To live peacefully with those closest to us requires honesty. When people try to keep secrets from their loved ones, whether about finances or health, it always ends somewhat badly because the truth comes out. In the 17th century romantic comedy Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare uses the character of Viola to develop the theme that deception leads to conflicts, which can complicate relationships and cause suffering to innocent bystanders. Deception leads to conflicts . Viola allows her lie to cause confusion and eventually build up into a violent confrontation. The audience realizes when Andrew says, “Now sir, have I met you again?/There’s for you”(IV.i.24-25) that Viola’s deceit results in strife. Shakespeare uses Viola’s fraud to highlight the importance of truth in difficult situations, because the longer a person keeps up a falsehood, the worse the repercussions become. Even those lies which begin innocently lead to suffering because confusion results in malignancy. Viola’s deception almost completely destroys her relationship with Orsino, as he becomes very angry with “Cesario” and tries to send him away with, “Farewell, and take her, but direct thy feet/Where thou and I henceforth may never meet”(V.i.177-178). Shakespeare uses this conflict to show how Viola’s deception goes beyond her control, and almost breaks apart a …show more content…
Because Orsino believes in Cesario’s manhood, he asks her to help him woo Olivia, to which Viola laments, “Yet a barful strife!/Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife”(I.v.45-46). In order to maintain false fronts, people must sacrifice true happiness with those closest to them. Successful relationships cannot be based on falsehood, because connecting with people requires honesty. While Shakespeare makes light of these truths, it evidently causes Viola stress when she says, “What will become of this?”(II.ii.36). The audience comprehends that the solution to such deep deceptions points to