Twelfth Night Group at eNotes

Toby and Maria set up a ruse for Malvolio in the letter. However, it is...

Fri, 2 May 2008 13:53:46 PST

Toby and Maria set up a ruse for Malvolio in the letter. However, it is Malvolio's sef deception that allows this small prank to take on a grand scale. In the letter, Maria (disguising her handwriting as Olivia's) never outright names Malvolio as the man about whom she is writing. It is Malvolio's own self pride and overinflated ego the allows him to convince himself that the letter must indeed be about him. The audience is very aware of...

What part does self-deception play in Twelfth Night, especially in...

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:19:05 PST

What part does self-deception play in Twelfth Night, especially in regard to the character Malvolio?

Antonio gives Sebastian his purse upon landing at Illyria and tells him...

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:27:28 PST

Antonio gives Sebastian his purse upon landing at Illyria and tells him to buy whatever he pleases. When Antonio sees Viola/Cesario, he assumes that this young man is Sebastian and that Sebastian still has Antonio's purse. After saving Viola from her attacker, Antonio is confronted by an old enemy, who demands that Antonio answer for an offense he had committed years before. At this point in the play, Antonio asks Viola, believing...

In "Twelfth Night," why does Antonio ask Viola/Cesario for a...

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:09:17 PST

In "Twelfth Night," why does Antonio ask Viola/Cesario for a purse?

Sebastian, who is usually a passive character, beats up Sir Toby and Sir...

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:13:07 PST

Sebastian, who is usually a passive character, beats up Sir Toby and Sir Andrew because, mistaking him for Cesario, they attack him first (Act IV, Scene i, lines 24-43). Antonio, who is a devoted friend to Sebastian, risks his own life when he follows Sebastian to Count Orsino's household in order to protect him. Antonio has "many enemies in Orsino's court" (Act II, Scene i, lines 45-48), and often has to hide so as not to be...

In Twelfth Night, which two characters does Sebastian beat up, and why...

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:34:49 PST

In Twelfth Night, which two characters does Sebastian beat up, and why does Antonio get arrested?

Feste is commenting on the inconstancy or fickleness of the Duke and men...

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:13:57 PST

Feste is commenting on the inconstancy or fickleness of the Duke and men in general. He says,"Now, the melancholy god protect thee, and thetailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thymind is a very opal. I would have men of such constancyput to sea, that their business might be everythingand their intent everywhere, for that's it thatalways makes a good voyage of nothing. Farewell." (2.4)According to David Bevington's...

To feel pity, is to feel emotion; therefore, Olivia is hopeful...

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:50:57 PST

To feel pity, is to feel emotion; therefore, Olivia is hopeful Viola's/Cesario's feelings will grow. Feeling pity for someone is to feel compassion or sympathy. Typically, "pity" has a negative connotation; however, Olivia sees it as something positive: a glimpse of deeper affection. *I did refer to the Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary by Alexander Schmidt.

Though the background and atmosphere of Shakespeare's comedy are...

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 07:45:51 PST

Though the background and atmosphere of Shakespeare's comedy are romantic,they are built onsolid rock of realism.Expwith ref to Twelfth Night.

Olivia admits how much she loves Cesario in "Twelfth Night,"...

Sun, 2 Mar 2008 10:50:58 PST

Olivia admits how much she loves Cesario in "Twelfth Night," and Viola/Cesario says "I pity you." Why does this encourage Olivia?

In "Twelfth Night," why does Feste compare Duke Orsino to an...

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:38:54 PST

Act 2, scene 4

Malvolio's name suggests that he is a person of ill will and his getting...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:20:55 PST

Malvolio's name suggests that he is a person of ill will and his getting a comeuppance certainly seems well deserved. Shakespeare however does write the punishment of Malvolio in such a way that he becomes so pathetic we can't at some point help feeling sorry for him. That, perhaps, is an illustration of Shakespeare's genius.

Is Malvolio a character to condemn or sympathise with in "Twelfth...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:00:52 PST

the way Maria and Sir Toby plan to deceive Malvolio in the book

Illryia is an actual location, found in the Adriatic coast of...

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:59:23 PST

Illryia is an actual location, found in the Adriatic coast of Italy. (For Shakespeare, the placement of his romantic comedy in this exotic locale had much to do with the audiences of his day. Those theatre-goers "liked to project themselves into the world of romance" as well as indulge in a "nostaglia for by-gone days." Not much has changed about human nature, has it? We still long for unfamiliar beauty,...

Twelfth Night is a rambunctious comedy, perfect for the Elizabethan...

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:56:33 PST

Twelfth Night is a rambunctious comedy, perfect for the Elizabethan holiday of Twelfth Night. The drinking and carousing - as well as the confusion with identities - that goes on in the play is what makes it a festive comedy, despite the unhappy subplot of the tricking of Malvolio by Maria, Andrew, and Sir Toby.Check the link below for important themes within this play which will help you with your question. Good luck!

What are the main points that make Twelfth Night a festive comedy?

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:51:27 PST

What are the main points that make Twelfth Night a festive comedy?

There have been numerous cinematic adaptations of "Twelfth...

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:53:29 PST

There have been numerous cinematic adaptations of "Twelfth Night" that stay fairly true to the actual text of the play; the most recent, according to imdb.com , was the generally critically well received Helena Bohman Carter vehicle, directed by Trevor Nunn (1996) . Other adaptations include films ranging from as early as 1910! "She's the Man" tries to stick to the spirit of Shakespeare's play, with mixed results. The...

If you were to compare the two films Twelfth Night, to She's the Man,...

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:48:56 PST

If you were to compare the two films Twelfth Night, to She's the Man, which would be closest the actual spirit of the play?

A good question. There are many contrasts in this play, so many that it...

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:44:22 PST

A good question. There are many contrasts in this play, so many that it may only be possible to sketch out the major ones. Consider the contrast between Malvolio and Toby Belch. The first is an upright and uptight servant; the second is a drunken slob of a relative. The two end up in conflict, and though Sir Toby is an open fool, Malvolio is shown to be more of one. Both show the theme of self-deception. Olivia and Orsino are in contrast....

what are the major contrasts of the 12th night and how does each enhance...

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:09:08 PST

what are the major contrasts of the 12th night and how does each enhance a theme?