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 deus ex machina in classical comedy, where a God appears to resolve the conflict) or may merely involve improbable turns of events.

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 Twelfth Night, or, What You Will – i.e. “Call it anything you choose.”

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 “Cesario,” and becomes a page to Duke Orsino. She ends 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 central conflict to the play.

woman

wrecked

man

falling in love

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.

romantic

Illyria

woman

idea being in love

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 __________ and will not __________ for _____ years. She and Orsino are similar characters in that each seems to enjoy wallowing in his or her own __________. Viola’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.

witty/intelligent

disgusted

mourning brother

died marry 7

misery

love interest

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 ____________.

twin brother

know him

marry him

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 _________________.

self-righteous

singing joking

trick

is in love with him

social standing

6. Feste

The _________ or __________ of Olivia’s household; he moves between Olivia’s and Orsino’s homes. He ________________ by making pointed jokes, singing old songs, being generally witty, and offering ___________ cloaked under a layer of __________. In spite of being a professional __________, he often seems the wisest character in the play.

clown fool

makes his money

good advice

sarcasm

fool

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’s __________ serving-woman Maria. Together they bring about the __________ of the controlling, self-righteous Malvolio.

uncle Sir Toby

approve dancing/singing

mate

witty

demise/downfall

8. Maria

Olivia’s __________, __________, young serving-woman. She is remarkably similar to her antagonist, Malvolio, who harbors aspirations of _______________ through __________. She succeeds where Malvolio fails.

loyal witty

rising in social class

marriage

9. Sir Andrew Aguecheek

A __________ of Sir Toby’s. He attempts to __________ Olivia but he doesn’t _______________. He thinks he is witty, __________, __________, and good at languages and __________, but he is actually an __________.

“friend”

court

stand a chance

strong smart

dancing

idiot

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.

shipwreck

money

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’s male disguise, Cesario. This __________ is complicated by the fact that neither Orsino nor Olivia knows that Cesario is really a __________ (Viola).

_____________: The mounting __________, ___________________, and _______________, leading up to Act V.

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

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

__________________: Everyone goes off to celebrate.

Problem

love triangle

woman

Rising Action confusion

mistaken identities professions of love

Climax Sebastian Viola reunited

Falling Action prepares to marry

vows revenge

Denouement/Resolution

Themes

__________ as a cause of _________

The uncertainty of gender

The _____ of __________

Love suffering

folly ambition