Counterpoint Within Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Counterpoint Within Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Shakespeare uses counterpoint throughout Twelfth Night to create an interesting story that captures the reader's attention. Counterpoint is a technique that incorporates multiple scenes happening simultaneously. These several scenes come together at the end of the work to produce a harmonious finish to an action-packed and appealing plot. In Twelfth Night these concurrent proceedings generate many misconceptions which provide the comical, somewhat ironic part of the play. The "love triangle" effect created by all the mistaken identities accounts for the main comic element in the play. It holds the audience's attention while strengthening the plot at the same time. In the end the "love triangle" gets straightened out and the play concludes with the marriage of Viola and Orsino, and the marriage of Olivia and Sebastian.
The play opens up with Viola shipwrecked on the Adriatic seacoast, possibly having lost her brother, Antonio, to the depths of the sea. This is where Sebastian and Viola are separated and go their own way until they meet once again at the end. Since she learns that she would not be admitted to Olivia’s household, she decides to disguise herself as a man, Cesario, and seek refuge in the residence of the Count Orsino. She becomes Orsino's messenger, going to Olivia to communicate Orsino's love. Among one of Viola's many visits to the Lady Olivia, Olivia falls in love with the young boy, Cesario. Olivia is fully unaware that her love only appears to be a man, but is truly a woman underneath her guise. When Cesario (Viola) she has become the lady's fancy, she, herself, confesses her love for the Count Orsino.
Meanwhile, Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's kinsman, decides that he will find Olivia a suitor. Sir Andrew Aguecheek now comes into the picture. Toby convinces Andrew to attempt to win Olivia’s heart, even though Sir Andrew himself knows he is incapable of such a task. Andrew efforts are futile because Olivia's heart will have attached itself to a future acquaintance, namely Cesario. Later on, Sir Toby along with Aguecheek and Maria, concoct a plan to fool Olivia's steward, Malvolio, into thinking that Olivia has fallen for him. Maria writes a letter, pretending to be Olivia, saying Malvolio should come to her in yellow, cross-gartered stockings with a smile on his face all the while. He follows the directions stated in the letter, but much to his surprise the sight...