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VIOLA
"I prithee—and I’ll pay thee bounteously—

Conceal me what I am, and be my aid

For such disguise as haply shall become

The form of my intent. I’ll serve this duke.

Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him." (1.2. 49-53)

Viola disguises herself as a man in order to feel secure about her identity in Illyria. Since she is a female, she knows that it will be difficult for her to find work in a country by herself. Therefore, she needs to put on the façade of a male in order to be independent and successful. In modern day society, women still have to put on an appearance in order to fit into certain careers. For example, a female CEO would have to wear toned down colors, present herself as serious and remove any trace of femininity in order to be considered appropriate for her role. In the corporate world, it is much more common for males to be in the upper level positions than females, thus females, like Viola, have to change their appearance to be successful.

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SIR TOBY BELCH

"Wouldst thou not be glad to have the niggardly rascally sheep-biter come by some notable shame?"

FABIAN

"I would exult, man. You know, he brought me out o' favor with my lady about a bear-baiting here." (2.5. 4-7)

In this quote, Fabian admits that he would love to bring Malvolio shame since Malvolio called him out for arranging a bear baiting on Olivia’s property. Though it could be argued that two wrongs do not make a right, Fabian feels that the only way to make things even with Malvolio is to see him suffer, just as he did when Olivia got mad at Fabian. This sort of attitude is readily seen in current times, with people seeking revenge to feel better about resentment they hold towards another person. For example, an ex-wife may burn her husband’s clothes, or wreak his car after finding out that she was unfaithful to him. By bringing pain into the other person’s life, the revenge seeker feels a temporary sense of relief.

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VIOLA
"And what should I do in Illyria?

My brother he is in Elysium." (1.2.1-2)

Here, Viola is speaking with the Captain, expressing her grief because she thinks her brother Sebastian is dead. She does not feel she has any purpose of going to Illyria, since she thinks her brother is no longer with her.  This mindset is common to people today who lose someone very close to them. For example, if a couple has been together for fifty years and one of them dies, the spouse who remains alive might feel there is no purpose to their lives anymore, because their best friend is gone. Sometimes losing someone can be so traumatic that finding a reason to move forward in life can be a challenge.

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ORSINO

"One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons!

A natural perspective, that is and is not!" (5.1.208-209)

Since Viola and Sebastian are identical twins, they cause a lot of chaos and confusion to the people of Illyria. In this quote, Duke Orsino is commenting on how difficult it is to distinguish the two, and this feeling extends to Antonio, who does not understand how there can be two Sebastians! With such a similar appearance, it is hard to imagine that there are two people who look alike. In modern day times, this could occur with paternal twins, who would look identical like Viola and Sebastian. In classrooms, especially when the twins are of the same gender, this could cause a lot of confusion as to who is who.