Which line below from act V, scene I suggests that Duke Orsino views Olivia as heartless?

• A. Her heart is cold and unresponsive to love.
• B. Olivia has a heart of stone toward my suit.
• C. She is generous and caring toward all.
• D. Her love for me is true and steadfast.

Answer: (A)

The line uses a simple, direct image of emotional coldness to show how Orsino views Olivia. By saying her heart is cold and unresponsive to love, he portrays her as unmoved by romantic feeling and unwilling to engage with it, which is a clear sign of heartlessness in this context. This phrasing makes the judgment explicit: her heart lacks warmth and does not react to love, so he sees her as emotionally shut off. In the scene, Orsino’s suit to Olivia goes unanswered, reinforcing the idea that she doesn’t let love influence her actions, which aligns with the idea of a heartless attitude. The other options either present Olivia in a positive light or alter the focus away from emotional coldness, so they don’t fit the sense Orsino is expressing.