Exploring Love in Twelfth NightIn the play “Twelfth Night,” Shakespeare explores and illustrates the emotion of love in vivid detail . According to Webster's New World Dictionary, love is defined as "a strong affection or fondness for someone." Throughout the play, Shakespeare examines three different types of love: true love, self-love, and friendship. and the feelings towards the other characters are false. They are deceived by themselves and/or others. There are certain instances in the play where the emotion of love is true and both people involved feel very strongly about each other. Viola's love for Orsino is a great example of true love. Although she poses as a man and is virtually unknown in Illyria, she hopes to win the Duke's heart. In Act 1, Scene 4, Viola expresses her true feelings for Cesario, "yet a violent conflict! Whoever I court, I myself would be his wife (1)." This statement becomes true when Viola reveals her true identity. Viola and Orsino had a very good friendship and the transition from husband to wife was easy. Viola was caught in another real love scenario, but this time she was the target, and things didn't go so well. During her attempts to woo Olivia for Orsino, Olivia grew to like Cesario. Viola was now in a terrible situation and there was only one way out, but it would jeopardize her chances with Orsino. It's amazing that Olivia could fall in love with a woman dressed as a man, but since Viola knew what women like to hear, her words won Olivia's heart. The next instance of true love is on a less intimate and romantic scale, and more family oriented. Viola and Sebastian's love for each other is a bond felt by all siblings. Despite their moments of grief and mourning for each of their apparent deaths, they still loved each other. They believed deep down that perhaps somehow, or by some miracle, each of them was still alive and well. Many people, even in today's society, love themselves more than anything else. "Twelfth Night" addresses the issue of self-love and how it affects people's lives..