Twelfth Night
what aspects of Viola's character have been revealed at the end of Act 1
end of Act 1
end of Act 1
In act one, Viola bears her optimistic and gentle nature; though she fears that she has lost her brother forever, yet she hopes that he is still alive, and tries her best not to succumb to her grief. Her tone is not as richly poetic or filled with extravagant imagery as Orsino's; her words are more plain and straightforward, denoting grief but also her sensibility. Although she does not know the Captain, she presumes that he has a "fair and outward character" from their limited interaction, and his offers to help her (l. 48); she assumes the best of him, rather than the worst, though she admits even while she makes her judgment, that appearances can be deceiving.