English Language and Literature Commons^™

Brotherly Love In Twelfth Night, Sara Heist

The Kabod

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night draws an intriguing contrast between brotherly love and romantic love. Through the relationships of Sebastian-Antonio and Viola-Orsino, the playwright illustrates these two types of love in the lives these characters, showing that the two distinct types of love may conflict or harmonize, depending on the situation. An analysis of these two relationships provides insight into the tension between the two types of love in the play. The comparison of the motives, characteristics, expectations, and transience of the four characters’ amicable relationships illustrates the benefits and shortcomings of amity.