Twelfth Night (1601) Study Guide

Shakespeare M. D’Antonio

Twelfth Night (1601) Study Guide

Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s most romantic comedies. In these light-hearted plays, Shakespeare’s method is to initiate several plots and to introduce several sets of characters who do not know one another at all in the beginning. As the play progresses, characters begin to meet, to interact, and the plots begin to cross and become complicated. At the play’s conclusion, all is resolved, usually to the accompaniment of wedding marches.

Twelfth Night, which we know to have been performed at Court, contains three sets of characters and three plots. In your reading, note how far away they begin from one another and when and how they come together. Try to visualize how each scene would be staged.

The setting is a faraway place called Illyria, where things may happen which might strain one’s credulity in England.

Misplaced Love Plot / Search Plot / Comic Revenge Plot
Duke Orsino / Sebastian / (Olivia)
Viola (Cesario) / Antonio / Sir Toby Belch
Sir Andrew Aguecheek
(Olivia) / (Viola) / Feste the clown
Maria the servant
Fabian the servant
Malvolio the steward

Act I: Exposition (characters are introduced, motivation, actions set in motion)

Scene One / In what state is Duke Orsino? What does he learn about Olivia? Much of the love material in the play stems from the medieval concept of courtly love. Remember the way Romeo behaves in the beginning of Romeo and Juliet.
Scene Two / Summarize Viola’s predicament and her temporary solution to it. What does this solution set up as a dramatic possibility? What does she think happened to her brother? Remember that the characters in these romantic comedies are all members of the upper, educated, and well-mannered classes.
Scene Three / Why is Sir Toby angry? What sort of person is he? What sort of person is his friend, Andrew? They are character foils. How? What is the purpose of this scene?
Scene Four / How does Viola look now? Where is she living? What comically ironic internal event has happened to her? What is the Duke’s attitude toward her and what does it suggest about her? What about her has caused the Duke to send her to Olivia?
Scene Five / Complications begin in this important (and long) scene. Feste, a typical Shakespearean clown, is introduced. What kind of humor does he provide? What is the purpose of the interchange between the clown and Olivia? Malvolio is Olivia’s steward; he administers her entire estate. What is his attitude toward the clown? What might this attitude reveal about two sets of values? Explain the interchange between Sir Toby and his niece, Olivia.
Olivia and Viola (disguised as Cesario) meet. How does she handle her mission from Orsino? What is the result? To whom is Olivia speaking in the speech beginning, “What is your parentage?” Interpret Olivia’s instruction to Malvolio about a ring. What is the conceit? Remember the conceit in the dialogue between Olivia and Cesario. It tells us (and Olivia) about Viola’s intelligence and learning.

Act II: Rising action (complication and additional plots set in motion)

Scene One / This scene introduces Viola’s brother, Sebastian, whose clothing is identical to hers as Cesario. The two actors must look at great deal alike. Make predictions based on these facts.
Is this scene written in prose or poetry? How do you know? What does Sebastian tell us about his sister and himself? What does Sebastian decide to do? What does his friend Antonio decide to do?
Scene Two / Malvolio catches up to Cesario. What does Cesario/Viola realize as a result of this interchange? To what does she attribute the problem?
Scene Three / This scene of a late-night party contains the motivation for the revenge plot against Malvolio to get underway. Music is also important in this scene. What seems to be the conflict between Malvolio and the rest of the household? What is Maria’s interpretation of Malvolio’s character? This is important. What is Maria’s plan to get even with Malvolio? How does it relate to her sense of his character?
What is Sir Toby’s attitude toward Maria? What is Sir Andrew’s hope about the results of his visit?
Scene Four / A scene of comic irony-of appearance and illusion-as Orsino and Cesario talk of love. What is the gist of Orsino’s description of himself as a lover? What does he say about male and female love? What is your reaction to it? How does Cesario answer him? Where does Viola tell the Duke who she really is? Note Feste’s reaction to the Duke. Shakespeare’s clowns usually tell the truth.
Scene Five / Olivia’s garden. Try to visualize this scene as you read it. Where are Toby, Andrew and Fabian while Malvolio says, “’Tis but fortune; all is fortune…”? To whom is Malvolio speaking in these lines? What is the “willing suspension of disbelief” in II.5.22-175? How do the lines – “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” – relate to Malvolio’s situation, his character, and the trick being played upon him? Has Maria’s estimation of his character been correct?

Act III: Climax (action continues to complicate until the turning point occurs)

Scene One / Note the wit in Viola’s exchange with Feste. Comedy involving wit and intelligence is called “high comedy.” Note that Toby and Andrew observe Cesario’s first remarks to Olivia. What is Andrew’s response? Can you guess what motivation this may provide in future scenes? Some verbal indirection takes place between Olivia and Cesario until Olivia at last confesses her love for Cesario. Find the lines where the confession takes place. How many fools have we met so far?
Scene Two / What does Toby suggest to Andrew that he do in order to turn Olivia’s affections towards him? Why does Toby suggest this plan? At the end of this scene, Maria tells them that Malvolio is coming, dressed as the letter instructed.
Scene Three / Antonio and Sebastian meet and part, to meet again. What is the reason Antonio walks the streets of Illyria in some danger?
Scene Four / All plots come to a climax in this scene. It should be played quickly, except the Malvolio letter scene. Read carefully to see how the various plots come together, who knows and does not know what, and what is comic about each event.
How does Olivia interpret Malvolio’s strange behavior? What do we learn then about Malvolio’s pretensions to advancement? Interpret Fabian’s lines, “More matter for a May morning.” What is Toby’s plan? What is Viola’s mood? What is the comic irony in the words, “Fabian can scarce hold him yonder”? What mock roles are Toby and Fabian playing here for Andrew and Cesario? Why could the entrance of Antonio be constructed as the climax of the play? Remember that the climax of the play is the point of highest tension and the turning point of the plot toward its resolution.

Act IV: Descending action (beginning of resolution)

Scene One / When performed, this scene runs on without a break after Act III, Scene Four. For whom does Feste take Sebastian in this scene? There are four duels (or almost-duels) in rapid succession in these two scenes. Review who participates in each in what circumstances and under what erroneous assumptions. Whom does Olivia think she is addressing when she says, “I prithee, dearest friend”? How does this scene conclude? Is this a romantic comedy or not?
Scene Two / The last wrench of the “revenge on Malvolio” plot, and a devise to keep the play from falling too quickly to its conclusion.
Note as you read: Malvolio cannot see Feste/Sir Topas, so Feste merely changes his voice and position as he switches between being the curate and himself. Concentrate on which “voice” is speaking each speech. The ploy here, of course, is that the curate insists that Malvolio is mad, and Malvolio, as we know, knows that he is not.
What is the interpretation of madness dramatized here? This scene may make some members of the audience more sympathetic towards Malvolio. Did Shakespeare intend this or should the scene be played solely for laughs?
Scene Three / You will need some “willing suspension of disbelief” here. Why? If the mood of the play so far as been quick and light, this event gets a laugh from the audience, but an accepting one.

Act V: Denouement (all is resolved)

All of the plots come together, with wedding bells for three couples. The threat from the forces of sobriety and seriousness has been quelled.

How much time seems to have elapsed during the course of the play? Who are the three loving couples at the play’s conclusion? There is much illusion in Twelfth Night. Consider how many illusions are replaced by realities by the last act of the play. Those who take themselves too seriously (who are these characters?) have been laughed into self-awareness. Or have they? Think back on the themes of fools and foolishness, self-love, masks, and illusion. Think also on excessiveness. Who is excessive, and what is the result?