Playwright: William Shakespeare
Character: Viola/Cesario
Style: Classical
Part of the play: Act 2 Scene 2
Setting: Outside on the Path back to Orsino's house
Play's Context: Twelfth Night follows the story of a set of twins (Viola and Sebastian) who get shipwrecked and separated on the island of Illyria. Viola being a girl decides she would be safest if she pretended to be a man so that she would higher statues and so that she could work for the Duke Orsino. Orsino in in love with the Lady Olivia so he sends Cesario (Viola as a boy) to go and woo Olivia in his name. However, when Olivia first meets Viola she falls in love with her but Viola has now fallen in love with Orsino. The play becomes more confusing when people start to believe that Sebastian in Cesario but it all ends up as one merry case of confused identity.
Viola's Monologue:
'I left no ring with her. What means this lady?
Fortune forbid my outside have not charmed her.
She made good view of me; indeed, so much
That, as methought, her eyes had lost her tongue,
For she did speak in starts distractedly.
She loves me sure; the cunning of her passion
Invites me in this churlish messenger.
None of my lord's ring? Why, he sent her none.
I am the man. If it be so, as 'tis,
Poor lady, she were better love a dream.
Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness
Wherein the pregnant enemy does much.
How easy is it for the proper false
In women's waxen hearts to set their forms!
Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we,
For such as we are made of, such we be.
How will this fadge? My master loves her dearly;
And I (poor monster) fond as much on him;
And she (mistaken) seems to dote on me.
What will become of this? As I am man,
My state is desperate for my master's love.
As I am woman (now alas the day!),
What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe?
O Time, thou must untangle this, not I;
It is too hard a knot for me t' untie.'
Viola's Character:
Viola is basically a very scared and lost girl who finds comfort in her Master Orsino which gradually turns into a form of love. However she also sympathises with Olivia as they are both women in love with someone that they believe or know that they cannot have. She therefore envies and pity's Olivia all at once as she would love to be her but she relates to her heart ace. She originally seen in her female garments as a young sweet lady but to insure her safety she dressed as a man in which she finds a new found freedom. She originally seen in her female garments as a young sweet lady but to insure her safety she dressed as a man in which she finds a new found freedom.She also is blessed that she has been able to have this freedom as a man as she can speak her own mind so when she is cruel to people she is only trying taking advantage of her new found freedom and she may not necessarily be intending to be mean to those people. She is also quite young (17-22 ish) so she is constantly making mistakes and shows a sweet vulnerability around the male characters.My View:
I think the main reason I choose this monologue was because it is a very personal speech were she is trying to understand her situation by talking it through to herself and I believe I related to Viola in that sense as I also like to talk through things I don't understand and I often talk to myself. I also choose this monologue as she is of a similar age and I can relate to the idea of young crushes. Plus I like the fact that this monologue could be performed in a comedic way as she is ridiculing her own sex 'How easy is it for the proper false In women's waxen hearts to set their forms' She shows how women are easily persuaded into the idea of love and she is not only laughing at herself but also all women. I think the comedic element will be quite interesting to show as the piece is meant to be Viola's real meaningful thoughts but the comedy would need to be quite unrealistic in order for the audience to understand the joke. so I think this monologue will be an interesting challenge to do justice to.
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