The Twelfth Night is one of William Shakespeare's more prolific plays about love and the absurdity that follows it. He taunts his audience of what every man goes through in life. He shows how entertaining we are when we are in the throes of love, or at least when we think we are. Shakespeare questions the validity of the emotion love. He shows the immaturity of love, and how people are blinded of love. In the Twelfth Night, he puts his characters in a myriad of disguises, physically and psychologically. Shakespeare uses the device of disguises to show the different kinds of love; erotic, fraternal and friendship in the Twelfth Night.

Erotic love shows the fickleness and false appearances in the characters. The characters put on disguises and acts, to get what they think that they want. Their reasons for erotic love are even false. Shakespeare shows the reasons for their choices; appearances of their own, vanity, and egotism. Shakespeare introduces the notion of love with the fickle character, Duke Orsino, who in the introductory scene reveals his fickleness. He says, " If music be the food of love, play on/ Give me excess of it; that surfeiting/ That strain again it had a dyin

Vanity is also a reason for the immaturity of erotic love. Olivia uses her brother's death as a shield from suitors. When Viola/Cesario comes to door for the initial meeting, Olivia orders her gentlewoman, Maria for "Give me my veil; come throw it o'er my face"(Twelfth Night 1.4.164-5). She puts on the persona of being mournful and grieving. She reveals her true self when Viola/Cesario enters the realm. Viola/Cesario is sent by the Duke to send her messages of love. She becomes entrapped in Viola/Cesario beauty. Olivia falls in love with an exterior facade and not with the inner person. She is beautiful and wants someone to compliment her beauty. Viola/Cesario asks, "Good madam, let see your face"(Twelfth Night 1.4.230). Olivia gives Viola/Cesario a diamond broach with a picture of her inside it. This is symbolic of appearances. Olivia is beautiful and shiny like a diamond. The picture inside is her, reaffirming her beauty and conceit.

nothing to do with him and the turns him on more to court her. They have nothing in common, expect that Olivia and Orsino, are both nobility. She is beautiful to look at, and Orsino lets the physical and social status of her to award her of his "love". He loves her appearance. His "love" for her is false and that is displayed in his love declarations to her. His declarations of love, not to be even preach by himself are empty and long-winded. He leave the message for that, " ' Tis beauty truly blent/whose red and white nature's own sweet cunning hand laid on./ Lady, you are the cruell'st she alive/ If you will lead these graces to the grave/ And leave the world no copy"(Twelfth Night 2.1.240-3). His fickleness roars its head when he accepts the Viola dressed up as a man, whom she/he calls himself "Cesario". He loves the idea of love so much, that he never quite be in love. To him, Viola/Cesario is a good- looking man, who is charming and can relate to unrequited love. He is!

Shakespeare shows how disguises are constantly deceiving women. Olivia pushes her pride by begging Viola/Cesario to love her. She is "hunting" just like she is hunted by the Duke. She says to Viola/Cesario "I have said too much unto a heart of stone /And laid my honor too unchary on't. There's something in me that reproves my fault/ But such a headstrong potent fault it is / That it but mocks reproof"(Twelfth Nig

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1577
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)