‘Twelfth Night’ or ‘What You Will’ by William Shakespeare: RTC/ Explanation/ Detailed Explanation/ Opening Line/ Critical Comment/ Reference to Context

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“If music be the food of love, play on…” Explain/ Elucidate/ Comment

The given excerpt has been taken from William Shakespeare’s five-act comedy Twelfth Night or What You Will. This expression occurs in the opening line of the play. That is to say, it has been extracted from Act 1 Scene 1 of the said comedy.

These words have been uttered by Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, to Curio, one of the two male attendants of the Duke, the other one being Valentine.

It is known to all that the purpose of our taking food is to keep ourselves alive. Yes, food keeps us alive by nourishing our entire physical process. It provides us with lots of energy alongside quenching our hunger. Similarly, we need some nourishment for our mental process as well. How can that be done? Broadly speaking, it can be done by taking in “the food of love”, that is, “music”. We all know that “love” and “music” are associated with each other in some way or the other. Moreover, it is distinctly discernible that love is a product of our within or of our hearts. Music does play a pivotal role in quenching the hunger of love. Hence, Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, craves for incessant music to be played on so that his hunger of love can be quenched.

Although the line produces our laughter in course of the comedy, it sounds a bit melancholic from the end of the Duke. We must keep it in mind that someone’s comedy is someone else’s tragedy. Weal and woe are part and parcel of this life in every respect.


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