What are the contrasted attitudes to love in Twelfth Night and how are they linked to social class and social climbing?
Hassan Daoud Y10A 8/3/2004 English Coursework What are the contrasted attitudes to love in Twelfth Night and how are they linked to social class and social climbing? In the play, Twelfth Night, Shakespeare shows two main attitudes to love. The courtly, fairy tale love among people of high social class, for example Duke Orsino's attitude to love, and there is the 'earthy', realistic and physical love among the middle and lower class, like the love between Sir Toby and Maria. Shakespeare parallels the idealized love with earthy love, and between these are expressed the attitudes to love of Olivia, Viola and Feste. Duke Orsino's opening speech to the play is all four legs that make the 'throne' of courtly love. This paragraph explains the whole of Orsino's personality; very romantic, madly in love, but the ironic thing is that he does not mention who he loves, not even the sex or creation of the person he loves. This only proves that Orsino is in love with love itself. We can also tell that Orsino's love is unhealthy, but in Orsino's favour, he is trying to end his love. This is pointed out from the first line of his speech, 'If music be the food of love, play on' line 1, 1:1. Actually this line seems very romantic and that he truly loves a beautiful goddess by describing music as being the 'food' that his
Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night Subject: Describe all the problems encountered by Viola through being disguised. How does Shakespeare create dramatic fun and games through disguise? Jun Minohara Goode 'Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness', Viola breathes futile sighs, without knowing what to do. It is an irony: To solve a problem, she disguised as a eunuch = a man, yet she found herself in a middle of problems. When she drifts to a foreign land, Illyria, after meeting shipwreck, she decides to disguise herself as a man. Being a man, she thinks she can avoid most of problems. Conceal me what I am, and be my aid For such disguise as haply shall become The form of my intent. (Act one Scene 2 line 52) However, hiding her identity, the gender creates a sequence of problems. The problems have become tangled each other, weaving an elaborate story. The story is full of contradictions, duplicated hidden meanings, ironies and paradoxes, which make rich layers of the story of the Twelfth Nights. The main problem for Viola through being disguised is a love triangle, from which a sequence of problems is derived. Olivia, falls in love with Viola-Cesario, without knowing she is a woman. Viola-Cesario secretly adores Orsino, Duke of Illyria. Orsino is obsessed with Olivia. However, we don't know if Orsino really loves Olivia or if he just exaggerates his love, because we don't see them
I agree to a certain extent that twelfth night is a feminist play. What exactly is feminism? It simply means subversion of traditional ideas of gender. This means that men are supposed to be active, rational, wise, perceptive, loyal and trustworthy. On...
Question: "Twelfth Night is a feminist play." Discuss. Answer: I agree to a certain extent that twelfth night is a feminist play. What exactly is feminism? It simply means subversion of traditional ideas of gender. This means that men are supposed to be active, rational, wise, perceptive, loyal and trustworthy. On the other hand, Women are supposed to be passive, emotional, shallow, vain, deceptive and fickle. I agree to a certain extent that "Twelfth Night" is a feminist play [meaning that I agree to it] as the female characters are essentially good and most males in the play have flaws. For example, Sir Andrew is weak, Sir Toby is a drunkard, Orsino is full of self love and Malvolio is extremely egoistic. In addition, apart from Feste, all the males in this play are not really witty unlike the females in this play who are extremely witty. In this play the women are strong and they enjoy challenges. Olivia is a good example of this characteristic. She totally enjoys challenges and does not like a boring life. An evidence to prove my point is when she was having a conversation with Feste in Act One Scene 5, when Feste said, "Good Madonna, give me leave to prove you a fool." And Olivia replies to him by asking him "Can you do it?" When Feste said the above he was being brave and persistent. His ultimate motive was to challenge Olivia and to prove her a fool, Olivia likes
How far do you agree with the view that Twelfth Night is a comedy where tragedy lurks just under the surface?
GCSE English Literature Coursework essay Essay question: How far do you agree with the view that Twelfth Night is a comedy where tragedy lurks just under the surface? Although there is little speculation as to whether or not Twelfth Night is a comedy when watching or reading the play, the majority regard the play as a comedy and not a tragedy. Purely because of the many funny scenarios that occur throughout the play, and because of the structure of the play which fits a pattern with other comedies written by Shakespeare. This structure may include: mistaken identities, separation and unification, male friendship, a clever servant, heightened tensions often within a family and multiple plots. Many of Shakespeare's comedies contain most if not all of these elements. In Twelfth Night these elements are clearly apparent which will be explored in our search to answer the question: whether Twelfth Night is a comedy where tragedy lurks just under the surface? Twelfth Night would have undoubtedly been regarded as a comedy in the Elizabethan theatre. Shakespeare obviously intends for it to be perceived as a comedy and not to be taken seriously as the subtitle suggests "What You Will", meaning the audience can perceive the play how they like. Its name "Twelfth Night" has nothing to do with the play but was named after the Twelfth Night holiday and was to be performed as part of
Twelfth Night Act1 Scene 1 analysis
In Act1 Scene1, Count Orsino of Illyria is introduced; he constantly moans that he is lovesick, and wishes that "if music be the food of love," he could kill his unrequited love through an overdose of music. The way that he describes his feelings make him seem like a sensitive person. He shows these feelings for Olivia - The Countess. ''O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, methought she purg'd the air of pestilence'' Orsino said this to Curio in Act 1, when they were talking about Olivia and how he desires to marry Olivia. When Orsino said that Olivia had ''purg'd the air of pestilence'' he means that she has purified the air around her. This phrase is a metaphor. Orsino shows disappointment when Olivia refuses his love but he doesn't give up that easily. This shows us that Orsino is a courageous character who shows his feelings openly. Right from the beginning of the play Orsino describes his love for Olivia and this makes the audience want more because they want to know what happens with their relationship. Shakespeare uses many language techniques to bring the play alive: * "O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou" In this quote, Orsino is saying how his love for Olivia is keen and hungry, and that he won't give up showing his love. * "The hart" In this quote Curio uses a pun or play-on language. This quote means that
In “Twelfth Night”, Shakespeare explores several different kinds of love. Discuss the various types of love portrayed in the play.
SHAKESPEARE COURSEWORK July 2001 . In "Twelfth Night", Shakespeare explores several different kinds of love. Discuss the various types of love portrayed in the play. "If music be the food of love, play on"- Duke Orsino. Here, Orsino expresses his love. This quote is saying that you cant live without food, and to live without love is the same as living without food- you can't. This shows how much love means to Orsino, and how strong it is. It is the opening sentence to Twelfth Night. He is in love with Olivia. This is the first type of love we are introduced to, of the many loves of this book. It is unrequited love. Unrequited love in this book is spoken of with great detail and passion from the users behind them. It is spoken beautifully and about beautiful things, with a great sense of happiness while thinking of the person they are in love with. The speaker may show their sensitive, emotional side. Orsino does this as he says: "...like the sweet sound, that breathes upon a bank of violets- stealing and giving odour..." This quote shows that Orsino is in really deep thought, and anything beautiful which comes to mind, he compares it to that of Olivia. This shows that he thinks Olivia is beautiful to compare her to things like this. Orsino would have been a very popular character as he is a loving and imaginative with words. In Elizabethan times, this would have
Analyse the different methods that Shakespeare uses to inject humour into this play - Make close reference to the text.
Analyse the different methods that Shakespeare uses to inject humour into this play. Make close reference to the text. Disguise is a popular method that Shakespeare uses which supports dramatic irony to inject humour into the play, where the audience members are aware of something (in this case the true identity of the characters) that characters in the play are not. This of course creates tension in the play and excites the audience as well as also playing a key part in providing comedy for the audience through the dramatic irony and at the same time, also maintaining interest. As only men were able to act during the Elizabethan times, any female roles were played by men, which was in itself, probably greatly humorous for the Elizabethan audiences. An example of a character who utilises such disguise in 'Twelfth Night', is of course, the role of Viola which during these times, would have been played by a male actor. However, when she dresses up as her brother during the play, the male actor dressed up as a woman (to play Viola), then needs to look as though he is dressed up a man (to play the part of Cesario) - a rather complicated scenario. As well as being complicated, this would have definitely provided extra elements of comedy for the Elizabethan audiences along with the dramatic irony involved that the audience would know about the disguise, however some characters
How does Shakespeare create and use comedy in the play Twelfth Night?
How does Shakespeare create and use comedy in the play Twelfth Night? Twelfth Night is a play written by William Shakespeare to be performed on stage. It was written at around 1600 and about half way through Shakespeare's career as a playwright. The first recorded production was given at the Hall of the Inner Temple, London in 1602. The play is known has 'Twelfth Night' because it was originally performed on the twelfth night of Christmas. The play was not officially named, but has a subtitle of 'Or What you Will' meaning whatever you want to call it. The play has many of the elements common to Elizabethan romantic comedy, including the devices of mistaken identity, separated twins, and gender-crossing disguise, and its plot revolves around overcoming obstacles to "true" love. The play uses many concepts of comedy and there are two main plots in the play, the main love plot and a comic sub-plot. The romantic main plot is based around confusion and mistaken identity. There is a love triangle at the centre of all the chaos. The three characters involved in the triangle are Orsino, Viola and Olivia. Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia and Olivia loves Viola. Although all three of these characters claim to be in love only Viola is actually in love. Both Orsino and Olivia are in love with the idea and concept of love. Orsino claims to love Olivia but barely knows her
Malvolio’s Treatment in Twelfth Night
Felicia Rubin Malvolio's Treatment in Twelfth Night The character, Malvolio in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is meant to be a comic one. We find the initial practical joke played on him to be a source of humour. It could be thought that he deserved this prank, but as the minor characters' treatment of him deteriorates, we are forced to re-think our views and consider if their abuse of him was really necessary. Malvolio is described as an almost Jonsonian figure in this otherwise Shakespearean play. His name means "ill wit" which gives the reader a suitable impression of him. He is a Puritan, a most despised figure in Elizabethan times, making his extremist views heard and disapproving of all types of merry making. However Maria, Olivia's waiting gentlewoman, does not view Malvolio as a real Puritan. "The Devil a Puritan that he is, or anything, constantly, but a time-pleaser, an affectioned ass that cons state without book and utters it by great swarths; the best persuaded of himself, so crammed, as he thinks, with excellencies, that it is his grounds of faith that all who look on him love him" The majority of characters see Malvolio as an overweening egotist, a social climber, a hypocrite and an offensive rebuker of others for their slack behaviour. All of these attributes are witnessed throughout Twelfth Night, showing that this offensive characterisation is in fact
Examine the Levels of Deception in Twelfth Night
Examine the Levels of Deception in Twelfth Night Twelfth Night is a play that depends on deceptions. Without deception none of the plays major storylines could exist in the way that they do. As might be expected, the deceptions fall into different types of deception, and also many different levels. These can be described as levels of importance- some involving whole plots and some only a few minor events- and levels of how obvious each deception is. The deceptions come in many different guises, including deliberate deception, self-deception and others. Deliberate deception is crucial to the plot. One aspect of this is the element of disguise. This can be divided into literal disguise, in the form of characters altering their appearance, and the façade which characters present to the world in order to seem different to how they really are. Probably the most important and far reaching deception in the play is Viola's disguise as a man, 'Cesario'. This has many consequences for herself and others. She first disguises herself for protection in a foreign land, she wishes the sea captain to help her dress as a man so that she can find employment. The consequences of this are central to the play. If Viola had not perpetuated this deception she would not have met Orsino, and similarly Olivia and Sebastian may never have married. Viola's disguise is of a high level, relating