What is the dramatic importance of Act 1, Scene 5 in Twelfth Night?

This scene is dramatically important in several ways. First, notice that though Olivia is technically in charge, there's not a clear hierarchy at all times. Instead, the clown rebels. Second, notice that the clown and Malvolio take turns insulting one another. This foreshadows how Malvolio will be made into a clown later in the play. Third, the love plot develops, as Olivia late in the scene tells the audience that she's attracted to the messenger. This establishes much of the later tension and comedy in the play, and, combined with the clowning, establishes that everyone in the play will be a figure of fun in some ways.

What is the significance of Act 2, Scene 4, in Twelfth Night?

A close reading for act 2, scene 4, of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night will look at the speaker's words and meanings but also at the way in which they speak and the context in which they speak. Let's look at a few details you might include in your close reading to help you get started.

Duke Orsino is pining due to his unrequited love of Olivia. He has called in Feste to sing for him, and the clown's song reflects the Duke's melancholy. There is some irony in Feste's remark that he takes pleasure in singing, even of a song like this. The Duke is feeding his melancholy and basically feeling quite sorry for himself. Feste does not hesitate to give him some advice. He says that he would have men like Orsino go to sea and concentrate on business. Make special note of the metaphors Feste uses, the “doublet of changeable taffeta” and the “very opal” mind of the Duke.

When the clown leaves, Orsino and Viola/Cesario speak of love. Orsino is about to send Viola back to Olivia, and he will not take no for an answer. The passage drips with irony, for Viola is, by this point, very much in love with the Duke and their situations are parallel. They are both suffering. The Duke, of course, is clueless about Viola's true identity, and Viola's description of her "sister" is fully about herself.

As you prepare your close reading, you might discuss the style of speech, which is quite formal to reflect these characters' high social class (except for Feste, who does, however, strive to match their diction). Note, too, the verse form of these lines. There is little in the way of rhyme, except at the very end of the scene, but there is a certain rhythm in the speech. Look for other examples of metaphors and figurative language throughout the passage, and reflect on how this section advances the themes of love, of identity, and of the differences and similarities between men and women. Finally, try to imagine the gestures and facial expressions of these characters. There is not much in the way of stage directions, but you can pick up some clues from the tone in which they speak.

What is the dramatic significance of Act 3, Scene 4 in Twelfth Night?

The significance of thise scene in the play seems best summed up in Fabian´s comment:

If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.

What happens in this scene are a series of further plot complications that further confuse identities, relationships and make more problems for the central characters as we see the key themes of deception and mistaken identity further advanced.

First of all we see the fruits of Malvolio´s successful gulling by Maria and her cronies. He protests his love for Olivia, coming forward in his yellow-gartered stockings. Olivia is of course amazed, and her response reflects the theme of love as madness:

Why, this is very midsummer madness!

Love makes us do stupid things, and at various points in the play love is described as a disease or a sickness that we suffer from. Also, we see in Malvolio´s responses to Olivia´s shock that when we suffer from the "disease" of love we twist everything to make it fit "our" facts. Malvolio sees everything as further proof of how correct his assumptions are, just as we are prone to when we are infatuated with someone.

Note too, how Malvolio´s behaviour enables Maria and Sir Toby and Feste to continue to have their fun with Malvolio and get their revenge. As Olivia considers Malvolio is mad, they can do what they want to him, which they do.

The duel between Viola and Caesario adds another comic element to the play. Note how Sir Toby scares each of them with the supposed prowess of the other. Then Caesario is mistaken for his brother by Antonio, this mistaken identity becomes further complicated and rather tragic when Antonio is arrested and needs the money he has given to Sebastian. Of course, Caesario is incredibly confused by this. Antonio´s continued protestations that he knows Caesario convince his captors that he is insane. Note how mistaken identities and love leads to accusations of insanity - this scene then represents the world of Twelfth Night swinging out of control. Anarchy seems to rule this world, and the audience begins to wonder how all of these crossed lines of communication can be rectified.

How would you analyze Act 4, Scene 2, lines 1-70 in Twelfth Night?

When analyzing a passage, it helps to first look for different literary devices and then figure out what the author could be conveying with these devices. Common devices to analyze for can be mood, tone, theme, characterization, figurative language, and diction. Specifically, some interesting elements in this scene are the moods that Feste creates as well as an important theme that he illustrates.  

One thing we see about the mood of the scene is that it's very ironical. We can especially hear the ironical mood in Feste's lines. For example, he states that he is neither tall enough to play a good curate nor lean enough to be considered a biblical scholar. However, regardless, he is still donning the curate's gown and beard. Beyond being ironical, the mood progresses to being rather dark as we begin to hear just how much Malvolio is being tormented in his dark enclosure and hear him begging for help. This dark mood contrasts with the lighter, gayer mood of the play and also directly parallels the final scene, which ends on a sadder not than would be expected. The dark mood helps portray the harshness of reality, which Feste later sings about in his final song.

Feste also portrays the theme of appearances vs. reality. He illustrates the theme of appearances vs. reality by of course pretending to be the curate, but he also makes a very important claim in this scene. Feste asserts that reality is unimportant because illusion creates the reality, as we see in his lines:

'That that is, is.' So I, being master parson, am Master Parson; for, what is 'that' but 'that'? and 'is' but 'is'? (13-15)

Hence, even though Malvolio may not really be mad, if the other characters, such as Feste, create the illusion that he is mad, then madness becomes the reality.