It's common knowledge that Shakespeare wrote a multitude of sonnets, poems, plays, etc... and was obviously a literary genius. In his witty and convoluted "Twelfth Knight," he used components of mistaken identity and sexual tension and obviously knew how to entertain an audience. It shows throughout his playwriting and Twelfth Knight is no exception. One appealing aspect is how truly creative Shakespeare's thought process was when writing it. Reading "Twelfth Knight" as a play, it's interesting to note the many instances where he uses poetry in his character's lines. It allows the speaker's words to be fluid in their sounds:
"What else may hap to time I will commit.
Only shape thou thy silence to my wit." - Viola (1.2 lines 57-58)
"O time, thou must untangle this, not I.
It is too hard a knot for me to untie!" - Viola (2.2 lines 38-39)
"I am as mad as he,
If sad and merry madness equal be" - Olivia (3.4 lines 14-15)
"I'll sacrifice the lamb that I do love
To spite a raven's heart within a dove" - Orsino (5.1 lines 126-127)
"More than I love these eyes, more than my life,
More, by all mores, than e'er I shall love wife.
If I do feign, you witnesses above,
Punish my life for tainting of my love!" - Viola (5.1 lines 132-135)
"But when in other habits you are seen,
Orsino's mistress and his fancy's queen." - Orsino (5.1 lines 380-381)
Perhaps this is a W. S. trademark, but I haven't read enough to know. This is why I signed up for the class on Shakespeare's Comedies next semester. I enjoyed this play so well - it will be interesting to read more of his much acclaimed works.
I thought the ending was as it should be for a comedy. All's well that end's well, right? Situations of this confusion usually don't work themselves out quite so easily in the real world- which is precisely what makes this entertaining. Isn't that why people see movies, plays and such- to escape reality - if just for a few hours? I know I do.
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