
Act 1 Scene 1 notes
Orsino begins melancholy, aching for a love he cannot have. Like Jaques in As You Like It, he wants to maintain his love-sickness, and music is good to enhance passion. But in this Orsino has turned his court topsy-turvy, because though his men want to go hunting, he prefers to languish in love. He acknowledges his feminine side, his emotional side, but must learn to balance this with masculinity.
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Orsino has forsaken manly sports and activities such as hunting. But, like other of Shakespeare's heroes, he can pun with language, playing on "hart" meaning deer and "heart" meaning love.
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Olivia plans to mourn for her brother in an exaggerated manner. Compare this to Hamlet's feelings of grief, and also to Viola's.
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Rather than being jealous of the love she bore her brother, Orsino rightly interprets Olivia's desire as a reflection of her ability to love.
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