Love, Lies and Deceit in Shakespeares Twelfth Night.

"Not telling the truth is the quickest way to turn yourself into a stranger."-Mark W.
Perret. Love can be perceived different ways wither it's the love you feel for family, a friend. Love isn't everything that it
seems to be, it can be complicated, confusing, with love comes lies. Lies are something to make someone believe
something that's not true, with lies comes deceit, which is the same, but deceit is misrepresenting the truth, but the
truth always has a way of getting out. In William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, he incorporates these into his play to tell
an overall message that relates to society.

I believe the most relevant themes in Twelfth Night are love, lies and deceit. I think love is one of the most important
themes because the play demonstrates a lot of strong attraction and a deep caring for someone. The duke talks about
how the love he feels towards the countess Olivia, which makes him attracted towards it. Deceit is interpreted when
Viola tells the Captain about her plan, so she can work for the duke in a way that wouldn't reveal who she really is.

Love is one of the most relevant themes in Twelfth Night because it shows how it can be interpreted in different ways. In
the beginning of the play we learn that Duke loves olivia when he expresses it to the audience and to his servant Curio.
"If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken and so die." (1.1 1-4).
We also learn that Olivias love for her brother causes her to not want men for a
while. A brothers dead love, which she would keep fresh and lasting in her sad
remembrance. (1.1 33-34). This quote shows how she cares about her brother and
how shell honour him. Throughout the play we learn Viola, who is acting as a man to
work for the Duke falls in love with him. In this line, Viola says Ill do my best, to woo
your lady. *Aside*. Yet a barful strife! Whoeer I woo, myself would be his wife. (1.5
45) Since viola has been working for the duke, shes been sent over to Olivia to try and
convince her to fall in love with Duke, this quote shows that since Viola has been
working for the duke, she wants to be more than just a friend, she wants to marry
him. As we meet Antonio, a friend of Sebastian, we learn that Antonio loves him. "For
his sake. Did I expose myself, pure for his love, Into the danger of this adverse town."
(5.1 81-82) This proves that Antonio loves Sebastian because hes willing to risk his life to help him get where his friend
needs to go.

Lies and Deceit are the other most relevant in Twelfth Night because it demonstrates how easy it is for rumors and lies
can be taken in such a way that it causes confusion. In the start of the second scene in the first act, Viola survives a
shipwreck and she believes her brother has died. The captain tells her about the land Illyria, where he grew up, he tells
her about the Dukes Court. "There is a fair behavior in thee, captain, and though that nature with a beauteous wall doth
oft close in pollution, yet of thee I will believe thou hast a mind that
suits with this thy fair and outward character." (1.2. 51-54.). This
demonstrates how shes making a fake identity to be observed by other
people, so she can work for the Duke. Molvolio, one of Olivias servants.
That nobody likes gets tricked by, Maria, another one of Olivias
servants who thought of a plan to teach him a lesson. "I will drop in his
way some obscure epistles of love, wherein by the color of his beard,
the shape of his leg, the manner of his gait, the expressure of his eye,
forehead, and complexion, he shall find himself most feelingly
personated." (2.3 154-160). This quote explains how Maria is being
deceitful towards Molvolio, making him believe something thats not
true by tricking him into thinking it is. Since Olivia has fallen in love with
Viola in disguise, she claims that he deceived her to fall in love with him. Methinks I feel this youths perfections with an
invisible and subtle stealth to creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be. (1.5 302-3.4) This quote demonstrates how Olivia is
being a hypocrite, considering she said shes never love a man again until seven summers after her brothers death, but
to make herself feel better, she lies to herself saying she was lied too.

Twelfth Night is an amazing play with well thought themes and a very good storyline. These themes in the play talk about
how easy it is to get lied too, how love conquers all and how everythings not always as it seems. The next time you read
a book a book or watch a movie, think about what the themes are trying to express, and how the themes are relevant to
society.
Bibliography

Quotes

"Not telling the truth is the quickest way to turn yourself into a stranger." -
http://www.thethingswesay.com/not-telling-the-truth-is-the-quickest-way-to-turn-yourself-into-a-stranger/

"If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken and so die."
-Duke (1.1 1-4).

. A brothers dead love, which she would keep fresh and lasting in her sad remembrance-Valentine (1.1 33-34)

Ill do my best, to woo your lady. *Aside*. Yet a barful strife! Whoeer I woo, myself would be his wife.
-Viola (1.5 45)

. "I will drop in his way some obscure epistles of love, wherein by the color of his beard, the shape of his leg, the
manner of his gait, the expressure of his eye, forehead, and complexion, he shall find himself most feelingly
personated"
-Maria (2.3 154-160).

. Methinks I feel this youths perfections with an invisible and subtle stealth to creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it
be.
- Olivia (1.5 302-3.4)