Twelfth Night Characters structure and themes Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night Characters, structure, and themes

Twelfth Night or What You Will • Title “What You Will” is like “As You Like It” – Does it mean “Whatever is your pleasure”? – Is it the ending that is as we like it? what we will? – Is the world they inhabit as we will? Golden world? – Are the characters? Rosalind and Viola most perfect

Twelfth Night Dominant images Viola/Cesario Orsino Olivia

Twelfth Night Plot structure • Main Plot – wooing – Orsino/Olivia through Cesario (Viola) – Olivia/Cesario into Olivia/Sebastian – Viola (as Cesario)/Orsino – Olivia/Sebastian (whom she thinks is Cesario)

Twelfth Night Subplot structure • Subplots – Feste’s singing and begging – Sir Toby’s drunkenness – Sir Andrew’s wooing of Olivia – Malvolio’s Puritanism – Maria’s Jest – Feste’s revenge

Twelfth Night Viola’s interaction w/other characters Captain 1. 2 Viola 1. 2, 2. 4, 5. 1 Antonio 5. 1 Sebastian 3. 4, 5. 1 1. 5, 3. 1, 3. 4, 5. 1 Orsino Olivia 2. 1 Orsino’s men 1. 4 Malvolio Sir Toby Sir Andrew Maria 2. 4, 3. 1, 5. 1 Feste 3. 5, 5. 1

Twelfth Night Olivia’s interaction w/other characters Captain Antonio Sebastian Viola 1. 5 5. 1 Orsino’s men 1. 5 Feste 4. 1, 4. 3, 5. 1 Olivia 1. 5, 3. 4, 5. 1 Malvolio Sir Toby Sir Andrew Maria 1. 5, 5. 1

Twelfth Night Feste’s interaction w/other characters Captain Viola Antonio Sebastian 2. 4, 3. 1, 5. 1 Orsino’s 2. 4, 5. 1 men 1. 5, 5. 1 Olivia Malvolio 1. 5, 2. 3, 4. 2, 5. 1 Sir Toby Sir Andrew Maria 1. 5, 2. 3, 4. 2, 5. 1 Feste 4. 1, 5. 1

Twelfth Night Toby’s/Andrew’s/Maria’s interactions Captain Viola Antonio Sebastian 3. 1, 3. 4, 5. 1 Orsino’s men 4. 1, 5. 1 Olivia 1. 5, 3. 4, 5. 1 Feste Malvolio 1. 5, 2. 3, 4. 2, 5. 1 Sir Toby Sir Andrew 1. 3, 1. 5, 2. 1, 2. 5, 3. 4, 5. 1 Maria

Twelfth Night Malvolio’s interactions Captain Antonio Sebastian Viola 2. 1 Olivia Orsino’s men 1. 5, 3. 4, 5. 1 2. 3, 4. 2, 5. 1 Malvolio 1. 5, 2. 3, 2. 5, 3. 4, 5. 1 Feste Sir Andrew Sir Toby Maria

Twelfth Night Orsino’s interaction w/other characters Captain Viola Antonio Sebastian 1. 4, 2. 4, 5. 1 1. 4 Orsino’s men Orsino 2. 4 Feste 5. 1 Olivia Malvolio Sir Toby Sir Andrew Maria

Twelfth Night Integration of all Characters Captain Orsino’s men Feste Viola Antonio Sebastian Olivia Malvolio Sir Toby Sir Andrew Maria

Twelfth Night two worlds • Orsino’s / masculine – – Talk of hunting Music/emotion Love is unrequited Wooing through intermediary (Cesario) – Direct wooing (Viola) • Olivia’s / feminine – – Talk of grief Jesting /tricks Love is impossible Wooing through intermediary (Malvolio) – Direct wooing (Olivia) – Supposed wooing (letter to Malvolio)

As You Like It Couples • realistic – Viola/Orsino • romantic – Olivia/Sebastian • Sexual – Sir Toby/Maria • Inappropriate – Malvolio/Olivia and Sir Andrew/Olivia and Olivia/Viola

Twelfth Night Foiling • Character foiling – Viola/Olivia, both lost brothers – Viola/Olivia/Orsino—all have love unrequited – Viola/Feste, both travel freely between households – Viola/Sebastian, both lost sibling, are strangers

Twelfth Night -- Act I Scene 1 Orsino sad Scene 2 Viola sad To serve Orsino Scene 4 Viola and Orsino Scene 3 Sir Toby drunk Maria aids Scene 5 Maria/Feste/Olivia/Malvolio Olivia/Cesario (Viola)

Twelfth Night -- Act II Scene 1 Antonio/Sebastian Scene 2 Malvolio/Cesario Scene 4 Orsino/Viola Feste Scene 3 Sir Toby/Andrew Maria/Feste Malvolio Scene 5 Maria’s Jest Malvolio letter

Twelfth Night -- Act III Scene 1 Viola/Feste Sir Toby/Andrew Viola/Olivia Scene 2 Sir Andrew to Challenge Cesario Scene 4 Olivia/Malvolio, yellow stockings Sir Toby to care for Malvolio Olivia/Cesario Viola challenged by Sir Andrew Antonio rescues Viola Scene 3 Sebastian/ Antonio

Twelfth Night -- Act IV Scene 1 Feste/Sebastian fights Sir Toby Olivia breaks up fight Scene 2 Malvolio’s torment Feste as Scene 3 Olivia and Sebastian marry

Twelfth Night -- Act V Scene 1 Feste/Fabian Feste/Orsino Viola/Orsino/Antonio Olivia/Orsino/Cesario Sebastian/Sir Toby/Sir Andrew Viola/Sebastian Malvolio Feste’s Song

Twelfth Night themes • • • Masculinity and Femininity Nature of love (unrequited), of wooing Grief Loyalty Revenge Puritanism: no fun, no drink, no song

Twelfth Night and As You Like It comparison of main characters • Rosalind – Father absent – Cousin/sister Celia – Disguise for fun and protection – Gets Orlando to woo her as Ganymede. Teaches him about love – Both masculine and feminine • Viola – Father dead, brother lost – Alone – Disguise necessary for modesty – Wooes Olivia for Orsino, Admits love for him, teaches him how to love – Both masculine and feminine