If music be the food of love play on

"If music be the food of love play on."
Orsino, Twelfth Night (I.i.1)

I love this quote. It's the opening line of Twelfth Night, which is the play that my thesis is based on. I think. It's still in the working stages. Eeks. The opening speech flows wonderfully, it has a beautiful harmony to it, and the words are genius. But from the opening line, the speech tells a sad story. It's sadness disguised in beauty that falters and diminishes as the play goes on. Tragic right? And Twelfth Night is a comedy too. Orsino is in love with Olivia but she doesn't return his affections (obviously because when do things ever work out perfectly - in Shakespeare or in real life)? When the play starts Orsino has been chasing Olivia for awhile and this opening line suggests a kind of rigid mechanics to his love. He talks about music fueling his love as gas may fuel a car. It's as if he continues his pursuit simply to continue his pursuit, throwing into question the genuineness of his feelings.

But then he goes on to talk about excess because maybe if enough music is played then that will cure his obsession.

If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.

What? How does that work? How will music cure his obsession? If anything it would only motivate it. To hear the romantic sounds that only make him desire Olivia more. Or perhaps this is an illustration of Orsino's illogic that has developed out of his madness in his relentless chase after Olivia. The interpretations run on but alas I have other more pressing things to do.

I should spend less time marveling over beautiful opening speeches and more time working on my thesis proposal. sigh.