In this play of "erotic lunacy," as Harold Bloom dubs
Twefth Nigh/What You Will, the passage, from Act II, Scene 2, is a
soliloquy by Viola/Cesario. As the central character who is the only one aware of the
charades of herself and motives of others, Viola is able to more objectively assess what
occurs in the play.
In this soliloquy--a literary device
designed to provide the audience with insights into the character as well as the play
itself--Viola reflects upon the theme of Appearances vs. Reality. Comments are made upon
the weakness of women who fall in love with "a dream," as Olivia does with Cesario.
Viola also realizes the "tangled web" that has been woven with her deception of
disguising herself as a man. Orsino loves Olivia, but Olivia in an act of "what you
will" chooses to love the deception, Cesario. Viola herself is in love with Orsino, but
because he believes her to be a man, Viola has no recourse to love and her "state is
desperate." At the end of her soliloquy, Viola realizes that the situation is too
complicated for her to "untangle" or resolve.
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