II.ii.25
Viola: I am the man.
When Malvolio brings a ring to Viola with the claim that Olivia said she had forgotten it, Viola realizes that Olivia is in love with Cesario her male disguise. Therefore, “I am the man,” is Viola stating that Cesario, her male alter ego, is the man Olivia loves.
II.v.143-145
Malvolio: …..and yet to crush it a little, it would bow to me…
Malvolio comes across the letter Maria has written to Malvolio to trick him into thinking that Olivia is in love with him. However, she did not actually write Malvolio’s name on it but rather the initials M.O.A.I. Since Malvolio wants to be with Olivia, he desperately wants the letter to have been written to him. Therefore, he concludes that the letters in the initials correspond to his own name, Malvolio, and thus comes to the conclusion this love letter from “Olivia” is for him.
III.i.148-9
Viola: Then Think you right. I am not what I am.
Olivia: I would you were as I would have you be.
Olivia has a private meeting with Viola. When Viola tries to leave, Olivia basically throws herself at Viola to prevent her from leaving. Viola tells Olivia that she is not whom she appears to be; she is a woman not the man Cesario that Olivia loves. However, Olivia’s reply is that whoever she wants Viola to be, Viola will be. Olivia is in love and happy and wants to stay that way. She does not want to accept that her love for Cesario, Viola’s male persona, cannot be returned.
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What kind of emotion do you think Viola is feeling when she announces "I am the man."?
ReplyDeleteI think Viola is shocked at this point. I invision her with a shocked expression on her face, similar to "OMG!" <= O
ReplyDeleteViola definitely did not mean it literally but she probably thought "Oh wow, how true does that sound at the moment?" She could not tell Orsino that she loved him, she could not tell Olivia that she does not love her- all because she was at that moment- a man, or to Olivia, a man who did not love the most sought-after woman in Illyria. So yes, at the moment she really was "the man."
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