickle minded →
As changeable as the "sea" & inconsistent as "an opal in the sunlight."
craving for music is equated by his reclining upon an opulent couch and his requesting
attention, and then suddenly becoming bored by what he has just requested.
Important points : This scene is the first time we see Duke Orsino pursuing Olivia by himself.
Lines 106 - 120 :
Duke Orsino speaks of his disappointment & heartbreak involving his “love” for Olivia and apparent betrayal by Cesario.
As usual, Shakespeare uses poetry instead of prose when a character is talking about themes - especially the theme of love (or in this
case, the lack thereof).

Orsino’s love isn’t real, it is mindless infatuation.

His “love” is simply his obsession and drive to “get the girl”.
In this case, he may even evoke feelings of sympathy from the audience in lines like “What shall I do?”, where he comes off as a man
who is genuinely heartbroken.
He is extremely poetic with his feelings → may represent his urge to “play the part” instead of actually feel something.
More evidence of Orsino overdramatizing things → He tells Olivia he should kill her out of “savage jealousy”.

Additionally, we learn more about..

the bond between Orsino and Cesario - “I’ll sacrifice the lamb that I do love | To spite a ravens heart within a dove.”
Orsino is says that he may want to kill Cesario to spite Olivia, BUT he holds Cesario dearly (holds back from murdering him).
Orsino holds back from murdering Cesario → shows love (not necessarily romantic love) for Cesario.
Orsino walks away from murdering Cesario after suggesting it which could mean that..
- His love for Olivia isn’t real, so it couldn’t bring him to do any such thing.
- He has love for Cesario because of how good and helpful “he” has been, and their bond is special.
 Viola (Cesario)
Viola remains loyal to her master as per usual.
1. When Olivia dismisses Orsino and speaks directly to Cesario, he says
“My lord would speak; my duty hushes me” (Line 108).

2. When Orsino finishes his poetic speech of betrayal and exits, Cesario immediately
follows behind him while stating..
“And I, most jocund, apt, and willingly,
To do you rest a thousand deaths would die.”
(Line 121 & 122).

Viola doesn’t just remains loyal to Orsino, she confesses her love (not directly).
It is very respectable that Viola gracefully rejected Olivia and never engaged in her pursuits
(not that Viola was ever interested in her), and Viola also never attempted to woo the
Duke/clearly confess her love until he accepted that he had been clearly rejected.
Confession of Viola’s love → Lines 123 - 127.
 Olivia
- She is thoroughly determined to speak to her “husband” and no one else.
- She constantly interrupts the Duke to speak with Cesario.
- Olivia goes out of her way to insult Orsino by calling his voice “fat and
fulsome” (meaning gross and distasteful) which indicates rejection towards him.
- Her tone and mood creates a sense of agitation in the scene due to her constant
determined pestering, interrupting and questioning.
- She is horrified by the fact that Cesario speaks of so much love for Orsino as she
assumes that Cesario is Sebastian, the man she married.
 Themes
The major themes of this part of this act are:
1. Mistaken identity and disguise
2. Unrequited love
3. Gender and sexuality
 Imagery and Language
Imagery
It sets an image of absolute chaos →
There is rapid back and forth conversation with awkward long speeches in between (Orsino) which is cut off by
the leaving of the Duke. The immediate questioning of where Cesario is going and the madness that unravels when
Cesario suddenly claims to love the Duke, while Olivia assumes that Cesario is her husband.

This clearly highlights the love triangle of unrequited love, and also brings out the themes of..
1. Mistaken identity.
2. Unrequited, selfish, romantic, and courtly love.
3. Madness and chaos.

Nothing makes sense to anyone - relates to topsy turvy setting of the story (Illyria) where anything can happen.
 Imagery and Language
Language

rapid back and forth conversation + combined with interruption → a very fast moving scene.
if you were to imagine it : the conversation would be like a food web where some connected to each other, and some didn’t
→ which means that you can’t make sense of it all and it’s like a jumbled/unsolved puzzle.

The dramatic irony of the audience watching as chaos ensues.

It could also serve comedic purposes due to the element of confusion.

As usual, Shakespeare uses poetry instead of prose when a character (in this case, Duke Orsino) is expressing his feelings
which include important themes of the play - especially the theme of love (or in this case, the lack thereof).

Olivia insults Orsino with a comparison →

Duke Orsino’s voice is like coyotes howling at the moon in comparison to the soft music of "Cesario's" voice.
Emphasis on her love for Cesario and clear rejection towards Orsino.
An extract you would choose from
your section for analysis.
 Group Roles
S No. Group Member Role

1. Rayhan Mohamed Alice ● Themes

2. Thea Cassius Fernandez ● Summary

● Characterisation
● Imagery and Language

3. Afrah Shakir ● Extract Analysis

THANK
YOU!