Shakespeare's 1601 comedy following Viola, who disguises herself as Cesario after a shipwreck, is sent to woo Olivia for Duke Orsino, with whom Viola falls in love, while Olivia falls in love with Cesario/Viola — exploring desire, disguise, identity, and the arbitrary nature of love.
Demonstrates that desire is triangulated and socially constructed — Orsino loves Olivia not because of anything specific to Olivia but because desire requires an unattainable object — and the comedy's resolution (marriages to the 'wrong' person) suggests that the object of desire is always somewhat arbitrary.
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