If Music Be the Food of Love...

 

The Shakespeare Quest has begun; I have read Act One of Twelfth Night.  My first thought is that I really enjoy finding the origins of a quotation I have long known, such as:  'If music be the food of love, play on'.  The quotation makes it seem like a request from a person revelling in their love, but the rest of the monologue is actually about disillusion.  The Duke, Orsino, is a little sick of being lovesick.

I also enjoy how Shakespeare creates word pictures.  In Scene Two, the Captain of a wrecked ship tells Viola about the valiant effort her brother put into surviving the storm.  

Hung on our driving boat, I saw your brother
Most provident in peril, bind himself -
Courage and hope both teaching him the practice - 
To a strong mast that lived upon the sea;
Where, like Arion on the dolphin's back,
I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves
So long as I could see.

I could practically feel the salt water on my face as I read this, and I also felt like I really learned a lot about the personality of Viola's brother.

Finally, the last scene of Act One involves Viola, pretending to be a male page carrying messages on Duke Orsino's behalf to his love Olivia.  It's very interesting seeing a female try to woo another female: Viola, being female, knows what Olivia would like to hear.  Olivia is intrigued and confused by Viola, but stands firm in her determination not to love Orsino.  

I want to say 'the plot thickens', but that's a cliche.  Instead, in honour of the shipwreck, I will say 'the tide of confusion rises.'