Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare

 

Comedy

Definition – a comedic play has at least one humorous character, and a successful or happy ending.

Characteristics of …     The main action is about love. The would-be lovers must overcome obstacles and misunderstandings before being united in harmonious union. The ending frequently involves a parade of couples to the altar and a festive mood or actual celebration (expressed in dance, song, feast, etc.) Twelfth Night has three such couples.

Frequently (but not always), it contains elements of the improbable, the fantastic, the supernatural, or the miraculous, e.g. unbelievable coincidences, improbable scenes of recognition/lack of recognition, willful disregard of the social order (nobles marrying commoners, beggars changed to lords), instantaneous conversions (the wicked repent), enchanted or idealized settings, supernatural beings (witches, fairies, Gods and Goddesses). The happy ending may be brought about through supernatural or divine intervention (comparable to the improbable turns of events. deus ex machina in classical comedy, where a God appears to resolve the conflict) or may merely involve In the best of the mature comedies, there is frequently a philosophical aspect involving weightier issues and themes: personal identity; the importance of love in human existence; the power of language to help or hinder communication; the transforming power of poetry and art; the disjunction between appearance and reality; the power of dreams and illusions).

Twelfth Night

: What does the title refer to?

   The play was written as a Christmas season production for presentation on Epiphany – the twelfth night after Christmas, when, according to religious tradition, Jesus was introduced to the world.

It is a time for celebrating, gifts are exchanged, and parties and other celebrations occur. The full title of the play is What You Will choose.

” Twelfth Night, or, – i.e. “ Call it anything you

Twelfth Night

        Type of work: play (Shakespeare also wrote: poetry) Genre: comedy Time written: between 1600-1602 Place written: England Tone: Light, cheerful, comic; occasionally frantic and melodramatic, especially in the speeches of Orsino and Olivia.

Tense: Present (the entire story is told through dialogue) Setting (time): Unknown Setting (place): The mythical land of Illyria (Illyria is a real place, corresponding to the coast of present-day Yugoslavia, but Twelfth Night is clearly set in a fictional kingdom rather than a real one.)

Twelfth Night

Characters:

      Viola (a.k.a. Cesario) Duke Orsino Olivia Sebastian Malvolio Feste     Sir Toby Belch Maria Sir Andrew Aguecheek Antonio

1. Viola

 A young ___________ of aristocratic birth. Washes up on the shore of Illyria when her ship is ___________ in a storm, she decides to maker her own way in the world. She disguises herself as a _______, calling herself and becomes a page to Duke Orsino. She ends

falling in love

central conflict to the play.

“ Cesario, ” up ___________ with Orsino, while the woman Orsino loves, falls in love with Cesario. Now she finds herself trapped: she cannot tell Orsino that she loves him and she cannot tell Olivia why she, as Cesario, cannot lover her. Her dilemma is the

2. Duke Orsino

 A __________ nobleman in the country of __________. He is lovesick for the beautiful Lady Olivia, but finds herself more and more fond of his handsome new page, Cesario, who is actually a __________ - Viola. He mopes around complaining how heartsick he is over Olivia, when it is clear that he is chiefly in love with the _________ of _______________ and enjoys making a spectacle of himself.

3. Olivia

 A _____________, beautiful, and noble Illyrian lady, she is __________ by Orsino and Sir Andrew Aguecheeck, but to each of them she insists that she is in __________ for her __________, who has recently Viola ’

love interest marry 7

She and Orsino are similar characters in that each seems to enjoy wallowing in his or her own __________. s arrival in the masculine disguise of Cesario enables Olivia to break free of her self-indulgent melancholy. Olivia seems to have no difficulty transferring her affections from one _______________ to the next, however, suggesting that her romantic feelings – like most emotions in the play – do not run terribly deep.

4. Sebastian



Viola

’

s lost ____________. When he arrives in Illyria, traveling with Antonio, his close friend and protector, he discovers how many people seem to think that they ____________. Furthermore, the beautiful Lady Olivia, whom he has never met, wants to ____________.

5. Malvolio

 The straitlaced head servant in the household of Lady Olivia. He is very efficient but also very ____________, and he has a poor opinion of drinking, __________, and __________. His haughty attitude earn him the enemies of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria who play a cruel __________ on him, making believe that Olivia __________________. In his dreams about marrying his mistress, he reveals a powerful ambition to rise above his _________________.

6. Feste



The _________ or __________ of Olivia household; he moves between Olivia

’

s

’

s and Orsino

good advice

’

s homes. He ________________ by making pointed jokes, singing old songs, being generally under a layer of __________. In spite of being a professional __________, he often seems the wisest character in the play.

7. Sir Toby Belch

 Olivia ’ s __________. Olivia lets ___________ Belch lives with her, but she does not __________ of his rowdy behavior, __________, heavy drinking, late-night carousing, or friends (specifically the idiotic Sir Andrew). He also earns the anger of Malvolio, but he has an ally, and eventually a __________, in Olivia

witty

they bring about the __________ of the controlling, self-righteous Malvolio.

’ s

8. Maria



Olivia

’

serving-woman. She is remarkably similar to her antagonist, Malvolio, who harbors aspirations of _______________ through

marriage

s __________, __________, young __________. She succeeds where Malvolio fails.

9. Sir Andrew Aguecheek



A __________ of Sir Toby to __________ Olivia but he doesn

stand a chance strong idiot smart dancing

actually an __________.

’

s. He attempts

’

t

10. Antonio



A man who rescues Sebastian after Sebastian

’

s __________. He is very fond of Sebastian, caring for him, accompanying him to Illyria, and furnishing him with __________. He is also an enemy of Duke Orsino.

Other characters…

     Fabian – servant to Olivia; friend to Maria, Sir Toby, and Andrew. Assists in the practical joke on Malvolio.

Valentine – gentleman attending to the Duke Curio – gentleman attending to the Duke Priest - (named Sir Topas); he marries Olivia to “ Cesario; ” he is impersonated by Feste.

Captain (sea captain) – assists Viola (helps disguise Viola as Cesario)

A Closer Look at the play…



Plot Summary: In Twelfth Night , as in most of his works, Shakespeare has several different plot-lines going on at the same time. He expertly weaves these separate stories together throughout the play. As the play begins to move towards its conclusion the different stories begin to converge until they all come together for a resolution in the final scenes.

Dramatic Structure

    Major Conflict (__________): Viola is in love with Orsino, who is in love with Olivia, who is in love with Viola by the fact that neither Orsino nor Olivia knows that

Rising Action mistaken identities

up to Act V.

woman love triangle professions of love

’ s __________: __________ and ________ are ________, and everyone realizes that Cesario is a woman.

___________: Viola _______________ Orsino; Malvolio is freed and _______________.



Themes

 

The uncertainty of gender



Assignments…

• As we read

Twelfth Night

, we will be summarizing the events and then examining the play on various literary levels. The following slides are charts that you will print-off my webpage (you will turn in a total of five charts/mini-assignments). Be sure to bring these charts each day so you can complete them as we read.

Act and Scene Summaries (As you read, summarize each scene – identify the who and the what; then summarize each act) Act 1 Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Act 2 Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Act 3 Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 X Act 4 Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 X X X X X X Act 5 Scene 1

Themes: Reflection Questions

As you read the play, explore the themes of 1) Vanity or "Self Love

“

; 2) Masks and Disguises (appearance vs. reality); 3) Fools and Ambition (the folly of ambition); 4) Gender Confusion (mistaken identities); 5) Love and Suffering (love as a cause for suffering) … 1) Vanity or "Self Love"

– Who demonstrates vanity? How does it end up hurting them? Do they overcome it? How does each character's "self love" manifest itself?

2) Masks and Disguises

– Who disguises themselves and why? What disguises are literal and what are they meant to protect the person from? What other kind of masks do characters wear? When do they come off and why?

3) Fools and Ambition

– There are many kinds of Fools in

Twelfth Night

. What is the difference between each kind? How does each characters' ambition make them act like a fool? Who is

made

a fool in the play? What does this say about the characters?

4) Gender Confusion

– In Shakespeare's time, women were not allowed to perform on stage. So, all of the roles were performed by boys. This means that Olivia was played by a young boy. Viola was a boy, pretending to be a girl, humorous effect?

pretending to be a boy!

Imagine what a job that must have been! How does Shakespeare make this clear to us as an audience? How does he use it to

5) Love and Suffering

– How closely related are the ideas of love and suffering? Does anyone fall in love in this play who

doesn't

suffer? How does this relate to your own life? Do some of the characters even

enjoy

their own suffering?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

  As you read the play, explore the Common Motifs (Patterns in Shakespeare ’ s plays) Contrasting worlds Rise of one person at the expense of another Disguise and deceptions The supernatural Redemption / reconciliation Disorder yields to order Comic relief scene Parallel characters / foils Eavesdropping Explore how each device occurs in the play?

What significance does it have in the overall plot or to the overall theme?

Apply the Patterns to

Twelfth Night

Motifs found in many of Shakespeare ’ s plays 1. Contrasting worlds Examples (use these or discover your own) Appearance vs. Reality; Male vs. female Maria vs. Malvolio Explanations (Further elaborate on the examples) 2. Rise of one person at the expense of another 3. Disguise and deceptions Viola = Cesario 4. The Supernatural 5. Redemption/Reconciliation Idea of fate; a ghost?

Marriages 6. Disorder yields to order 7. Comic relief scene 8. Parallel characters (or foils) 9. Eavesdropping Mistaken identities and the revelation of the characters Feste ’ s verbal jabs with characters like Olivia and Cesario; Malvolio ’ s letter Duke Orsino and Olivia; Maria and Malvolio Sir Toby and Sir Andrew

Shakespeare

’

s Language

 The language Shakespeare used is an early form of Modern English that is different from today English in a variety of ways. The following list, with examples from some characteristics of Shakespeare Whereas some of the following practices were observed in everyday speech, others were poetic conventions. Shakespeare often used contractions or omitted syllables in order to maintain the meter.

Twelfth Night , describes ’ ’ s s English.

Shakespeare

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s Language cont

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1. Shakespeare frequently made contractions of words that we write separately today. He also dropped letters, particularly vowels, at the ends of words and in the ending –est.

Orsino: ’ Tis [it is] not so sweet now as it was before. (1.1.8) Toby: She ’ ll none o ’ [of] th ’ [the] Count. (1.3.104) Toby: O knight, thou lack ’ st [lackest] a cup of canary! (1.3.79) Andrew: And you love me, let ’ s do ’ t [do it]. I am dog at a catch. (2.3.61) * Remember: if you see the apostrophe ( ’ omitted. ), then something has been

Shakespeare

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2.

Shakespeare omitted entire unstressed syllables or consonants from the beginning or middle of words.

Viola: Whoe ’ er [whoever] I woo, myself would be his wife. (1.4.42) Malvolio: Were not ev ’ n [even] now with the Countess Olivia? (2.2.1)

Shakespeare

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s Language cont

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3. Shakespeare used many words (such as the adverbs thence, whence, hither, thither, and whither and the hence, pronouns thy, thou, thee, language are called and rarely use today. Words that have dropped out of the archaic .

thine ) that we no longer or Olivia: Whence [from what place] came you, sir? (1.5.175) Duke: Then let thy [your] love be younger than thyself [yourself], ( 2.4.36) [hence – from now; thence – from that time or place; whence – from what place?; hither – to this place, nearer, from here; thither – there; whither – from where?] [thy –your; thou – you; thee – you; thine – yours; prithee – please; Ay – yes; ho – look there]

Shakespeare

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4. Archaic words include forms of verbs with endings such as –th and –st irregular verb forms such as (spoke).

, as well as spake Olivia: Why, how dost [do] thou, man? What is the matter with thee? (3.4.24 25)

Shakespeare

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5. Shakespeare freely used words as different parts of speech, sometimes inventing words in the process.

The following slides are words and phrases credited to Shakespeare…

The human condition can be difficult to capture through words, especially when the English language is limited. In Shakespeare them up.

’ s time, there simply wasn't a single word for "lonely" or "generous." So Shakespeare did what any person in search of the right word does in times of crisis: He made He is credited for making up over 3,000 words. Here are some words that Shakespeare is credited with inventing:                               accused addiction advertising aerial alligator amazement arouse articulate assassination bandit beached bedroom befriend besmirch birthplace blanket blushing bloodstained bump buzzer caked cater champion circumstantial cold-blooded compromise countless courtship critic critical                               daunting dawn deafening demure discontent dishearten dislocate dwindle educate elbow entomb epileptic equivocal excitement exposure eyeball fashionable fixture flawed frugal generous gloomy gnarled gossip gust hint hobnob hoodwink hurried hurry                              impartial impede investment invulnerable jaded label lackluster lapse laughable leapfrog lonely lower luggage majestic marketable metamorphize mimic misplaced monumental moonbeam mountaineer negotiate noiseless numb obscene obsequious ode olympian outbreak                       pander pedant premeditated radiance rant remorseless savagery scuffle secure submerge summit swagger torture tranquil trickling undress unreal varied vaulting wappened worthless zany

                                 Shakespeare also spent many of his hours trying to come up with that almost agonizingly appropriate phrase for some of his thoughts. After all, what are words but minds at play? Below is a long laundry list of the common phrases Shakespeare is credited with inventing (yes, he invented every phrase he wrote, but these are the ones that have lasted into current slang/prose/language): all corners of the world All that glitters is not gold as ____ as the day is long as luck would have it band of brothers blinking idiot budge an inch (or not) catch cold charmed life dead as a doornail devil incarnate didn't sleep a wink eat me out of house and home fair play fancy free flaming youth fool's paradise forever and a day for goodness' sake foul play give the devil his due good riddance green-eyed jealousy high time hoist by your own petard household word in a pickle in stitches in the twinkle of an eye into thin air It's Greek to me laughing stock love is blind                                 make haste method to one's madness neither here nor there no rhyme or reason off with his head!

Oh woe is me one fell swoop play fast and loose primrose path rotten to the core seen better days send one packing short shrift sink or swim Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them sorry sight sweets to the sweet the game is afoot the game is up the long and short of it there's the rub tongue tied too much of a good thing tower of strength Tut, tut!

under the weather Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown What a piece of work is man What is past is prologue what the dickens wild goose chase your own flesh and blood

Shakespeare

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6. Shakespeare also inverted his sentences (that is, he rearranged the parts of a sentence). Presently, the normal sentence structure is Subject + Predicate [Subject + verb + complements].

Shakespeare rearranged the parts of the sentence (i.e. by placing the complements before the subject or verb) in order to meet the meter or to emphasize one word or part of the sentence over another [also it was common practice in his day].

For example: Olivia (Shakespeare): Under your hard construction must I sit, / To force that on you in a shameful cunning / Which you knew none of yours. – 3.1.117-119 Olivia (Rearranged): none of yours.

” “ I must sit under your hard construction [harsh interpretation] to force that on you in a shameful cunning which you knew [Modern translation: You probably think poorly of me after I forced that [ring] on you with such outrageous trickery.]

Let

’

s practice translating Shakespeare

’

s Language to today

’

s English…

Rewrite these lines from Othello in today ’ s English, replacing the italicized, archaic words and spellings with more modern forms.

1. Andrew: By my troth, the fool has an excellent breast. ... ’ Twas very good i ’ faith. I sent thee sixpence for thy leman. Hadst it? (2.3.19 26)

By my truth (I swear), the fool as an excellent breast…It was very good in faith. I sent you sixpence for your leman. Did you have/get it?

2. Toby: Th ’ art i ’ th ’ right. (2.3.118)

You are in the right.

3. Olivia: I prithee tell me what thou think ’ st of me. (3.1.140)

Please tell me what you think of me,

4. Clown: Nay, I ’ ll ne ’ er believe a madman till I see his brains. (4.2.119-120)

No, I will never believe a madman until I see his brains.

5. Sebastian: Fear ’ st thou that, Antonio? (5.1.222)

Do you fear that, Antonio?

Tools for The Text: Paraphrase

    Reading a Shakespeare play can be a daunting task. Shakespeare's language can make it difficult to lose yourself within its pages. However, there are a few tools you can use to help break down the text into something more understandable and enjoyable.

The first tool is called Paraphrasing. This is when you take the text and put it into your own words. This is not only a useful tool for reading the language, but it is the primary method of deconstructing the text by the Shakespeare Festival's artists. Although the words used 400 years ago are similar, their meaning was quite different. Examine the following lines from the very beginning of Twelfth Night demands more music, hoping it will cure his lovesickness.

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

That strain again. It had a dying fall; O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound That breathes upon a bank of violets, Stealing and giving odor. Enough, no more.

'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.

, when Duke Orsino One possible paraphrase might read:  If it's true that music is the food of love, keep playing. Give me too much so I'll be stuffed and I won't want it any more. Play that bit again! It definitely had the right sound to make my appetite die. It sounded as sweet as a breeze that blows across a patch of violets. Taking their scent and giving it to me. Stop, that's enough. It's not as sweet as it was before.

Tools for the Text: Imagery

     Another great tool to further and deepen your understanding of Shakespeare is Shakespeare used even more profound words to create very powerful images. imagery. These are the pictures that Shakespeare paints with specific words. Just as pictures go through your mind when you read a book, Let's look at Duke Orsino's monologue again: If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.

That strain again. It had a dying fall; O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound That breathes upon a bank of violets, Take a look at the words in bold. Step one is to write down the first few images that come into your mind:  Food:___________________________________________________________      Love:___________________________________________________________ Excess:_________________________________________________________ Sicken:_________________________________________________________ Dying:_________________________________________________________ Sweet:_________________________________________________________ Breathes:_______________________________________________________   Violets:_________________________________________________________ Now ask yourself what those images mean to you. How do they make you feel? What kind of actions do they make you want to do? What words effect you most?

Now that you've found some personal connection to these words, say the monologue out loud and allow those images to fill your mind. Allow them to effect you and your audience as you speak.

  

Tools for the Text: Iambic Pentameter

Take a look at the monologue we used in the previous two examples. Did you notice a rhythm to the lines when you said them? Did you notice that the first letter of every line is capitalized? This is because Shakespeare chose to write much of his text in Iambic Pentameter. You'll find many explanations for what this means, but one simple way is to say that each line has 10 syllables - 5 stressed and 5 unstressed. Here is an example:  If music be the food of love, play on, Count the syllables. You can see that it has 10 syllables. Now we will break the line up into smaller sections that have two syllables. These sections are called feet:  If mu sic be the food of love, play on, Watch out when breaking a line into feet. You'll notice that sometimes a word can be broken up (like mu-sic). Now, within each foot there is usually one stressed and one unstressed syllable. In Iambic Pentameter, the second syllable in a foot usually gets the strong stress.

 If mu sic be the food of love, play on,

  

Tools for the Text: Iambic Pentameter cont

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d.

One easy way to remember how the stresses work in Iambic Pentameter is that is sounds like you were to say "eye-am" five times. Try it:  I am I am I am I am I am There are several reasons why Shakespeare used this form for his writing. One was because of it's beautiful sound and the strong rhythm which is similar to the beating of the human heart. Another was that Iambic Pentameter is very close to the normal rhythm of every day conversation. This helped the actors memorize their lines since, 400 years ago, they only had a few days of rehearsal before performing a play. Another was that it gives the actor the choice as to which words are more important. When an actor goes through his/her script to mark the feet and decide what syllables get the stresses it is called scanning the script. Try it:     If mu sic be the food of love, play on, Give me ex cess of it, that, sur feit ing, The app et ite may sick en, and so die.

That strain ag ain. It had a dy ing fall; Did you make every other syllable strong? Or did you decide that some syllables were more important than others? This is one thing that makes acting Shakespeare so unique. The actor gets to choose what words and phrases are important.

    

Tools for the Text: Variations to Iambic Lines

Not all Shakespeare lines are alike! He loved to break the rules in order to give instruction to the actors or make the lines more interesting. Sometimes you'll find line of text that has less than 10 syllables. If you look closely you might find a line right after it that is short as well. When you combine them, do they make 10 syllables? Here is an example where Olivia confesses her love to Viola.

Viola: I pity you.

Olivia: That's a degree to love.

This is an example of a shared line. The combination of the syllables suggests to the actors that these two lines really work as one. Therefore the actor knows the stage direction is that the actor playing Olivia should speak right away after Viola's line without pausing- she should "jump her cue".

But what about a line with more than 10 syllables?

Viola: I am all the daughters of my father's house.

A line with 11 syllables contains what we call a feminine ending. This suggests that the character is in such a heightened emotional state that they are trying to cram extra words into their line.

FYI: There are many different theories about how Iambic Pentameter should be used. Some scholars believe that there can only be five strong or stressed beats per line. Many classical actors and directors believe that you can scan a line in any way you want and that the only way to tell is by trying it out loud. Basically what scanning comes down to is: What works for you? What makes the most sense to you and gives you the best connection? Hopefully you can use these tricks to help bridge the 400 years between Shakespeare and you.

Modern Translation of

Twelfth Night

 

Sparknotes has a modern translation of Shakespeare on-line: No Fear Shakespeare .

http://nfs.sparknotes.com/twelfthnight/ 

It

’

s a good idea to re-read the sections that were read in class using the Modern translation.



From Act I, Scene 1, it looks like this…

Original

ORSINO If music be the food of love, play on.

Give me excess of it that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.

That strain again, it had a dying fall.

Oh, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound, That breathes upon a bank of violets, Stealing and giving odor. Enough, no more.

'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.

O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou, That, notwithstanding thy capacity Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there, Of what validity and pitch soe'er, But falls into abatement and low price Even in a minute. So full of shapes is fancy That it alone is high fantastical.

Modern

(paraphrase) ORSINO If it ’ s true that music makes people more in love, keep playing. Give me too much of it, so I scent with it. That ’ ’ ll get sick of it and stop loving. Play that part again! It sounded sad. Oh, it sounded like a sweet breeze blowing gently over a bank of violets, taking their s enough. Stop. It doesn ’ t sound as sweet as it did before. Oh, love is so restless! It makes you want everything, but it makes you sick of things a minute later, no matter how good they are. Love is so vivid and fantastical that nothing compares to it.

Act 1 (recap)

As the play opens Orsino, the handsome Duke of Illyria, is love-sick because the beautiful countess Olivia will not return his affections. She is in mourning for her brother and will not show her face (or receive suitors) for seven years. This show of devotion, rather than putting Orsino off, only fuels his love. her.

Around the same time, a young noble woman named Viola is brought ashore in Illyria after surviving a violent shipwreck. The captain of the ship was able to rescue her and bring her alone. She mourns her twin brother, Sebastian, who was lost at sea. Viola gets the captain to assist her in dressing as a boy so that she can get a job with Duke Orsino.

In Olivia's home, Maria, her gentlewoman (or head maid), scolds Sir Toby Belch for his late hours and drinking. He is Olivia's Uncle and has been living off of his wealthy niece for years. Maria warns Sir Toby that Olivia is losing patience with his rowdy ways and with a foolish knight named Sir Andrew Aguecheek that Toby brought to be a suitor for Olivia. Sir Andrew joins the two and proves himself to be a fool while trying to introduce himself to Maria. She leaves, disgusted.

Viola's plan for disguising herself as a man works and, calling herself "Cesario", Viola becomes a trusted member of Orsino's court. Orsino entrusts Cesario (Viola disguised as a man) with the task of proposing to Olivia in his name. This is a very difficult task for Viola because as Cesario she must serve her master, but as Viola she is already in love with Orsino. Still, she goes to do her duty.

Maria enters with Feste, a clown that worked for Olivia's father. Though a fool by trade, he is very wise and sees much of what is going on around him. He has been absent from the court for some time and Maria thinks that Olivia will throw him out of the house. When Feste greets his mistress, she tries to do just that but he makes her laugh and she forgives him. This doesn't please Malvolio, Olivia's Steward (the servant in charge of the household), who does not like Feste. He puts the fool down very harshly. Olivia dismisses Malvolio saying that he is full of "self love".

As Cesario, Viola is rudely received by Olivia's servants, but eventually gets in to see the Countess. Though Olivia listens to the speeches from Orsino, she tells Cesario that she can not love the Duke. She sends him away saying that the Duke should not send anybody else to her…except Cesario. After Cesario leaves, Olivia admits that she has fallen in love with him. She sends Malvolio after him with a ring, claiming that he left it with

ACT ONE: How Are They Related?

In Act 1, Shakespeare introduces the main characters in his comedy and begins to reveal the nature of their relationships. As you read the act, note the pairs of characters who are connected by blood, emotion, duty, or need. Write the names of these characters above the figures. Then, on the lines between them, summarize their apparent relationship. Answer the questions at the bottom of the page.

Character: Apparent Relationship: Character: _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ Character: _______________ _______________ Apparent Relationship: _______________ _______________ _______________ Character: _______________ 1.

2.

On the basis of what you know so far, choose one of the pairs of characters above whose actual relationship is different from their apparent one, and describe the difference between the appearance and the reality of their bond.

Which of these relationships do you predict will change during the play? Choose one relationship, and describe how you think it will change. Give one reason for your prediction.

Olivia falls in love with a man? - (A Lesson in Analysis from Act 1)

• In this exercise/activity, you will examine Olivia's reaction to Cesario and his speech. • In Act 1 of

Twelfth Night

, various themes on love emerge. We will examine these themes and you will support your analysis with references from the text.

• This analysis will also help you understand Olivia's character by interpreting her words in 1.5.309-312 using different subtexts.

Olivia falls in love with a man? - (A Lesson in Analysis from Act 1)

• • Think about the following themes/concepts from Act One: – Attitudes toward love – Duke ’ s feelings for Olivia – Viola ’ s feelings for the Duke – Olivia's feelings [lack of] for the Duke; Olivia ’ s interest in Cesario – Reasons for love Give examples of how these topics are developed in Act 1 using plot instances and/or specific lines in the text. List your findings and corresponding line numbers under each topic. • • • • ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read 1.5.309-312 aloud together. Hand out prepared emotion note-cards to volunteers.

– Each volunteer is read the line aloud as motivated by the emotion on the card.

– The rest of the students will try to identify the feeling as interpreted by the reader. You have just practiced finding the subtext (literally, the "under words" or meaning an actor gives to a line by varying the volume, tone, rate, and pitch of his/her voice). Which readings were substantiated by the events in the play and the earlier analysis of the topics in Act I. Which interpretations worked, and why? Which were believable?

Act 2 (recap)

Act 3 (recap)

ACT THREE: Who is Olivia? Why are all these men in love with her?

One way to learn about Olivia is to listen to what other characters say about her and compare their views with her own words and actions. Use the graphic below to record other character ’ s opinions of Olivia. In each character ’ s oval, copy a passage about Olivia spoken by that character in Act 1, 2, or 3. Then answer the following questions: 1.

2.

In Act 3, scene 1, read lines 159-164. Olivia declares her love: “ Cesario, by the roses of the spring, By maidhood, honor, truth, and everything, I love thee so that, [despite] all thy pride, Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide.

” What do these words and the action they refer to reveal about Olivia ’ s character? Why is it that Olivia rejects these men and falls in love with “ Cesario ” ?

Sir Andrew Aguecheek Olivia Malvolio Duke Orsino

Act 4 (recap)

Act 5 (recap)

ACT FIVE: A Study in Contrasts Viola and Malvolio are foils, characters who set off each other ’ s personalities by virtue of their obvious differences. The contrast brings out the distinctive qualities of each character and often highlights an important way in which they are alike. Complete the diagram below to show the ways in which Viola and Malvolio are opposites and one important way in which they are alike. Then answer the questions that follow.

Viola Both Malvolio 1.

2.

What do you think is more important – the similarities or the differences between the two? Explain your response.

What other pairs of characters in the play could be considered foils? Choose one pair and describe how the two are a study in contrasts.

Discussion Groups

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Themes

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Motifs

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Study Questions

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Quotations

1.

2.

3.

4.

Study Questions

Notice how Shakespeare uses different types of language -- prose, rhymed verse and blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter, " Marlowe 's Mighty Line") -- to differentiate between characters (i.e. serious and comical; nobility and social climbers) or to create other effects (increased solemnity or silliness; poetic effects; song). Be sensitive to the way in which the type of language used adds to the meaning(s) Shakespeare is attempting to convey. Twelfth Night moves from a potentially tragic situation (shipwreck and loss) into the joyous realm of romantic comedy (unions and reunions). The movement from conflict, sterility and death (two women who mourn supposedly dead brothers) to fertility, harmony and life (three couples happily celebrate marriages that may lead to future births) is typical of Shakespeare's comedies and "appropriate" match?

romances (e.g. The Tempest ). What makes the three final couples "well-matched"? How do they differ from the three potential couples that are not ultimately united in marriages? What do these pairings teach about what Shakespeare and his audience viewed as an Twelfth Night dramatizes the seduction scenario we have noted as a common thread in much lyric poetry of the Renaissance and early 17th century . There are six distinct sets of potential or actual couples; three involve Olivia as the female object of desire; one has Olivia as the desiring female subject relationships and characters to unify the play as a whole?

; one has Viola as the desiring female subject; and one links the comic characters Sir Toby Belch and Maria. Know the characters (by name!) in each of these potential or actual couples, and be aware of the ways in which the characters and their real or imagined/potential love stories intersect and interact. Which of the couples are parallel to each other? Which are contrasted? How much do the different lovers (and love relationships) have in common? (e.g. equality or social inequity of the potential partners; motivation for desired union--social climbing? "love at first sight"-style physical desire? true knowledge of another's qualities and character?). How does Shakespeare use these parallel Consider the comical effect of the gender-bending caused by Viola's masquerade as a young man, "Cesario," who is later confused with her own (supposedly dead) twin brother, Sebastian. (Given that women's parts in Shakespeare's time were originally played by young boys, the gender-bending gets even more complex.) How does the gender-bending within the play add to our picture of what the Renaissance and early seventeenth century saw as "appropriate" behavior for women? (For a similar case of gender-bending, compare Rosalind in As You Like It .)

Study Questions cont

’

d.

5. Notice the various uses of the theme of deception within the play (e.g. deceptive appearances, deceptive words/language, and the related theme of own qualities and motives? Which are manipulating appearances in order to deceive others? What are their motivations for doing so? self -deception). Which characters are most clear-sighted about their 6. Note the imagery of hellfire, demons and damnation (particularly prevalent in the second half of the play). Are these to be understood literally or figuratively? How is this imagery connected to the theme of deceptive appearances? Compare/contrast with similar references/themes in other literature (e.g. Dr. Faustus , the Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost .).

7.

8.

9.

Note the satire of Puritanism (personified by Malvolio). What is it about Malvolio that the other characters so dislike? Why does Olivia put up with him? Is his punishment by the trickery of the comical "low lifes" deserved? Why or why not? Is the Malvolio subplot there only for comic relief, or does it convey a more serious message? If so, what?

It is thought that (potential) Feste, Touchstone lovers?) Twelfth Night was first written for the "Carnival"-like festivities of the feast of the Epiphany (the "twelfth night" of Christmas, January 6); these raucous celebrations involved a temporary inversion of the established social order. This "world upside-down" theme is reflected not only in some of the mismatched couples in the play, but in the themes of folly, madness and foolishness. Which characters in the play behave most foolishly? What do you make of the official "Fool," Feste? (Note that a court jester such as in As You Like It , or the Fool in King Lear had the license to speak freely things that no one else would dare say openly). Is "folly" or "foolishness" an unavoidable part of being in love? Why is Malvolio punished so cruelly? (Are his aspirations and behavior any more foolish than those of the other would-be Note the use of music and song in the play. How do the various songs punctuate or comment upon the action? Some of the songs may origianlly have been intended for Viola (who notes in 1.2.52-55 a talent for music that she had intended to use to get into the good graces of Duke Orsino). What is the effect of giving the songs to Feste rather than Viola (or any other of the lovers)? Do they suggest a special connection between Viola and Feste ? In what ways are they alike? How do they differ?

Quotations: Who said it?

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

So full of shapes is fancy That it alone is high fantastical.

The element itself, till seven years' heat, Shall not behold her face at ample view; What country, friends, is this?

Be you his eunuch, and your mute I'll be: When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see.

By my troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earlier o' nights: Confine! I'll confine myself no finer than I am: these clothes are good enough to drink in; Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife.

Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage; The lady bade take away the fool; therefore, I say again, take her away.

I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal: Make me a willow cabin at your gate, And call upon my soul within the house; Unless the master were the man. How now!

Even so quickly may one catch the plague?

Quotations: Who said it?

cont

’

d.

I left no ring with her: what means this lady?

Fortune forbid my outside have not charm'd her!

O time! thou must untangle this, not I; It is too hard a knot for me to untie!

Come hither, boy: if ever thou shalt love, In the sweet pangs of it remember me; It gives a very echo to the seat Where Love is throned.

There is no woman's sides Can bide the beating of so strong a passion As love doth give my heart; I am all the daughters of my father's house, And all the brothers too: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em.

This is the air; that is the glorious sun; This pearl she gave me, I do feel't and see't; Do I stand there? I never had a brother; You shall from this time be Your master's mistress.

And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.