Twelfth Night:4A class study guide

How to approach reading 1. Recognize the genre of the play A. Shakespeare’s comedies always have subplots and characters to mirror the main plot B. Comedies are rife with puns, double entendres and other jokes C. Pay attention to who speaks in iamic pentameter and who speaks in prose

2. Keep a list of characters and their relationship to one another on hand 3. Read passage several times; read the notes on words, too. 4. Come to a general understanding of the story and then go back and look for puns and other plays on words. 5. Read from punctuation mark to punctuation mark.

Performance Performed at the Middle Temple: 1602 As a transvestite comedy Composed between 1599 and 1601

History and Subject Satirical – Puritans Day of Revelry Twelfth Night after Christmas “Twelfth Night, or What You Will” http://www.litcharts.com/lit/twelfthnight/backgroundinfo, http://www.shakespeare-online.com/faq/twnfaq.html, http://www.studyworld.com/studyworld_studynotes/jnotes/TwelfthNight/HistoricalContext.html

Themes Love can be a cause of suffering. Love is foolish at times. Love vexes and represents pitfalls. Love ultimately triumphs. Appearances and first impressions can be deceiving. True love sees the soul. Gender does not play a role in love. http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/twelfthnight/themes.html http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xTwelfth.html

motifs Madness Disguises Mistaken Identity People are accused of being mad Disguises People wear disguises Mistaken Identity People get mistaken for other people

Tone Erratic and unstable It changes all the time http://www.shmoop.com/twelfth-night/tone.html

Symbols Olivia’s gifts = token of Olivia’s love The Darkness of Malvolio’s prison = symbol of insanity Changes of clothing = changes in gender http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/twelfthnight/themes.html

Pun- humorous use of a word or phrase, emphasizes different meanings; play on words (The new weed whacker is cutting-hedge technology) Aside- words spoken so other actors cannot hear them (speaking to the audience) Soliloquy- the act of talking while alone, summarizes one’s situation (thinking aloud) Monologue- a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker, especially one dominating or monopolizing a conversation Overstatement- Exaggeration (His eloquence could split rocks) Masculine Rhyme- in verse, a monosyllabic rhyme or a rhyme that occurs only in stressed final syllables (such as claims, flames or rare, despair). Feminine Rhyme- a rhyme either of two syllables of which the second is unstressed (double rhyme), as in motion, notion, or of three syllables of which the second and third are unstressed (triple rhyme), as in fortunate, importunate.

Iambic Pentameter- a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable Prose- the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse. Paradox- seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition (You can save money by spending it) Assonance- the repetition of 2+ vowel sounds close together ("Do you like blue?“) Consonance- the repetition of 2+ consonant sounds close together ("pitter patter“) Alliteration- consecutive stressed syllables with the same consonant sound ("few flocked to the fight“)

Twins, Viola and Sebastian, are separated in a shipwreck and they both believe the other to be dead. Viola disguises herself as a man named Cesario and goes to work for a Nobel man named Orsino. Viola, dressed as Cesario, falls in love with Orsino; however, Orsino is in love with Olivia, who loves Cesario. Also, Sir Andrew is in love with Olivia but she does not love him back. Sir Andrew challenges Cesario to a duel out of jealousy because Olivia loves Cesario. Meanwhile, Sebastian arrives in Illyria with Antonio and go to Orsino’s house. Because Sebastian looks like Cesario, Sir Andrew mistakenly duels him instead.

Olivia meets Sebastian and, thinking that he is Cesario, she asks him to marry her. Sebastian is confused, but accepts the proposal because she is beautiful and rich. Eventually, Viola discovers that her brother is alive. Amidst the confusion, the twins are reunited and Orsino finds out that Cesario is actually Viola. Sebastian and Olivia get married, and Orsino falls in love with Viola. Everyone lives happily ever after, except Malvolio because he’s in love with Olivia. The end.

Viola- Royal Woman/Antaginast Viola- Royal Woman/Antaginast. Her ship is wrecked on the shore of Illyria and pretends to be a young man (Cesario). She falls in love with Orsino, but Olivia loves “Cesario”. Olivia- Wealthy, noble, Illyrian chick. Courted by Orsino and Sir Andrew. They both will not marry her for 7 years because she is morning her brother. She is depressing, until she meets “Cesario”. Maria- Lady-in-waiting of Olivia and she wishes to rise in the world through marriage. Sir Toby- He torments Malvolio and is the Comic Relief. No respect of place, person or time. Sir Andrew Aguecheek- Friend of Sir Toby and courts Olivia, but he has no chance. He thinks he is witty, brave, young, good at languages and dancing, but he is acually an idiot. Doesn’t that suck? Malvolio- Head servant in Lady Olivia house. Likes to be effienct and hates drinking, singing, and fun. He is a snob. He day dreams about Olivia.

Fool(Feste)- the clown of Olivia’s house Fool(Feste)- the clown of Olivia’s house. He switches between Olivia and Orsino’s house in the play. His living is gained by doing everything Malvolio hates. Orsino- A Nobleman in Illybria and LOVES Olivia. He ends up being FOND of his page boy “Cesario”. He is the reason the play suggests love is obsurd and his attraction to “Cesario” injects sexual ambiguity. Valentine- Atendent to Orsino and trys to WOO Olivia. Curio- Attendent to Orisino… and nothing else. Sebastian- Viola’s lost twin, who is also the man Olivia wants to marry. Antonio- Resuces Sebastian from his ship wreck and gives him a lot of money, because he is hot from him. But nothing ever happens.