Read the extract below and answer the question: ......O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, Me thought she purged the air of pestilence; That instant was,...

Read the extract below and answer the question:

......O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first,
Me thought she purged the air of pestilence;
That instant was, I turned into a heart,
And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds,
E'er since pursue me.
(Act 1, Scene 1)

Who is speaking?

Answer Details

Orsino is speaking. In the given extract, the speaker talks about his love for a woman named Olivia and how he was immediately drawn to her from the moment he laid his eyes on her. The speaker's name is not mentioned in the extract, but the opening lines, "O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first," imply that he is talking about his personal experience. This speech is spoken by Duke Orsino in Act 1, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night."