Twelfth Night; or, What You Will Lecturer: Audrey Tinkham

Twelfth Night Performed on February 2, 1602 at the Middle Temple (written possibly as early as 1599); usually dated 1600 or 1601.

Twelfth Night of Christmas The Twelfth Night of Christmas is January 6, the Feast of Epiphany (Christian Feast of the Magi). In Renaissance times, Twelfth Night was the last day of Christmas revels. The purpose of allowing social roles to be turned upside down was to "channel potentially destructive insubordination into playacting and thereby promote harmony" (Bevington 326).

Themes Saturnalian release and the carnival pursuit of love and mirth Friendship and marriage Social mobility “Will” or Desire Illusion vs. “reality” Twin characters & twin issues

Main Plot Count Orsino & Olivia Viola/Cesario & Count Orsino Antonio & Sebastian (III.iii) Olivia & Sebastian

Sub-Plot Maria & Sir Toby Sir Andrew & Olivia Malvolio Festes

Carnivale: Inversions of Order Viola posing as a young man: I.iv.24-34 I.v.259-72 -- Why does Olivia fall in love with Cesario instead of Orsino? III.iv.296-303 Malvolio “courting” Olivia & his gender reversal: II.v.34 II.v.85-93, 157-75

Carnivale: Inversions of Order Feste’s role as the wise man: I.v.31-69 III.i.1-36 V.i.9-21 Sir Toby & Sir Andrew reveling in/to excess: II.iii.1-14 Maria “posing” as Olivia: II.iii.154-75

Carnivale: Inversions of Order Olivia courting and “marrying” Cesario: V.i.144-8 Maria marrying Sir Toby

“What You Will” What kind of man is Orsino? II.iv.73-8 Viola and Orsino on love & gender: II.iv.29-41 II.iv.89-118 What kind of man is Malvolio? II.iii.113-15 II.iii.139-52 V.i.378

Questions for Conjecture Why is it okay for Viola to marry a nobleman, but it’s not okay for Malvolio to marry a noblewoman? (Consider the names, “Viola” and “Malvolio.”) Viola withholds her identity until she can “give birth” to herself at the most opportune moment: I.ii.41-4, 53-5. What does this tell us about her as a key figure in the play? What does the play’s sub-title refer to? Have Malvolio and Olivia been sexually intimate? II.v.87-96

Twins? Viola and Sebastian Cesario and Malvolio Viola and Maria Malvolio and Orsino

Shakespeare in Performance To think about: Characterization: E.g., how should Viola be played? Malvolio? Maria? Staging: focus especially on the scenes between Orsino & Cesario and on the ending.

Sources Bevington, David, ed. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. 4th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1992. Bristol, Michael D. “The Festival Agon: The Politics of Carnival.” Twelfth Night. Ed. R. S. White. New York: St. Martin’s P, 1996. Callaghan, Dympna. “‘And all is semblative a woman’s part’: Body Politics and Twelfth Night. Ed. R. S. White. New York: St. Martin’s P, 1996. Malcolmson, Cristina. “‘What You Will’: Social Mobility and Gender in Twelfth Night.” Ed. R. S. White. New York: St. Martin’s P, 1996.