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1. What is Orsino’s station in Illyria? What news does he receive in the beginning of Act I Scene I?

Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, is lovesick for Olivia, and has been trying to court her. His attendant arrives with the news that Olivia is discouraging suitors through her decision to mourn her brother's death for seven years.

2. With whom is Orsino preoccupied in Act I Scene I? How does this preoccupation manifest in his character?

When the play begins, Orsino is so preoccupied with unrequited love for Olivia that he feels unable to do anything but listen to music. "If music be the food of love, play on," he tells his musicians, "Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, / The appetite may sicken, and so die."

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