English Literature

Olivia is the second best character of Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy by Shakespeare. Her character is more complex than that of Viola. She is very sentimental. She is self-willed in her conduct, and conventional in her character. She is the paragon of beauty. She is an august lady of free and serious mind. She is like a princess of romance. Olivia is woman of unusual beauty. It is that beauty which makes the Duke crazy and love-sick. Viola too is deeply impressed by her physical appearance. When she walks heaven walks on earth. Malvolio and Sebastian are also impressed by her physical beauty. When Viola meets her for the first time she bursts out spontaneously: ‘Tis Beauty truly blent, whose red and white Nature’s own sweet and cunning hand laid on. Olivia is a dignified lady and commands respect from one and all. She lives a life of virtue and self-restraint. She does not surrender before Duke. She loves Cesario (Viola) deeply but to maintain her dignity she does not express

Viola is the most vital character of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy. She is the heroine of this play. In the play she appears late but the entire play revolves round her. She is Shakespeare’s idol of perfect love. In sweet feminine attributes, Viola is most charming character in the world of Shakespeare. Viola’s appearance is charming. Her beauty makes her wildly sweet. People are amazed and stunned to see her. Wherever she goes she wins the heart with her ravishing and enchanting beauty. She is beautiful physically as well as mentally. That’s why almost all the characters admire her personal charms and dashing beauty. When Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, sees her for the first time in disguise, he exclaims: Diana’s lip Is not more smooth and rubious; thy small pipe Is as the maiden’s organ, shrill and sound, And all is semblative a woman’s part. Viola wins Olivia’s heart by her beauty. Olivia is intoxicated by amorous feelings for her. She admires: Thy tongue, thy f

  In the town of Vladimir lived a young merchant named Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov. He had two shops and a house of his own. Aksionov was a handsome, fair-haired, curly-headed fellow, full of fun, and very fond of singing. When quite a young man he had been given to drink, and was riotous when he had had too much; but after he married he gave up drinking, except now and then. One summer Aksionov was going to the Nizhny Fair, and as he bade good-bye to his family, his wife said to him, "Ivan Dmitrich, do not start to-day; I have had a bad dream about you." Aksionov laughed, and said, "You are afraid that when I get to the fair I shall go on a spree." His wife replied: "I do not know what I am afraid of; all I know is that I had a bad dream. I dreamt you returned from the town, and when you took off your cap I saw that your hair was quite grey." Aksionov laughed. "That's a lucky sign," said he. "See if I don't sell out al

  A full thirty days after Ramadan comes Eid. How wonderful and beautiful is the morning of Eid! The trees look greener; the field more festive, the sky has a lovely pink glow. Look at the sun! It comes up brighter and more dazzling than before to wish the world a very happy Eid. The village is agog with excitement. Everyone is up early to go to the Eidgah mosque. One finds a button missing from his shirt and is hurrying to his neighbour's house for thread and needle. Another finds that the leather of his shoes has become hard and is running to the oil-press for oil to grease it. They are dumping fodder before their oxen because by the time they get back from the Eidgah it may be late afternoon. It is a good three miles from the village. There will also be hundreds of people to greet and chat with; they would certainly not be finished before midday. The boys are more excited than the others. Some of them kept only one fast— and that only till noon. Some didn't even do that