Twelfth Night Study questionsplease answer in complete sentences.

Give each scene a title

that illustrates its content or mood; it can be a quote from the scene, a play on words, etc.
[As with our study of Hamlet, use film versionsBBC, Tim Supple, Trevor Nunn, Lincoln
Center.]
*For early in the playnote examples of wordplaywrite them down and analyze what they
reveal about character. Who is good at it, who excels at it, who never does it?
Some of these questions are short paper topics.
1.1
1. Examine Orsinos imagery; analyze positive and negative. What does this reveal about
his state of mind?
2. Orsino is a passionate lover (stock character); how does he betray that he is led too much
by his heart?
3. How does Orsinos sentence structure reflect his state of mind?
4. What is the effect of Orsinos Petrarchan imagery?
5. What concrete information do we get about Olivia?
1.2
6. What do Violas questions reveal about her personality?
7. What has happened to Violas brother? How does the classical allusion (in the mouth of a
sea captain) seem to heighten Violas optimism?
8. What new information do we get about Olivia? How does this connect her to Viola?
9. We hear more about Orsino; do you revise your impression of him?
10. Some productions start with this scene; what does this achieve? Consider gain and loss.
11. Viola has just been in a shipwreck; what plan does she form for her safety?
12. Why doesnt Viola just go to Orsinos in her own person?
1.3
13. To what does Sir Toby object in Olivias behavior?
14. To what does Olivia object in Sir Tobys behavior?
15. Why is Sir Andrew living at Olivias house?
16. What is Marias job?
17. What new information do we get about Olivia?
18. Why is Sir Andrew an unsuitable suitor to Olivia (though we havent seen her yet)?
Compare his qualities with those of Orsino.
1.4
19. What effect has Viola (now in mans attire) had on Orsinos court?
20. What is significant about the name she has chosen for her new identity?
21. Why does Orsino think Cesario is ideal for the job of pleading his suit (dramatic irony)?
Why does Orsino not plead his suit himself?
1.5
22. What is Festes job? His status in Olivias house? What seems to be his relationship with
Maria? How does Olivia respond to him? How does Malvolio?
23. Feste, like Orsino, urges Olivia to moderate her expressions of grief. How does his
attitude differ from Orsinos?

24. Malvolio and Feste are antagonists to each other; on what grounds? How does Olivia
attempt to make peace between them?
25. Why does Olivia put on her veil? In practical terms, what does the veil allow her to do
when Viola enters?
26. Viola manages to score point after point; how does she succeed where Orsinos earlier
messengers failed?
27. The conversation between Olivia and Viola begins in prose; at what point does it shift to
verse? Why might this happen? How does the mood change in the scene?
28. Examine the willow cabin speech; how does Violas expression of love contrast with
her report of Orsinos love (and what we have seen of it in earlier scenes)?
29. This is Olivias first scene; what conflicting impressions do you get of her as the scene
unfolds? Look especially at her interrupted soliloquy at the end of the scene.
30. How are Viola and Olivia alike? How are they different? Look at personality and use of
language.
2.1
31. This is Sebastians first scene, and the audiences first knowledge that he is alive. What is
the effect of putting this scene at this point in the story? What questions does it raise?
What solution might it offer?
32. Why has Sebastian chosen to give himself a false name?
33. Compare Sebastians and Violas first scenes. How are the twins alike? How are they
different? Look specifically at their use of language.
34. Who is Antonio, and what does his language express of his character?
2.2
35. How does Malvolio communicate Olivias message to Cesario? How do his words
compare with what she actually said (1.5)?
36. Viola once again demonstrates her aptitude for improvisation (She took the ring of me;
Ill none of it). In this soliloquy of discovery, what does she discover about herself and
Olivia?
37. What resolution does Viola come to? Compare with her final lines of 1.2; how is her
mood different here?
38. Disguise is a recurring motif in Twelfth Night; who else is in disguise or playing a role?
What is Violas concern about the nature of disguise?
2.3
39. Patrick Stewart once urged actors to find the comedy in tragedy, and the tragedy in
comedy; find several examples of poignancy/tragic energy (a sliding scale) from the
play so far and this scene in particular.
40. How does Festes O mistress mine fit thematically with the story so far? If you were
staging this scene, what tone/tempo would be most appropriate? Why?
41. After watching this scene in the Nunn film, discuss the effect of cross-cutting between
Olivia and Orsinos houses, where the same song plays (its also the song the twins sing
at the start of the film).
42. As an audience member, how do you respond to the drunken songs? How does your
response shift as Malvolio enters?
43. How does Malvolio alienate Sir Toby and Sir Andrew? How does he alienate Maria?
44. What is Marias plan for gulling Malvolio? Does it seem an appropriate punishment for
his behavior?

45. Discuss Sir Andrew as a character (function, foil, personality, memorable quotes).
46. Maria calls Malvolio a kind of Puritan; how is he Puritanical? What message would
that have sent to the early modern audience?
2.4
47. What verbal game does Viola play with Orsino as they wait for Feste? Compare with the
verbal game she plays with Olivia in 1.5.
48. Compare and contrast Orsinos Petrarchan language with Violas poetry.
49. Examine the lyrics of Come away, death; here and earlier, how does Feste suit his
songs to its hearers? How does this song affect Orsino?
50. What is Feste implying in his farewell to OrsinoNow the melancholy god protect thee,
and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal. I would
have men of such constancy put to sea, that their business might be every thing and their
intent every where; for thats it that always makes a good voyage of nothing? How does
this psychological summing up reflect some of the themes and imagery of the play?
51. Discuss Feste as a character and the role of the Fool.
52. What is Viola trying to teach Orsino? With what instances of proof? What do her tale
(My father had a daughter loved a man) and his reaction reveal about their notions of
love and devotion?
53. This is an extremely emotional scene; write a short reaction to it.
2.5
54. What is Malvolio doing as he enters? Put the following sentence into your own words:
Maria once told me she did affect me: and I have heard herself come thus near, that,
should she fancy, it should be one of my complexion. What is his tone? What does his
language reveal about his personality?
55. What is Malvolios biggest character flaw? Defend with quotes. How does this flaw lead
to his ability to be duped?
56. In what ways is his putative Puritanism hypocritical?
57. What is ironic about Malvolios invocations of Fortune and Jove?
58. What does the forged letter ask him to do? Why are these requests ludicrous, and why
does he swallow the bait?
59. In the early modern period, Malvolio and anyone Puritanical would be the butt of jokes,
but now Malvolio has become a psychologically interesting characterhe aspires to
something better in his life. Though this scene is still funny to us, the humor turns sour; at
what point? Why? What is our response to the trick?
3.1
60. What discovery does Viola make about Feste and his job? How are Feste and Viola alike?
61. How has Olivia changed since the last time we saw her? Give examples (not forgetting
performative ones).
62. Olivia declares her love in rhyme; what effect(s) does this sudden use of rhyme have on
the scene? Viola picks it up for a moment; what effect does this have?
3.2
63. Sir Toby doesnt want to lose Sir Andrews money, so he and Fabian persuade him that
Olivia is just trying to make him jealous. What is ironic about Sir Andrews selfawareness?

64. What plan does Toby propose? How does he manage to put down Sir Andrew at the same
time?
65. Past interpretations of Sir Toby have been as a rollicking party animal; we tend to see him
now with a colder eye. Discuss Sir Toby as a character (function, personality, memorable
quotes).
3.3
66. Why is Illyria a dangerous place for Antonio? Of what is he guilty?
67. Sebastian says very little in this scene; what can you glean of his attitude toward
Antonio?
68. Antonio gives Sebastian his wallet (purse); compare with other offerings of money in the
play? Why does Antonio offer it? What does Sebastian say he will do with it?
3.4
69. As Olivia enters, her first thoughts are how to woo Cesario. Compare her feelings and
plans with those of Orsinoand Antonio.
70. How does Olivia react to Malvolios appearance and behavior? (Think, too, about Marias
prediction of Olivias reactionMaria gets it wrong.) Give as many playing possibilities
as you can think of. What does her reaction reveal about her personality?
71. With whom do you sympathize most in the proposed duelSir Andrew or Viola? Why?
72. Analyze this scene in the Nunn film; how is its humor different from that of the script?
73. This is the scene in which the plot strands involving the twins start to weave together;
looking at the following quotes (and others you can list about disguise and
playing/acting), formulate a thesis on the theme of disguise in this play.
a. I am not that I play
b. Had I known he was so valiant in fence
c. Thou hast, Sebastian, done good feature shame.
74. Why doesnt Viola say something when Antonio calls her Sebastian?
4.1
75. This is the first time Feste directly affects the plotby going to fetch Olivia. His first
song seems to be coming true; connect some of the plays events to the lyrics.
76. Though Olivia seems to be getting what she wants, how is she not?
4.2
77. Though early modern audiences would see nothing unusual at the idea of gazing at a
lunatic as if he is an animal in a zoo, we do. Twelfth Night has been called
Shakespeares cruelest comedy; discuss your reaction to this scene, mentioning all four
principal actors in it.
78. Is it possible to stage this scene to try to keep a comedic tone? Discuss your ideas.
79. Overall, this play is a rollercoaster of tonal shifts; what is the effect on the audience?
80. What new discoveries can you make about Malvolio?
4.3
81. Look at the Nunn film; what does the crosscutting between Sebastian and Malvolios
scenes emphasize?
82. In his soliloquy, Sebastian fears a loss of reason; connect to the theme of madness in this
play. His two options seem to be that either he or Olivia must be mad. What is his
reaction to what is happening to him? How does his sentence structure reflect his mental
process?

83. Though Olivia is asking for a betrothal (formal engagement) with Cesario, she will call
him husband in 5.1; how might she be dressed in this scene? What effect might her
attire have on the tone of the scene?
5.1the whole act is one very long scene (though not the longest in Shakespeare.)
84. Orsino has been offstage since 2.4 (the Burbage tea-break); how has he changed since
then?
85. What is Antonios history? Why are we getting it so late? (Think about the structure of
the unfolding information.) How does this affect our impression of him?
86. This is the first time Orsino and Olivia have shared the stage; what is the tone of their
encounter?
87. What event is the audience waiting to happen? What obstacles delay the revelation?
88. What function does the priest play at this point?
89. Look closely at Orsinos diction; not exactly the stuff of comedy, but what effect does it
have on you, the audience/reader? Is there any aspect of his language that feels
comedic?
90. The idea of wonder suddenly spikes in this scene; what tone does this words use create
in the denouement of the play?
91. Great thing of us forgot (King Lear)analyze the effect of Malvolios entry and
accusation.
92. Who is left unaccommodated in the end? Why?
93. What is the effect of ending with a song? Analyze the lyricswhat sort of people does
the song seem to discuss? What musical tone seems most appropriate to the lyric?
In conclusion
What is the play about? Many things, obviously, but what one element comes to the fore for you?
Write a short (100 words) response to this question. It can be in first person, but dont rely on
first-person.