Twelfth Night Character Analysis

Jordan Drazen

Ms. Sweezey

English II (5^th pd)

2/13/13

            Viola is the main character of Twelfth Night. She is the twin sister of Sebastian. She is introduced on the shores of Illyria. She was on a boat in the sea with a crew and her brother. There was a bad storm which caused the ship to wreck. This accident leads them to believing that her brother is dead. She decides to start a life of her own, but can’t get any decent job as a woman, so she disguises herself as a man named “Cesario”. The captain of the ship helps her fix her disguise. “Conceal me what I am, and be my aid for such disguise as haply shall become the form of my intent.”(12 Shakespeare) She begins serving the Duke Orsino. She falls in love with Orsino, but can’t tell him because she is disguised as a guy. Orsino tells Viola all of his problems with love, and makes Viola help him deliver messages to Olivia, who he loves. “O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, Methought she purged the air of pestilence!”(8 Shakespeare) So, unable to say anything against it without looking suspicious, she helps Orsino communicate with Olivia. “I’ll do my best to woo your lady.”(23 Shakespeare) Upon delivering the Duke’s messages to Olivia, Olivia falls in love with Viola. “Methinks I feel the youth’s perfections with an invisible and subtle stealth to creep in at mine eyes.”(40 Shakespeare) This causes Viola to feel bad because she can’t tell Olivia that she is really a girl, and Olivia will be wasting her time trying to impress someone who will never love or have interest in her. She gets stuck in the middle of everyone’s drama, and feels trapped in her disguise. Later on her brother will turn out to not be dead and return. The introduction of his character could be a bad thing depending on his personality, or it could be a great thing because he looks like Viola since they are twins.