Twelfth Night is a dramatic comedy which revolves around the classic Shakespearean traits of comedy, which are difficult to categorise but generally identifiable in that they often contain dazzling word play, irony, and a greater emphasis on situations than characters. While in many ways the play is a celebration of social upheaval through its characters, the play is very much characteristic to typical conventions seen in Shakespeare’s comedies when it’s identifying features are considered. By exploring the role of Malvolio within the play, it is evident of the subversive role he plays. Malvolio‘s character is introduced as one who feels he is able to obtain the hand of Olivia, who in the context of the play is only a steward let alone nobility, the social ambition is subversive for him to try and alter an establish social order of the court. Maria says that "sometimes he is a kind of puritan", which aligns Malvolio with the religious group despised for its opposition to the theatre, winter festivals, and other forms of entertainment. The significance of this comparison of Malvolio and a Puritan may be Shakespeare’s attack on the rising ideology of strict social order, so by skewing the social order in which characters are portrayed he is able to recreate an environment which revolves around the Twelfth Night tradition where ‘roles are reversed’. Furthermore, Malvolio is the most socially ambitious character, as he is commanding of the Knights Sir Toby and Sir Andrew,
Twelfth Night, a romantic piece by William Shakespeare expresses a complex love triangle in the village of Illyria. One of the primary protagonists, Viola is washed up onto the shores during violent storms that separate her and her biological twin brother Sebastian. Viola is uncertain if her brother Sebastian survived. It is a coincidence, that the tragic shipwreck carried Viola to the enemy state (Illyria). Unfortunately, this forces the character to go into disguise in order to survive on the male dominated land. Viola is perhaps the strongest character in this work, maintaining her roles and ignoring temptations. The character uses Sebastian strength in his absence. On the other hand, when in Sebastian’s presence Viola becomes weak
The first scene starts off at the Duke’s palace, where we, as the audience, are introduced to the duke, who is thinking to himself. Next, it is revealed that the Duke is listening to music, and is in love, as indicated by “O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou,” (I, i, 9). However, suddenly, he decides that he does not want to listen anymore, as indicated by: “Enough, no more!” (I, i, 7). After this, we are introduced to a character named Valentine who tells the Duke that Olivia “Shall not behold at face for ample view;” (I, i, 28) for 7 years, due to her mourning her brother’s recent death. This does not sadden the Duke, however, as he enthusiastically says that
Obstacles are found in many situations, especially true love when disguise is involved. The mistaken identity of one has a powerful effect on the rest of the characters in Shakespeare’s twelfth night as it creates problems for true love. Aside from Shakespeare’s others, the play focuses on mistaken identity/disguise and unrequited love. Disguise truly is an obstacle for true love to prevail in twelfth night. The obstacle of disguise that occurs in the play will be analyzed by exploring situations, character’s thoughts, and the result of poor decisions made.
love when actually they just loved the idea of it. One such a man is
Malvolio’s lack of self-criticism or self-awareness makes him vulnerable to Maria's plan to ridicule him.
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare should be considered a comedy because it fulfills all the elements of comedy, specifically puns and mistaken identity. Twelfth Night is a play about twins who are shipwrecked and separated. One of the twins, Viola, disguises herself as a man so she can work in Duke Orsino’s court. She quickly befriends him and is sent to woo Countess Olivia, the object of Orsino’s affection. Much to her dismay, Viola falls in love with the Duke and Olivia falls in love with her disguised, masculine self. This hilarious play is a shakespearean comedy because it is composed of five elements: puns, complex plots, mistaken identity, happy endings, and insults. Puns are a play on words that create a double meaning. This can be confusing like complex
through his vanity is easily fooled into thinking it is he who she loves although
In Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night, the characters endure the fruits of their foolishness at the end of the play, but Malvolio endures a greater suffering and greater embarrassment than the rest of the characters. This is not simply by chance or whimsy: but this is Shakespeare’s stratification of the vices that a person may take upon him or herself. With this stratification, Shakespeare allocates Malvolio’s vices of pride, usurping the social order, and dour temperament as the worst of character flaws, and that is why Malvolio receives the harshest punishment.
Twelfth Night is riddled with numerous cases of disguise, deception, and mistaken identity which helps shape the play because with none of these three things there is no Twelfth Night. It adds to the plentiful cases of humor in the play as well as affecting the other themes like love. The mistaken identities and disguises help entangle the love of each of the characters into a mess that doesn’t clearly resolve itself until the end when they all finally try to shed those disguises; for example, when Cesario reveals that he is actually a woman named Viola.
When analyzing a pair of twins, people will recognize that they seem very identical, but many would argue that their brains function differently and that they behave differently than each other as well. In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, two main characters Viola-Cesario and Sebastian are lost in a shipwreck, but later reunite with each other and along their journey they confuse many other characters as they mix one another up. Viola-Cesario and Sebastian are twins who look very similar in appearance, but nevertheless they are actually two opposite characters when it comes to their attitudes and characteristics as they think and behave differently from one another. For instance, Sebastian and Viola-Cesario behave differently from each other since Sebastian is an aggressive person and Viola-Cesario is a peaceful person. However, considering the fact that Viola-Cesario and Sebastian are twins, they still look very similar to each other because Viola-Cesario looks exactly like Sebastian when she disguises herself as Cesario. Furthermore, Sebastian and Viola-Cesario both find love in the play, but they fall in love differently because Sebastian is infatuated by Olivia and Viola truly falls in love with Orsino.
In Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, there are quite a few characters that don't seem as important and generally irrelevant to the overall message of the story. Although it may seem that way while glancing at what the characters say and their frequency in the play, they are all deeply relevant. One in particular is the fool. The fool is one of the most impactful characters of them all by influencing other characters.
Malvolio is the head servant in the household of Lady Olivia and is very efficient but also self-righteous. Within the play ‘Twelfth Night’, Malvolio can be interpreted as a victim who the audiences sympathise with but can also be argued to be a legitimate comic target which the audience learn to dislike. He has a poor opinion of drinking, singing, and fun and emphasises the importance of dignity, decency and ‘good order’. Due to Malvolio’s priggishness and haughty attitude, it earns him the enmity of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria. Malvolio, unlike Feste, is seen as natural fools who are considered simple, often lower-class characters who seemingly lacking common sense and intelligence.
The very first word following the dramatis personae in the text of William Shakespeare 's comedy, Twelfth Night, or What You Will, is Music. The first thing that playgoers hear at the beginning is music. This music is being played for a duke, a powerful lord residing over the setting of all the characters. He is surrounded by other lords and his attendant, Curio. The duke, Orsino, cannot help but comment:
In the opening scenes, Shakespeare displays to his audience the affluent society of Illyria, where aristocracy is its major component, festivity is the social norm, and leisure is the way of life. Orsino and Olivia, elegant and wealthy members of the nobility, are at the center of people’s discussion—they seek love; Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, the rich knights ranked high in the social hierarchy, “care not for good life” (II.iii.34)—they seek pleasure. However, the Illyrian society of aristocratic customs and sense of licence is established upon the laborious work of those who are excluded from the indulgence in festivity, and whose financial ability and social status do not afford this social liberation.
The notion of disguise is very important theme within Twelfth Night. From my point of view I feel that the crux of the play is primarily based on this concept. Indeed "there's something in it that is deceivable" summarizes this point precisely. Disguise runs like a thread through the play from start to end and holds it all together just as tightly as thread would fabric. Yet, paradoxically as the plot progresses there are many problems, deceptions and illusions, which provide a comment on human behavior and creating the needed escape of comedy.