William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a play which is themed on love for its most parts and also other themes which reveal themselves throughout the play. The play is in five acts whose scenes bring about vivid description of the play, and this grabs the attention of the reader, thereby hooking them to the play. It can be regarded as a piece of comedy and generates haughty laughter more often.
The first scene of the second act of the play is at the coast of Illyria. The act opens when Antonio and Sebastian enter the stage. Antonio urges Sebastian to remain with him for a little longer to stay with him. However, Sebastian refuses to stay any longer as he believes his fate is continually changing and would like to pursue it further. This scene serves to confirm to us the fact that Viola had a twin brother indeed as she said earlier in the play. Sebastian also acknowledges that indeed she has a sister with whom she intends to find. This scene also introduces us to the strong bond between Antonio and Sebastian. Their relationship is not casual, and there’s some sort of love between them. Antonio continues to reveal his identity and informs Antonio of his father, Sebastian of Mescaline, which by the look of things is very popular as he is sure Antonio has heard of him. Antonio believes her sister is dead and blames Antonio for taking him away from her before she drowns, according to him, something we know not to be true (Shakespeare, 2001).
Sebastian continues to reveal the close relationship between him and her sister. He tells Antonio that her twin sister is a beauty with a sound mind. Orsino falls in love with her for this trait. Sebastian reveals that he cared about her sister and mourns her drowning even though he has not confirmed her death. This scene also serves to inform us that Sebastian and Viola had a mother who Sebastian tells us to be kind and he believes to have that trait himself. Sebastian notifies Antonio that he’s headed to the Count Orsino’s court. Here we are met with the possibility of Sebastian meeting with her twin sister Viola who works Orsino under the guise of a man named Cesario. In this scene, we also learn that Antonio is unwelcome at this court, but he is adamant that despite the presence of his enemies, he is determined to set foot there again. When Antonio bids Sebastian farewell, he wishes him the protection of the gods. Here, his religious nature is emphasized (Massai, 2007).
In this scene, we encounter incidences of contrasting imagery. First, when Antonio asks Sebastian to stay longer with him before leaving, Sebastian responds that his stars shine darkly over him. Stars are supposed to shine brightly, and it’s this sharp contrast that makes us aware of what Sebastian believes of what fate has in store for him, a bleak future which he wishes not to share with his friend Antonio. Antonio likens the danger of returning to Orsino’s court to sport. We are made aware of the bravery of Antonio by this aspect of imagery, and we believe that he relishes the prospect of going to Orsino’s court. Sebastian thinks that her sister had drowned and tells Antonio that she has drowned in salty water. This captures our attention to the suffering that she might have gone through taking in salty water while drowning. Salty water is unpleasant when taken and only could imagine drowning in it as drawing so much pain. Sebastian goes ahead to mention that narrating that brings him so much sorrow that he likens to him drowning even more. This is another example of contrasting imagery. We do not expect Sebastian to experience more pain than her sister had possibly gone through while drowning. This underscores the close relationship that Sebastian has with her sister that he experiences so much pain now that he has perhaps lost her.
Further, Antonio says to Sebastian that he would like to be his servant if he would not murder him for his love. The reader is thus drawn to what an act of murder for love would be. It would likely be excruciating and an act of passion which would be done in the most excruciating way possible. The fourth scene of the first act also has this kind of imagery. Viola and Val are having a conversation before the Duke arrives. Viola is dressed in a man’s attire, and Val can’t help but notice the kind of influence Viola, as Cesario, already has on the count Orsino. Orsino has also recognized this and tells her that she has made him unclasp the book of his secret soul to her. This imagery helps us to fathom how far Viola, as Cesario, has gone on to impress Orsino that he lets himself and secrets open to her. That he openly admits this confirms that indeed she was special to her from the onset and even Val recognizes this when she tells Viola that her favour with Orsino has won her several advances. Another example of contrasting imagery is brought forth in the fifth scene of the same act, and Viola woos Olivia on behalf of Orsinio who has sent her, as Cesario, to deliver a message of love. When asked whether she would stay for a little longer, she agrees that indeed she would, and plans to converse with Olivia, whom she describes as a giant sweet lady. It’s obvious Orsinio was infatuated about Olivia owing to her striking beauty; however, it is unusual for a beautiful person to be gigantic as giants are associated with ugliness. Here we learn that Olivia could be significant in her stature, and this description rarely worked in favour of Orsinio’s pursuit of Olivia’s heart (Osborne, 1990).
In this scene of the second act of the play, there are significant changes to the plot and the reader can already anticipate a reunion of the twins, Sebastian and Viola, later in the play. With Antonio promising to set foot to the courtyard of Orsinio although his enemies are present, the plot thickens substantially in this scene. We are braced for a revelation of identity later as the play unfolds if the twins reunite. Sebastian does not spend a lot of time explaining more to Antonio the nature of his visit to the Orsinio’s courtyard. This visit makes the reader eager to learn of his possible experiences, then when he finally reaches the courtyard. Antonio fervently offers his services to Sebastian having held on to him as the ship they were aboard had wrecked in the sea. We are therefore left wondering of how much he would be of help to Sebastian in future. Antonio continues to add that he would very much be pleased to see him in the near future, and even as Sebastian leaves, we cannot wait for their impending reunion (Massai, 2007).
Antonio and Sebastian are the only characters in the scene at the coast of Illyria; their roles in the play are limited to various thematic concerns that are illustrated by the writer. Sebastian, in his short tale to Antonio, reveals to us the existence of his parents and that being borne of a very kind mother, he is proud of this trait and continues to do acts of kindness. Sebastian also reveals to us that his father was a popular man and Antonio probably must have heard of him. This popularity informs us of the affluence with which his family had and that he is ill-prepared for this predicament. Sebastian also reveals that he did not have other siblings apart from Viola. By this, then we are aware of the slim chances of anybody coming to look for them as they were from a tiny family (Osborne, 1990).
In summary, the first scene of the second act provides a lot more to the reader than just confirm the hopes of Olivia that her brother Sebastian is alive. This scene introduces us to Antonio, a man who has a past with the people of Illyria that he made enemies there. This scene also defines the kind of love that exists between Sebastian and her sister Viola. This is exemplified by his sorrow when he believes that she has drowned in the sea. The plot of the play thickens in this scene. There’s just so much to keep the mind of the reader in the play.
References
Shakespeare, W. (2001). Twelfth Night: Or, What You Will (Vol. 13). Classic Books Company.
Massai, S. (Ed.). (2007). William Shakespeare’s Twelfth night: a sourcebook. Routledge.
Osborne, L. E. (1990). The Texts of Twelfth Night. ELH, 57(1), 37-61.