In the play Twelfth Night or What You Will by William Shakespeare, while Viola’s wisdom allows her to carefully think through all the dimensions of a conflict and come to conclusions with a clear mind, Olivia is entirely engulfed by her emotions, rendering her unable to see or understand any side of the problem but her own.

Viola’s wisdom is revealed in her capability to see through her situations to the root. Her wisdom enables her to reason with herself and have a nuanced understanding of a problem, without her emotions intervening. As Olivia tries to find any excuse to bring Viola back for more visits, Viola quickly realizes Olivia’s love for her as she thinks through her actions. Unsure of what to do about Olivia’s unrequited love, she says, “Poor lady, she were better love a dream. / Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness / Wherein the pregnant enemy does much” (2.2, 26-28). Viola notes her pity for Olivia, despite having feelings of her own for Orsino. By expressing this sympathy, Viola’s ability to set aside her own thoughts and take into account the opinions of others is revealed, which is a defining trait of wisdom as depicted in a play. She then describes disguises as evil, an indication to her own disguise as Cesario. Viola is able to point out the cause of the situation, even though it is herself, in this moment of strong emotions, further proving her wisdom and reason. She uses a metaphor to describe disguise as a tool used by Satan, expressing her complete and deep understanding of her current situation. Where a foolish person would fail to see the whole picture, Viola’s wisdom helps her reason through her thoughts. Continuing to examine the situation at hand, she says, “How will this fadge? My master loves her dearly, / And I, poor monster, fond as much on him, / And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me” (2.2, 33-35). Viola asks herself a rhetorical question with ‘fadge’, which connotes a messy and unorganized process. She knows that to untangle the problem will not be a simple realization, but rather a confusing process that she cannot completely control. Once again, Viola points to herself as the problem of the situation. Despite her strong feelings towards Orsino, which she also expresses, Viola completely understands how her persona as Cesario is causing the confusion. Viola’s ability to set aside her personal feelings to see and reason through a situation is the most prominent example of her wisdom.

Olivia’s foolishness is revealed through her lack of understanding of her situation. She is unable to reason through her thoughts without involving her own emotions and opinions, as how foolishness is depicted in the play. After Viola’s hints of rejection following Olivia’s confession of love, Viola tries to make a quick exit. However, she is interrupted by Olivia, who begins to talk about her own feelings: “A murd’rous guilt shows not itself more soon / Than love that would seem hid. Love’s night is / noon” (3.1.54-56). Olivia uses a metaphor to compare hiding true love to the guilty conscience of a criminal, expressing how she believes that hiding her love for Cesario is like a crime. Despite Viola’s constant efforts to point out Olivia’s one-sided love, she continues to convey her own affection for Viola. This selfish act of prioritizing her own feelings over trying to reason through the tangled situation demonstrates her lack of wisdom. Olivia then compares love’s darkest moments to the brightness of the sun. Olivia is so consumed by her devotion to Viola that it is the only thought in her mind, similar to how the midday sun shines on everything within its reach. She is not able to think thoroughly through her situation with a clear mind, attesting to her foolishness. Continuing with her declaration of love towards Viola, Olivia confesses, “Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide. / Do not extort thy reasons from this clause, / For That I woo, thou therefore hast no cause” (3.1.159-162). Olivia admits that her inability to reason through the problem causes her to not be able to hide her love for Viola. She does not consider Viola’s lack of affection towards her, but instead continues to foolishly convey her own passionate feelings, as they overtake her ability to think clearly and see the situation as what it is. She notes that Viola should not be discouraged from pursuing Olivia, revealing how she has not listened to Viola’s rejection of her confessions. Her dismissal of Viola’s clear response further demonstrates how she is incapable of taking into account opinions that are not her own, which ultimately leads her to not understand or try to reason through the situation. Olivia’s foolishness becomes evident as she fails to consider all the aspects of her obstacle, and not solely her own motivations.