Twelfth Night, or What You Will Language and Communication Quotes

Here, we learn that Duke Orsino has shared some private thoughts about his passion for Olivia with his page, "Cesario." It's not surprising that Orsino should align his feelings of desire ("the book of his secret soul") with a text because the Duke sees himself as a kind of poet. We see him regurgitating clichés from famous books of love throughout the play and in Act 1, Scene 5, we learn that Orsino sends "Cesario" to Olivia to recite a love poem/letter before the Countess.

Olivia quickly shoots down "Cesario's" attempts to recite Orsino's love musings, but why? Viola is certainly impressed by the Duke's passion so why doesn't Olivia think Orsino's great? The obvious answer is that Olivia's just not attracted to the Duke. But, here, we also see that Olivia thinks that carefully written or studied poetry is fake and insincere.

This passage picks up and develops the idea that one's passionate feelings are like a "book." (Compare this to 1.4.2 above.) When "Cesario" tries again to recite Orsino's message to Olivia, the Countess calls him out and says she's "read it" all before. This not only reveals that Olivia really has read Orsino's love musings before, but it also suggests that Orsino's lines are unoriginal and can be found in just about every book of love poetry there is.

Here, "Cesario" breaks away from reciting Orsino's poem/letter and explains how "he" ("Cesario") would go about winning Olivia's heart in an impassioned and spontaneous speech. This poetic passage is famous for being cited by critics as evidence that Olivia falls in love with "Cesario" because "he" is able to compose poetry off the cuff, which Olivia thinks is more sincere than carefully planned verse. Of course, every reader knows that "Cesario's" speech is actually a very carefully penned passage (by Shakespeare).

When "Cesario" accuses Olivia of being "cruel" if she refuses to marry and have a child that looks like his/her mother (a "copy" of Olivia), "Cesario" suggests that Olivia is a kind of book that can be copied or reprinted. As we've seen, this idea that people are like texts is all over Twelfth Night. Such printing/reproduction metaphors are pretty common in other 16th-century literature. (Makes sense – the printing press was pretty new and the greatest thing since sliced bread.) In fact, Shakespeare uses the same idea in his book of Sonnets. In sonnets 1-17, Shakespeare argues that the world will be a better place if his young male friend would marry and have a child. It's fun to compare "Cesario's" lines to the excerpt below:

She [your mother] carv'd thee for her seal, and meant thereby,
Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die. (From Sonnet # 17)

After "Cesario" urges Olivia to marry Orsino and have a child (see previous discussion above), Olivia continues to make fun of the traditional conventions of love poetry, which tended to catalogue a woman's beauty by comparing each of her body parts to yummy things in nature – lips like berries, breasts like melons, eyes like stars, etc. Olivia totally mocks and disses the tradition when she describes herself as having "indifferent red lips," "two grey eyes with lids," etc. Shakespeare seems to be having a bit of fun here. He's bagging on other poets, sure, but he's also making fun of himself since he also participates in the tradition. For fun, you can go to Shmoop's discussion of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 ("My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun") but come right back.

Maria's plan to forge a love letter (in order to trick Malvolio into believing Olivia loves him) furthers the play's notion that "epistles of love" are not to be trusted. Maria's forged letter is not so different from Duke Orsino's messages for Olivia (which aren't necessarily forged but are contrived nonetheless).

Feste's claim that sayings are like kidskin ("cheveril") gloves suggests that words are easily twisted or turned inside out. Feste's right, of course, and he's a master of witty wordplay, punning, etc. His remarks about language (and his spirited twisting of words throughout the play) are in keeping with the spirit of Twelfth Night festivities, where the world is temporarily "turned upside down" and inside out.

Here, Feste demonstrates perfectly how words can be rebelliously twisted and turned inside out (compare to 3.1.3 above). The clown picks up on Viola's use of the term "dally nicely" (play subtly) and makes a joke about a "wanton" woman (a woman who "dallies" or sleeps with a lot of men). OK, so what? Well, we could argue that Feste implies that language and wordplay can be dangerous or seedy, like a "wanton" or "disgraced" woman. Or, we could argue that Feste's wordplay suggests that screwing around with words (Shakespeare's job as a professional playwright and poet) is just as entertaining as literally screwing around. An even better answer? The passage holds both meanings simultaneously.

Feste's assertion sums up nicely his relationship with Olivia. His job as a licensed fool not only involves entertaining the Countess, but also pointing out when Olivia's behavior or speech is silly or foolish. (Like when Olivia calls him a "fool" and Feste shows her that Olivia is the real "fool" if she continues to mourn for her brother instead of engaging with the world around her.) Also, Feste's use of the term "corruptor" recalls his association of wordplay with "wanton" women. (See 3.1.4 above.)

It's somewhat ironic that the imprisoned Malvolio begs for pen and paper to write a letter to Olivia. (Remember that a forged letter is the very thing that landed Malvolio in the dark room he seeks to escape.) This seems to be in keeping with the play's notion that written words can be both dangerous and liberating.