Viola: A Character Sketch

Dr. Hareshwar Roy,

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 face, thy limbs, actions and spirit,

Do give thee five-fold blazon.

It is only her feminine virtues that make her the greatest character of this play. She is perfect example of womanhood. Her heart is full of feminine sympathy and generosity. She performs her duty honestly. She goes again and again to Olivia and very earnestly and sincerely tries to enkindle love in her heart.

Viola’s character reflects her modesty. It is a precious jewel of her character. She disguises herself to protect herself from the world’s uncivil comments. We know that she has a great love for the Duke but due to her modesty she never expressed it.

Viola’s love is an embodiment of purity, piety, tenderness and profoundness. There is a spirit of self sacrifice in it. Her love is a treasure that she keeps hidden in her heart. It is based on constancy and devotion. She likes to smile even in grief. As an ideal sister, she has deep love for her brother, Sebastian. She is not sentimental in her love like Orsino or Olivia. She maintains patience. She hopes to discover her brother. In short, her love is marked with balance and depth.

Viola is very practical in her life. She has strong will power and she is the mistress of her will. She quickly picks her up from the misfortunes of shipwreck. She takes no time in making future plans for her. Within three days she wins the Duke’s favour by her sweetness and devotion. She plays the role of a boy so nicely. She knows well how to grab success. She is a keen observer of life and world. That’s why she is never deceived. Her radiant hope and sweet temperament make her an excellent character.

Thus Viola is a lovable character. In the play she is appreciated by all. She knows her duty well and follows it strictly suppressing all her personal feelings and emotions. That’s why a scholar exclaimes, ‘….Rosalind is woman, Viola is a poem.”

Location: Satna, M.P., India Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India

Comments

  1. ANKIT DALALThursday, February 11, 2021

    This is a very informative page. I am Tamilrockers. Tamilrockers is a movie webiste you should visit that.
    And Kuttymovies ia also a movie website. Plz support us.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

The Cherry Tree - Ruskin Bond

Dr. Hareshwar Roy,
One day, when Rakesh was six, he walked from the Mussoorie bazaar eating cherries. They were a little sweet, a little sour; small, bright red cherries, which had come all the way from the Kashmir valley. Here in the Himalayan foothills where Rakesh lived, there were not many fruit trees. The soil was stony, and the dry cold winds stunted the growth of most plants. But on the more sheltered slopes there were forests of oak and deodar. Rakesh lived with his grandfather on the outskirts of Mussoorie, just where the forest began. Grandfather was a retired forest ranger. He had a little cottage outside the town. Rakesh was on his way home from school when he bought the cherries. He paid fifty paisa for the bunch. It took him about half an hour to walk home, and by the time he reached the cottage there were only three cherries left. ‘Have a cherry, grandfather,’ he said, as soon as he saw grandfather in the garden. Grand father took one cherry and Rakesh promptly ate
Read more

The Axe - R.K.Narayan

Dr. Hareshwar Roy,
An astrologer passing through the village foretold that Velan would live in a three-storeyed house surrounded by many acres of garden. At this everybody gathered round young Velan and made fun of him. For Koppal did not have a more ragged and godforsaken family than Velan’s. His father had mortgaged every bit of property he had, and worked, with his whole family, on other people’s lands in return for a few annas a week . . . A three-storeyed house for Velan indeed! . . . But the scoffers would have congratulated the astrologer if they had seen Velan about thirty or forty years later. He became the sole occupant of Kumar Baugh—that palatial house on the outskirts of Malgudi town.   When he was eighteen Velan left home. His father slapped his face one day for coming late with the midday-meal, and he did that in the presence of others in the field. Velan put down the basket, glared at his father and left the place. He just walked out of the village, and walked on and on till h
Read more

JOHN DONNE AS A METAPHYSICAL POET

Dr. Hareshwar Roy,
INTRODUCTION: John Donne is the leader and founder of the Metaphysical school of poetry. His poetry is a revolt against the popular current. First of all Dryden used the term ' Metaphysical' for Donne's poetry. He said,' Donne affects the metaphysics'. Later on Dr. Johnson called Donne and his followers 'the metaphysical poets'. Since then the word metaphysical has been used for Donne and his followers. WHAT IS METAPHYSICAL POETRY: The term metaphysics means something supernatural and transcendental. Its sense is 'what is beyond physical'. It is concerned with fundamental problems of life and death and soul even after death. The term metaphysical poetry means poetry dealing with metaphysical subjects. These subjects are - nature of universe, movements of stars and planets and the whole relationship of man to God. MAIN CHARACTERISTICS: We should cast a glance at the main characteristics of metaphysical poetry
Read more