CRITICISM Viola’s mention of Elysium shows a hopefulness even in the face of disaster, for Elysium is a place of paradise. And Viola supplements the faith in her brother’s immortality with the hope that he may not be drowned at all, finding comfort in the good fortune of her own survival. Thus it is that Shakespeare skilfully establishes Viola’s characteristic optimism. In adversity she maintains a sweetness of disposition which embodies the spirit of love. Our first impression of Viola reminds us of what Orsino said in the play’s opening scene: ‘O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou’ (1.1.9). Viola is quick-witted and fresh-faced and she is not only loved, but loves with an intense constancy unmatched by any other character in the play. Her appeal to the Captain to help her disguise herself as a young man informs us of some of her skills and abilities (for example, she can sing and is musical) but also presents a character who surrenders to time, not with any sense of fatalism, but with a positive energy that recognizes that some things are beyond her control while maintaining a confidence that her ‘wit’ will help her to realize her purpose (’the form of my intent’):
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