In Twelfth Night‚ Shakespeare constantly alludes to the contrast between darkness and light by the use of secrets‚ mistaken identities and the contrast between sanity and insanity. With this motif Shakespeare shows us that if we act on first impressions without the true knowledge of the entity of the situation or character‚ then the misinformed motives will surely be in vain; and our efforts futile. Creating much dysfunction within the play‚ Viola’s manly disguise as Cesario creates confusion
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How does Shakespeare present the character Malvolio in Twelfth Night? William Shakespeare’s play‚ ‘Twelfth Night or What You Will‚’ is an Elizabethan style of play written in 1601. It is a romantic comedy and the main themes depicted throughout the play include love‚ disguise‚ deception and comedy. ‘Twelfth Night’ was the name given to the last day of the Christmas celebrations‚ in England during the Elizabethan era. This celebration marked the two weeks of festivities. In other words‚ the Elizabethan
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In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night‚ Viola gives two different descriptions of women. The first is a soliloquy and takes place after Malvolio has given her Olivia’s ring‚ which is when Viola realizes that Olivia has fallen in love with Viola’s disguise‚ Cesario. Viola’s second description of women is to Orsino‚ when she tells a story about a “sister” of hers who once fell in love as a way of indirectly communicating her love for Orsino. Viola’s two descriptions serve as complements to each other.
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Many of the social issues that were dominant during the Renaissance are present in William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night. The relationships between Viola/Cesairo and Olivia‚ Orsino and Viola/Cesairo and Antonio and Sebastian create an immense amount of tension for the characters and audience to deal with because‚ their relationships conflict with the dominant heteronormative ideology of the time. The heteronormative ideology consists of the belief that to be accepted into society a person must
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playwright and poet. He was broadly known as " the greatest writer in the English language." Shakespeare wrote Twelfth Night near the middle of his career and wrote it to entertain people because it was near Christmas time when the first production of the play was first performed. Shakespeare’s intention in writing this play was to present a Romantic comedy that explored the theme of love‚ music‚ and beauty. He successfully completed this play and used many literary devices‚ particularly he used allusions
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Despite being the two "heroines" of the play‚ caught up in matters of love‚ Viola and Olivia could not have been more different. We do not immediately meet Olivia‚ but are introduced to her through Duke Orsino‚ who describes her breathtaking beauty. Then‚ Valentine‚ who has been sent to woo Olivia for the Duke‚ comes back with the message that Olivia has gone into mourning for seven years during which time she will veil her face and show it to no man. While it must be remembered that Olivia has
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“He is the wisest character in the play”. How far do you agree with this interpretation of Feste in Twelfth Night? This essay will explore the notion that Feste is the wisest character in the play. The definition of wise is “having or showing experience‚ knowledge‚ and good judgment: a wise precaution.” Feste is the epitome of irony‚ I think a modern day audience would the audience may believe a ‘fool’ to be purely someone to make you laugh and be an idiot. However Feste is very much the opposite;
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TWELFTH NIGHT: SCENE QUESTIONS ACT 1‚ SCENE i 1. Where does the play open? 2. Imagine you are the director of a Twelfth Night production. What kind of music would you have played for this scene? 3. The Duke has a very famous speech‚ in the beginning of the play‚ about love. How is the Duke feeling about love as the play opens? 4. What news does Valentine bring the Duke? How does the Duke take this news? 5. Even though we haven’t met Olivia yet‚ what do we know about her? ACT I‚
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Love as the Cause of Suffering In William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night‚ love as the cause of suffering is one of the most prominent theme of the story. Even though this play ends in love and wedded bliss‚ Shakespeare also shows us that love can also cause pain. The characters often view love as a curse‚ something that is thrust upon you and you cannot easily or willing escape. Examples include Malvolio’s love for Olivia‚ the love triangle between Olivia‚ Duke Orsino‚ and Viola as Cesario‚
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The legendary military strategist Sun Tzu once said that “ all warfare is based on deception.” However‚ in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night‚ all comedy comes as a result of deception. Various characters play misleading roles create the chaos and dramatic irony that gives air to the play. In Twelfth Night‚ Shakespeare uses Feste‚ Malvolio‚ and Viola to demonstrate the theme that people’s appearance and status do not necessarily coincide with their true nature in order to provide conflicts‚ complications
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