Fatima Reyadh1
Fatima Reyadh
Mrs. Timm
12A
May 2, 2013
Compare and Contrast Essay
Fatima Reyadh2
Fatima Reyadh
Mrs. Timm
12A
May 2, 2013
Outline
I-Introduction:
A. Twelfth night (book)
B. Triumph of love (movie)
C. Thesis of Statement: Finding the similarities and differences between the film and book were
easy to find while comparing and contrasting.
II-Similarities:
A. Themes:
1. Love
2. Deceit
Fatima Reyadh3
3. Gender confusing
4. Disguises.
III-Differences:
A. Characters:
1. Princess: playing Phocion
2. Viola: Playing the part of Cesario,
B. Plot, setting and dialogue
1. Heir and Prince Vs Duke and noblewoman
2. Illyria vs Sparta
3. Old English Vs modern English
IV-Conclusion:
Fatima Reyadh4
Fatima Reyadh
Mrs. Timm
12A
May 2, 2013
Compare and Contrast Essay
The Twelfth Night and Triumph of Love are two classical tales about love and betrayal.
Both stories had been done and redone over the centuries and every time with a new kick. The
Twelfth Night is a play written in the seventeenth century by William Shakespeare, the most
influential writer in all of English literature. Shakespeare wrote Twelfth night during his prime
and it is considered as one of his greatest comedies. The triumph of Love, on the other hand, was
written by a French writer Pierre de Marivaux in 1732, more than a hundred years after Twelfth
Night. It was written in originally as a French comedy, but here I will compare the movie version
of the story. The main characters in the Twelfth Night are Viola, Duke Orsino, Olivia and
Sebastian. The play Twelfth Night takes place in an imaginary city called Illyria. It is about a
nobleman called Duke Orsino who is in love with Lady Olivia. However, Olivia was still
mourning the death of her beloved brother and rejecting any idea of love for seven years. So she
refused any proposal from Duke Orsino. Then there was a noble girl named Viola whose ship
was wrecked just off the shores of Illyria. She finds her way to land in Illyria and she thinks that
her brother Sebastian, who was travelling with her, had died in the shipwreck. Once on land, she
tries to figure out what she can do, so Viola took a low service job working for Duke Orsino who
Fatima Reyadh5
is in love with Olivia. Viola had to pretend to be a man in order for her to work for Orsino. After
a while, Viola falls in love with Orsino, but can act on it or say anything since everyone in the
palace thinks she is a man. The Triumph of Love's main characters' are Agis, Coachman, Corine,
Dimas, Harlequin, and Hermocrates. The Triumph of love takes place in the ancient Greek city
of Sparta. It is about a princess who inherited the throne to later discover that there is a Prince
Agis who is the rightful heir. Agis was taken out of the picture and was secretly sent to live with
the great philosopher, Hermocrates. The princess disguised as a man come and work the prince
household to get o know her enemy but instead fell in love with him. Finding the similarities and
differences between the film and book were easy to find while comparing and contrasting.
The similarities of the film, Triumph of love, and the book Twelfth Night are the themes
and characters. The themes are love, deceit, gender confusing and disguise. All the main
characters have certain feelings for each other and they are so passionate to actually pretend to be
someone they are not. Women are disguised as men, men starting to develop feeling for men
who are actually women. This clearly introduces the gender confusing, not to mention many love
triangles in the stories. Many characters have to change their behavior and appearance to fit the
role they are playing. Viola was a man servant; the princess was also disguised as a man working
in the prince household. There is also the similarity of the characters in the film and movie, the
characters end up with each other. Olivia falls in love with Viola, who was disguised as Cesario
in Twelfth Night. Viola is in love with Duke Orsino, who thinks she is a man. Duke Orsino sends
Viola, when she disguises herself as Cesario, to help her win Olivia’s heart, which was a mistake
considering Olivia falls in love with the disguised Viola. In Twelfth Night, Duke Orsino ends up
with Viola, and Sebastian ends up with Olivia. Love and betrayal is the movies theme since it all
about people disguising and deceiving each other. Agis who was plotting to kill the princess in
Fatima Reyadh6
The Triumph of Love, and the Princess who is disguised as a man to know the prince’s planes
ended up in love.
The differences of the film, Triumph of Love, and the play Twelfth Night are the setting,
plot and dialogue. The setting of Twelfth Night is the imaginary land of Illyria, and the Triumph
of Love's setting is in the ancient Greek city of Sparta. William Shakespeare’s work is originally
written in old English, however the movie the Triumph of Love used modern English accent.
The plot slightly differs, as the Princess tries to seduce Agis is different than Orsino convincing
Olivia to love him. It is also different when Olivia loved Viola and then confused her for her
brother Sebastian.
There are many distinct differences throughout the original play and the modern movie
that clearly sets them apart. They are exciting, interesting and fun to watch especially since they
are comedies. They both have a nice happy ending. Sebastian returns from his shipwreck and
Viola reunite as twins, and everyone finally knows the truth. He also gets in a romantic
relationship with Olivia. And for Duke Orsino, he finally realized his deep feelings towards
Viola and she end up with him. They both end happily for all characters within the story.