Much like Orsino, Olivia, the daughter of an Illyrian nobleman, begins the play wrapped up in her own emotions. Her insistence on mourning her dead brother by locking herself away from the world for seven years not only highlights her over-dramatic nature but also reflects her self-involvement. She refuses to let any men into her life so that she can indulge in her grief, leading her to reject the pursuits of both Orsino and Sir Andrew. Ironically, part of Olivia’s reasoning for rejecting Orsino is because of his shallow, self-interested musings about love. She is intelligent enough to see through his act but fails to recognize that she is guilty of the same thing. Viola’s arrival as Cesario further emphasizes the idea that Olivia’s desire for isolation is disingenuous. In Act I, Scene 5, the same scene in which they meet for the first time, Olivia attempts to show her love for Cesario by sending Malvolio to deliver a ring to him. This moment marks a stark shift in Olivia’s character as she transitions from being stubbornly passive to actively pursuing what she wants. Her quest for Cesario’s love also begins to distinguish her from Orsino considering that he remains passive until the end. Of course, the play’s main source of comedy comes from the fact that Olivia is actually in love with a woman disguised as a man. This new obsession shows how her self-interest has transformed throughout the play and blinded her to reality, so much so that she marries Sebastian instead of Cesario without knowing it. Although she seems to be pursuing something that she wants, Olivia’s quick acceptance of Sebastian’s true identity at the end of the play demonstrates that her love is just as shallow as her grief from the first act. 

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