Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeares comedy plays. Shakespeare demonstrates many comedic situations that the characters are placed in. He has the characters disrupt their usual routine.

Christin Escaross Mr. Kramer English 3, period 9 2 November 2010 The Twelfth Night Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's comedy plays. Shakespeare demonstrates many comedic situations that the characters are placed in. He has the characters disrupt their usual routine. For example, Orsino is in love with Olivia, who does not want a relationship due to her brothers death. Viola, disguised herself as her brother Sebastian but named herself Cesario. Viola/Cesario, Orsino and Olivia are wrapped up into a love triangle. Orsino is referring to Olivia as he says "O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou, that, notwithstanding thy capacity receiveth as sea naught enters there, of what validity and pitch soe'er, but falls into abatement and low price even in a minute" (act 1, scene 1, lines 9-14). This quote displays his love towards Olivia and how he cannot eat or do anything as he is so in love with her. Orsino knows that Olivia is not looking for any arrangements with him to be made as her brother just passed away. Viola and her brother Sebastian were on a ship when a huge storm came in and destroyed the ship. Viola found herself onto the shore of Illyrian where she thought she lost her brother. She decided she was going to disguise herself as her brother and find a job to get money. She then disguises herself and changed her name to Cesario and goes to seek work for

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Conceal what I am" - Explore the theme of disguise and deception in "Twelfth Night".

Deren Huseyin Twelfth Night Coursework Assignment 5. "Conceal what I am" Explore the theme of disguise and deception in "Twelfth Night" William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' is based around disguise in the form of deception. In 'Twelfth Night', disguise takes many different shapes from physical to mental disguise. One of the major themes of 'Twelfth Night' is also misperception and deception. Yet, paradoxically along the way there are many problems, deceptions and illusions, providing a comment on human behaviour and creating comedy. In 'Twelfth Night', Shakespeare explores and illustrates the theme of deception and disguise with precise detail. In 'Twelfth Night', it is evident that the fluctuation in attitude to the dual role and situation and tribulations imposed upon the character of Viola ends up in a better understanding of both sexes, and thus, allows Viola to have a better understanding for Orsino. "Stand you awhile aloof. Cesario, Thou know'st no less but all; I have unclasp'd To thee the book even of my secret soul." Here it is apparent that after very little time Viola has won the trust of Orsino through her disguise and he seems to have decided that he can divulge more in Viola than in anyone else. She decides to take on this identity because she has more liberty in society in her Cesario mask, which is obvious when

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Twelth Night, or what you will - Olivia, The countess of the countess's household - Viola, A visitor of the Island Illyria, which will later be called Cesario - Malvolio, The countess's steward.

* Characters; I have a recommended choice from either, . Olivia, The countess of the countess's household. 2. Viola, A visitor of the Island Illyria, which will later be called Cesario. 3. Malvolio, The countess's steward. I am going to choose Viola. Because I believe that there is more information to write up on this character because of two sides's to write about one person. (So therefore, more to write about and less research!) How would you present your character in a film/theatre production? I would present my Twelfth Night play as a film, due to sound, lighting, and computer effects, and also because you can change the scenery in a matter of second's in a film where as you can only use 1 set in a theatre. Example; In act1 scene2 where the play mentions that the "Captain" and "Viola" are on the sea coast of Illyria with pieces of shipwreck all over the beach. After having a good old chat about where they are, it cuts short to act1 scene3 in Orsinos palace. In a theatre that would be hard to do (maybe impossible!) But in a film it would be easy. The only reason that I would go for a theatre approach is if I wanted it to be traditional. (Which I don't!) I would also base the costumes in Elizabethan times, because then the dialect would go with the clothing. My play would be based on a Mediterranean Island that all the people that live on the island talk a hint of

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Twelfth Night.

Second Assignment: Twelfth Night Question 1 The use of genre in any literary work assist the responder in understanding the text, as prior knowledge and past experience are used by composers to construct certain expectations due to characteristics that are recognised. Shakespeare, in his play 'Twelfth Night' uses the Romantic comedy genre and it's conventions of strong themes of love and a series of obstacles and misunderstandings concluded with a harmonious union of the lovers to explore gender issues, particularly those of women in society. This is explored through the two main female characters: Viola and Olivia. Viola, who spends the majority of the play masquerading as a man, and Olivia, a seemingly independent noblewoman, are used by Shakespeare to explore the topic of female independence in society in comparison to that of men. The romantic comedy as a genre is ideal for discussing issues of gender, as the conventions common to it promote interaction between characters of both sexes. In addition to these common conventions of love as a major theme, a series of obstacles and a union of the lovers at the end, the romantic comedy also may make use of devices such as mistaken identity, separated twins and gender-crossing disguise, all of which Shakespeare took advantage of in order to explore the position of the female in society. (Playing The Wo/Man's Part

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Discuss how Shakespeare presents the theme of Disguise in

Ysmael Cruz In act 3 scene 1, Viola says "I am not what I am" Discuss how Shakespeare presents the theme of Disguise in "Twelfth Night" One question that must be looked at when observing this play is 'Disguise'. The theme is one of the most important aspects of any story, as it can ultimately put the storyline into perspective for the reader. Simply the appearance of the play and this gives us a closer look at William Shakespeare's intent within this play we call "Twelfth Night" The title Twelfth Night" indirectly relates to the play and supports the theme of disguise. William Shakespeare was very versatile when writing a performance simply because of the levels of writing he had created. Reading through the play and then reviewing it is very much differently than focusing on what all the words and acting are saying. The play makes one think about in what term is there a real meaning behind the whole thing. It is said that the philosophy on human nature is that we ought to be ourselves and not copy. This tends to make everything straightforward and somewhat real, as it causes less confusion between the sexes. Characters and language in this play can support this. In Act 1 Scene 1 Orsino says "If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it" It seems that Orsino in the play has "fallen in love" with Olivia .Yet we as the audience understand that he

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  • Level: AS and A Level
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Analysis of the Fools.

Analysis of the Fools According to Dictionary.com a fool is "one who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding", "a member of a royal or noble household who provided entertainment, as with jokes or antics; a jester", "one who has little or no reason or intellect" or "one who is made to appear to be a fool". In William Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night, Feste the clown is not the only imbecile who is subject to foolery. He as well as many other characters combines their inane acts and wits to invade other characters that evade reality in order to realize a dream. The Fool is a prominent and attractive figure who makes an important contribution to the action in Twelfth Night confusion and the humour in this Elizabethan drama. Without the humour and wit of the fool characters, this comedy would not work. Feste's role in this Illyrian comedy is significant because in Illyria the fool is not only a critic of his environment but a merry companion. In Twelfth Night, Feste plays the role of a humble clown employed by Olivia's father playing the licensed fool of Olivia's father's household. The audience learns this from Olivia's assertion that Feste is an allowed Fool meaning he is a fool who has been given permission to always speak freely. The audience also learns in an avowal by Curio to the Duke that Olivia's father employs Feste. Curio says that Feste is a Fool who

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Discuss the dramatic significance of Feste in TwelfthNight.

Discuss the dramatic significance of Feste in Twelfth Night "Feste is an observer. He sees through people. Though he's a kind of entertainer, who will only perform for money, what he chooses to sing to people is intentionally relevant. People find the truth very hard to deal with: '...Peace, you rogue...here comes my lady'. This story shows people avoiding the truth at every level; Feste's insight" Ben Kingsley on Feste: Twelfth Night by Trevor Nunn Fool. Clown. Words incessantly linked to someone who isn't taken seriously. This is the case with Feste. For example, 'fool' in King Lear was constantly being threatened with hangings and beatings, but this was only as he was a 'witty fool'. Again, with Feste in Twelfth Night, who also is threatened with hangings, due to his absence. Feste doesn't fear this threat, and in fact makes a joke of it; mocking Maria and using a sexual pun at the same time, e.g. 'many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage' This confidence comes from the fact that it wasn't their job to simply provide amusement, but to also make critical comments and provide advice, as Olivia asks him: 'What's a drunken man like, fool?' and since he is an 'allowed fool' he was able to say what he thinks, without fear of punishment: 'there's no slander in an allowed fool'. Feste and Olivia have the most personal relationship, as Feste knew her father.

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How does Malvolio connect to disguise and deceit in Act 2 Scene 5?

0th October 2012 English Assessment- Twelfth night How does Malvolio connect to disguise and deceit in Act 2 Scene 5? In Act II Scene VI, we are exposed to seeing Malvolio in a different light. Firstly, we see he deceives himself, ultimately playing the role of the person he thinks he is capable of becoming. Then we see that Maria and her cohort are deceiving Malvolio, by playing a prank on him just so they can make a fool out of him for always being so bitter and serious; and lastly we see how they encourage this foolish act and what consequences it brings. To begin with, we can identify that the name ‘Malvolio’ consists of two elements “Mal” and “Volio” which are Italian words, with the meaning “ill will” suggesting his disregard of others’ pleasures. I believe that Shakespeare particularly gave this character this name, as it allows us to have a greater insight of the kind of character Malvolio is from the beginning of the play. At the beginning of Act II Scene VI we are see an intimate conversation between Sir Toby and Fabian, coming together to watch Malvolio and Maria’s prank. Sir Toby asks “Wouldst thou not be glad to have the niggardly, rascally sheep-bitter come by some notable shame? Essentially pointing out that they are pulling a prank on Malvolio and asking him if he is glad he is going to see this ‘rascal dog’ humiliated. From the

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Fools and folly are widely used in comedy to create humour To what extent does this apply to Twelfth Night?

Lewis Keen “Fools and folly are widely used in comedy to create humour” To what extent does this apply to Twelfth Night? In this essay I will be exploring Twelfth Night and focusing on the extent at which folly is used to create humour. The word folly means "a silly person" or “one who uses folly for the entertainment of others” etc. In William Shakespeare’s comedy, Feste -licensed fool- the clown is not the only fool who is subject to foolery; others include Sir Andrew Aguecheek (natural fool), Malvolio who is exposed to be the natural fool and Sir Toby who is deemed to be the Lord of Misrule. Overall, fools and folly are widely used in Twelfth Night and form the basic plot. In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Feste’s role in this Illyrian comedy is significant. Feste plays the role of a humble clown and is employed by Olivia’s father thus playing the role of the licensed fool of their household. Olivia states that Feste is “an allowed fool” meaning he is licensed to speak the truth of people around him in order to entertain others. This is also seen when Curio states to the duke that “Feste the jester…a fool that the Lady Olivia’s father took much pleasure in”. Even though Feste is employed to be foolish, when compared to the other characters he is deemed to be the wisest, wittiest and the most philosophical of all the characters. Viola echoes

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For all the resolutions between some characters, the ending of the play leaves too many characters unhappy and alone. How far do you think Twelfth Night succeeds as a comedy in the light of this statement?

For all the resolutions between some characters, the ending of the play leaves too many characters unhappy and alone. How far do you think Twelfth Night succeeds as a comedy in the light of this statement? When one considers the convention of the Elizabethan romantic comedy, a light-hearted tale of love in which obstacles are overcome- often to resolve with a marriage, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night certainly challenges the convention. Although the resolution of the joining of three couples: Orsino and Viola; Olivia and Sebastian and Sir Toby and Maria satisfies the criteria for a romantic comedy in some way, the bizarre nature in which some of these relationships come about makes the audience question the likelihood of their successes. In addition, Shakespeare leaves an open dénouement in that the amorous outcomes some characters (Malvolio, Antonio and Sir Andrew) are negative- being left alone or unresolved. The melodramatic manner in which Orsino muses over Olivia at the very start of Act 1 seems to suggest that the unrequitedness of love is more for comedic value rather than a valid representation of true love and thus cannot be taken seriously. Orsino’s hyperbolic soliloquy of his love, “give me excess of it, so that it may sicken and so die” and later the pun of “was I turned into a hart, and my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, e'er since pursue me”

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