Malvolio Makes a ‘Contemplative Idiot’ Out of Himself in The Box Tree Scene
Malvolio Makes a 'Contemplative Idiot' Out of Himself in The Box Tree Scene Twelfth Night introduces a wide variety of humour portrayed in a number of ways appealing to audiences from Shakespearean times through to contemporary audiences of today. Many of the devices used by Shakespeare are still used in modern comedy programmes, for example drunkenness, used often on television, in 'Men Behaving Badly' and 'Bottom'. Shakespeare is also seen as a starting point for many other genres and structures of comedy, for instance the classic comedy double act. The 'straight', serious partner, and a 'clown', usually undermining the straight man, who feeds the jokes. Morecambe and Wise, and Laurel and Hardy used this pattern. There is also often a lone figure, who entertains the audience in a different way. This role appears in comedy today, such as Jasper Carrot and Mr. Bean, who are often laughed at, but the viewers also find themselves sympathising and pitying the character. Mr. Bean is a solitary figure, and in many episodes is often seen sending himself birthday cards and Christmas presents. This is parallel to the part of Malvolio in Twelfth Night. The practical joke played on him in the 'Box Tree Scene' can be considered unnecessarily cruel and a meaner trick than he may really deserve, making the audience pity him, although they may also laugh at him. It seems simple fun in
What is Orsino's attitude towards women and how does this change during the course of the play?
Twelfth Night essay Question What is Orsino's attitude towards women and how does this change during the course of the play? Plan Intro- Love in Elizabethan times, 'cortley and romantic' love, Shakespeare's view of love and women. Paragraph 1- Types of love in relation to characters. Paragraph 2-Beginning of play, Orsino's attitude towards love -language, hyperbole and soliloquy. Paragraph 3- Orsino's opinion of himself, fulfilling Olivia, being THE perfect lover. Paragraph 4- Orsino's attitude and behaviour towards women- inferior, less able to love, chauvinist. Paragraph 5- Viola/Cesario's love for Orsino - wooing Olivia, disguise. Paragraph 6- Mistaken identity. Conclusion - topic sentence from question. Answer it fully. In Elizabethan England people who were of nobility or rich families often had their marriages arranged. Personal choice was not seen as a matter of importance. The main reasons for arranged marriages were to extend or maintain wealth, land and power. There were two main types of love, which were often written about and performed in plays. 'Cortley love' was when women were idealised and were worshipped from afar. Men thought that these women were unattainable. It was believed that a man could only win his ideal woman by long devotion and many trials and suffering. These men were not usually in love with the women but were in love with the idea
Discuss the use of disguise and deception in Twelfth Night and its contribution to the play.
Discuss the use of disguise and deception in Twelfth Night and its contribution to the play. Deception and disguise are two key themes in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. They appear in many different ways throughout the duration of the plot. Some disguises are deceptive and some deceptions are disguised. This essay will explore disguise and deception in the characters and situations in 'Twelfth Night' and discuss their symbolism in relation to the play as a whole. One of the most overt examples of disguise is through the character of Viola. Stranded in Illyria after a shipwreck, she dresses as a male in order to work as a Eunuch for the Duke Orsino 'Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him' (Line 58, Act one, scene two). Through her disguise, Viola manages to deceive Lady Olivia, who falls deeply in love with 'Cesario' 'Cesario...I love thee so that maugre all thy pride' (Act three, scene one). Olivia tries to disguise her feelings but the repressed passion is revealed 'I wish you were as I would have you be' (Act three, scene one). Having given herself to mourning, there is a sense of desperation here. Viola finds it very difficult to disguise her love for Orsino 'never told her love, but let concealment, like a worm i'the bud, feed on her damask' (Act two, scene four). Shakespeare challenges gender roles and the conventions of romance in his use of disguise. Seeing
Shakespeare’s comedy “Twelfth Night” conveys an undertone of sadness. Explain how the parts of Viola, Feste and Orsino should be played in Act 2, Sc 4, to show both the humorous and depressing sides of Viola’s plight.
Shakespeare's comedy "Twelfth Night" conveys an undertone of sadness. Explain how the parts of Viola, Feste and Orsino should be played in Act 2, Sc 4, to show both the humorous and depressing sides of Viola's plight. The beginning of this scene is set with Orsino in his house, looking very grand yet depressed, with his servants Curio and Cesario. Orsino asks his servant Curio to bring Feste, Olivia's clown to him. Curio exits. Orsino carries on with his general chatter about Olivia to Cesario. He goes on to ask if Cesario is in love. Cesario replies by describing Orsino but in a lady's form. Curio and Feste enter. Orsino orders Feste to sing the song he had sung the night before because it had made him happy. Feste then sings the song, which was about love. As soon as Feste has finished, Orsino decides that he has had enough of him and tries to get rid of him by paying him. After a short conversation, Feste takes the money and exits. Cesario tries to find out if Orsino could ever love anyone else apart from Olivia. Orsino replies by saying that no one could have such a great love for anyone as he has for Olivia. Cesario tells Orsino about his "sister" who died of not telling the man she loved what she felt for him. On this note, Orsino tells Cesario to go to Olivia and give her a jewel as a token of his great love for her. Cesario exits. Twelfth Night is funny to a
Make notes on the characters of Viola and Sebastian. What is their importance as characters within the play? In "Twelfth Night", Viola's character comes across stronger than Sebastian's
Assignment G Make notes on the characters of Viola and Sebastian. What is their importance as characters within the play? In "Twelfth Night", Viola's character comes across stronger than Sebastian's. This is 1probably because we only get to know Sebastian towards the finale of the play where all the confusion is going on, whereas we have been following Viola's story throughout the play. Viola comes across as a very tough character. For instance when Viola is saved from the sea by the sailor and thinks her that her brother is dead and she is half drowned herself, she doesn't sit around and cry like other women in plays. Viola makes a plan and decides to just carry on with her own life. Viola is also a caring person because when Olivia falls in love with her instead of just not going to see her she tries to let her down gently. After Olivia giving Viola a long speech about how much she loves her and how she loves her instead of telling her to stop being stupid or to get lost, after letting Olivia down gently Viola says "Grace and good disposition attend your ladyship! You'll nothing madam, to my lord by me?" (Act 3 Scene 1 Lines 120/121) Which not only shows that she doesn't want to hurt Olivia's feelings but also shows her selflessness, that she is still thinking of Orsino even after being told that Olivia is in love with her. Viola's selflessness also come across at the
Discuss the theme of appearance and reality in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'.
Runi Rifaat Twelfth Night Coursework Discuss the theme of appearance and reality in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. To start of this piece of coursework you need some background information on the 'Twelfth Night'. The twelfth night is the evening of January the 5th, Before the twelfth day which is the day of the Epiphany, on January the 6th, 12 days after Christmas and traditionally marking the end of the Christmas season. The twelfth night in normally celebrated with various festivities. The twelfth night is all about celebration, masquerade, mischief, usurpation, chaos, disorder and festivities. The play was written by Shakespeare and first acted out in 1602. It was first performed in the middle temple. The music that was used in the play was the same as part of the after dinner music provided at the consort. An Elizabethan audience would expect all the actors to be male, with no female actors. Actors such as Olivia and Maria would've also been male. They would appeal to the audience and make the audience interested in the play by using things such as words with hidden meanings, such as world play with Feste. An Elizabethan audience would expect the plays to depict life as it was at that time. We wood be looking at how four characters: Viola who was a twin with Sebastian, who were separated from each other in a shipwreck, and she
How and why does Shakespeare create the comic world of the sub-plot characters?
How and why does Shakespeare create the comic world of the sub-plot characters? Shakespeare creates the comic sub-plot for a number of reasons. In the play 'Twelfth Night' there are a series of situations, some comic, some not. It is the job of the sub-plot to keep the audience interested in the play, to keep the story moving, and to fully develop the presence of the Twelfth Night madness. Though comedic most of the time the main plot of Orsino longing for Olivia and enjoying being lovesick, Olivia mourning for her bother and chasing Cesario (Viola), and Viola truly loving Orsino, can be rather monotonous. The sub-plot adds depth, interest, as well as the introduction of new characters. There are a range of sub-plot characters that often parallel with those in the main plot but due to their different ranks in society their behaviour is very different. The sub-plot plays a very important part in making 'Twelfth Night' complete. When a play was written as a comedy in Shakespeare's time it simply meant that the ending would involve marriages and the play would end happily in general. The sub-plot helps because at times the main plot is somewhat sad, and to keep spirits up throughout the entire play the sub plot intertwines with a number of methods to keep the audience amused. In 'Twelfth Night' comedy comes out in many more ways than a happy ending. Comedy comes
Twelfth Night - We may laugh at Malvolio but to what extent does he deserve our sympathy?
TWELFTH NIGHT: We may laugh at Malvolio but to what extent does he deserve our sympathy? Malvolio makes a first impression worthy of his name, which lends itself to the adjectives malevolent and malicious. In our first encounter with him (Act I scene 5) he projects a persona not dissimilar to what we might expect given the name Malvolio. He is both spiteful and sarcastic as well as haughty and condescending. This is confirmed from his very first line " I delight your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal." This not only insults Feste but also is very disdainful of Olivia who is his mistress. Moreover through turning up his nose at Feste's jokes the audience could well perceive Malvolio as ill humoured and sombre, not someone we relate too or sympathise with. In all his initial scenes his portrayal is very much as someone "sick of self love". He carries out a task requested of him by Olivia with distinct bad grace. He appears to consider it beneath him, that he would be "stooping" through the performance of this errand. He gives this impression of ungraciousness not only to the audience but also to other characters in the play Cesario/ Viola picks up on his rude manner referring to him as a "churlish messenger." In fact he quite frequently displays this conceited attitude to others in the play, as it is what drives Sir Toby and Maria along with Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Twelfth Night and Viola.
Twelfth Night and Viola This essay is about the character of Viola, her situation in Illyria, her importance in 'Twelfth Night', Shakespeare's use of language, the themes of love, loyalty and revenge in 'Twelfth Night', and about the play as a whole. Shakespeare and his language There is a Chinese saying; 'There is nothing new under the sun'. This is certainly true with Shakespeare's play 'Twelfth Night', as it is merely a plagiarism of another play. Perhaps the only part of the play that Shakespeare can take credit for is the Sir Toby, Maria and Malvolio sub-plot, although it has not been proven that he actually wrote this himself, he may also have plagiarised this from a less well known play. There has been speculation that he may not have written any plays, and that he either plagiarised them all or had a 'ghost writer'. However, the themes within the play are as relevant today as they were during his era. A general rule in Shakespeare's plays is that high status characters speak verse, and low-status characters speak prose. However, this rule is often broken in 'Twelfth Night' as Viola frequently switches between verse and prose. Therefore, a more accurate rule for 'Twelfth Night' is that prose is the style for comic scenes and characters, and verse is the style for lovers and 'serious' moments. Although, it is widely known that Shakespeare never stuck rigidly to any
Explore the ways Shakespeare presents the character of Viola in Act One Scenes Two and Four.
Explore the ways Shakespeare presents the character of Viola in Act One Scenes Two and Four. Examine in particular what use Shakespeare makes of the idea of cross-dressing and suggest staging ideas that would make it interesting to the audience. Viola makes her entrance into the play in Scene 2, when she emerges out of the sea after a ship wreck. She is distraught the first time we meet her, as she has just lost her twin brother in the ship wreck. The fact that she is so distraught needs to be emphasised in the staging of the play; I think a girly, vulnerable yelp, as well as almost hysterical tears would be appropriate. This is the only time in the play where Viola is openly female and vulnerable and therefore I feel that this needs to be emphasised to the audience. One of the most interesting questions I had about Viola was why she did not go home after the ship wreck. It cannot be that she did not have enough money, as we know she does, 'For saying so there's gold.' It also could not be that home is too far away, as Orsino had been mentioned by her father, 'I have heard my father name him.' I think that the reason Viola does not go home is because there is nothing left for her there, as we know her father has died, 'My father had a mole upon his brow.' We can tell this from the use of the past tense. Her mother is also not mentioned at all in the play, apart from in a