Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare promotes the idea of ​​living in the moment. This Carpe Diem lifestyle brings happiness to some characters, as happened with Sir Toby Belch, Sebastian Roderigo of Messaline, and Feste the Madman. Through their experiences and actions, this show demonstrates the influence and impact this topic can have on their lives. Time stops escaping them, as they use every second in every passing moment, without thinking about the future. While life can be a burden for some people, Sir Toby uses Carpe Diem to eliminate stress and cause joy and entertainment for him. One of the things he does to show this theme is that he doesn't let anything stop him from living life to the fullest. When Maria asks him to control his behavior in Olivia's house, he responds by saying, “Confinement? I will not confine myself more well than I am” (Twelfth Night, 1.3.9). This shows how Carpe Diem plays a very important role in Toby's life: he does not allow any obstacles to stand in his way and demolishes those who block his path to a free life. While this shows that Sir Toby lives as he wants, he also uses and manipulates other people, such as Olivia the Countess and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, to provide necessities, such as food and shelter, excluding the need to do any work. He says to himself, "Married, I will ride [Andrew's] horse as I will ride you" (3.4.266). His manipulative traits reinforce the fact that characters like Sir Andrew are just a pawn in the game of his life. She convinces him to follow her orders, which gives him an advantage over the situation and the opportunity to "seize the day". Sir Toby shows his use of deception when he makes other people do the work... middle of paper... accepting the easy and less arduous life. Even if Sebastian does not create difficulties for others, he receives happiness, without providing any drudgery on his part. Of the three, Feste has the most impact in portraying this theme. He emits wisdom, which he gives to others, with the main message of living before it is too late. This sets it apart from the others, as it provides evidence that Carpe Diem is a prevalent theme, as well as a moral within Twelfth Night. As it may not always be the most efficient way to approach life, these characters demonstrate the many influences it can have on their decision making, as well as providing a lesson that can be used forever to escape the hardships of this world. Work cited Shakespeare, William. Twelfth night. Ed. Roma Gill. Shakespeare of the Oxford School. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press, 2001.