The character of Sebastian in "Twelfth Night" represents the dynamic factor in an otherwise static equation. Illyria is an unchanging place, and the people who live and visit the land remain trapped in a stasis. Shakespeare uses the twin device to resolve static tension in "Twelfth Night." Separated at sea, the twins end up shipwrecked in Illyria, each convinced that the other is dead. The first sister, Viola, falls into the stasis that permeates Illyria. Only when he reconciles with his brother Sebastian does the stasis dissolve. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayAs we learn from the character Proteus in Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona," the sea has transformative powers. Another of Proteus' powers is his ability to shape-shift. Through the use of the sea In “Twelfth Night,” Shakespeare applies both themes to Viola and Sebastian. As twins, they represent two halves of a whole. Separated, they are both helpless; reunited, they have the power to control their own destinies and break the static tension of Illyria. The "static tension" in Illyria manifests itself most obviously in the stuck situation of Duke Orsino's unrequited love for Countess Olivia. Orsino pines for the Countess, but she is lost in mourning for her brother and has sworn to distance herself from the company of men for seven years. All the other Illyrian characters in the play serve Orsino or Olivia, and are thus drawn into the void of their stagnant situation. When Viola is shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria and decides to disguise herself as a man, she falls into the trap. Although she loves Orsino, she cannot reveal herself to him, because she believes him to be a man. It is only when his brother Sebastian appears in Illyria that things begin to change. The character of Sebastian is surrounded by a motif of marine images. The first mention of Sebastian is in Act I, Scene II, when Viola mourns the loss of her brother. The Captain, in an attempt to comfort her, alludes to the mythological figure of Arion: in classical mythology, Arion was a famous musician (music is another prominent theme in Twelfth Night) who escaped certain death by murder on board a ship diving into the sea. , lyre in hand. Hearing the beautiful melody, the dolphins came to his rescue and brought him to shore. In Act II, Scene I, when Sebastiano and Antonio are washed ashore, Sebastiano refers to the sea as the force that separated his life from that of his sister: "[we were] both born in an hour. If the heavens had been happy, we would like it to have ended like this. You, sir, have changed that, already a few hours before you took me from the breach of the sea my sister had drowned" (2.1.17-20). begins to disturb the incessant. the stasis of Illyria begins when Antonio and Sebastiano are separated in Act III, Scene III. Sebastian wishes to explore the city; Antonio cannot safely accompany him through the streets of Illyria, because of his involvement in a naval battle (3.3.26), Antonio, however, is the only variable that distinguishes Sebastiano from Viola, who, disguised as a man, is almost identical to his twin brother (Act III, Scene IV) Antonio he mistakes Viola (like Cesario) for Sebastiano, tries to defend her in a fight and is consequently imprisoned. When Viola refuses him the bag he begs her for (and which he lent to Sebastian) he is confused and hurt by her refusal. After he leaves, Viola reflects: She called Sebastian. I, my brother, know this, yet I live in my glass. Even so and so My brother was in favor, and went Still in this shape, color,.