Twelfth Night

Viola and Olivia from Twelfth Night both experience profound grief and exhibit openness to folly and improvisation. They both lost their fathers and brothers, leading to their first independent...

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night employs various comedic and literary devices to enhance its humor and themes. In Act 1, devices like crossdressing, mistaken identity, and slapstick create a humorous...

In Twelfth Night, Orsino's unrequited love for Olivia is characterized by his idealized and obsessive pursuit, while Olivia's unrequited love for Cesario (Viola in disguise) highlights themes of...

Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" does not disclose the cause of Olivia's brother's death. The play instead emphasizes Olivia's excessive and irrational mourning. She vows to grieve for seven years,...

Each act and scene in Twelfth Night contributes to the play's intricate plot and themes. Key scenes, such as Viola's disguise as Cesario, highlight themes of mistaken identity and gender roles....

In the quote, the "lamb" refers to Cesario, whom Duke Orsino loves, and is willing to sacrifice to spite Olivia. The "dove" symbolizes Olivia, who appears gentle but is described as having a "raven's...

In "Twelfth Night," Feste the clown proves Olivia is a fool by pointing out the inconsistency in her mourning. He argues that since Olivia's brother is in heaven, as she believes, mourning is...

The quote is from Act III, Scene 1 of Twelfth Night, spoken by Olivia in an aside. Olivia, who has fallen in love with Viola disguised as Cesario, expresses her inability to conceal her feelings for...

Cypress wood is mentioned in "Twelfth Night" to symbolize death and mourning, drawing from both Greek mythology and Christian traditions. In Greek mythology, the cypress is associated with Hades and...

In Twelfth Night, female agency is the source of the comedy—but its scope is limited. This can be seen as a commentary on women in Elizabethan society. Female agency is significant in that it's...

In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare explores gender roles and ambiguity through characters like Viola, who disguises herself as a man, creating confusion and challenging traditional gender norms. This...

Shakespeare criticizes authority in "Twelfth Night" by exploring gender and power dynamics. He questions women's ability to maintain authority, reflecting contemporary anxieties during Elizabeth I's...

Olivia lies about the ring to ensure "Cesario" (Viola) returns, as she is infatuated with him. Despite Viola's truthfulness about not leaving a ring, Malvolio, trusting Olivia's honesty, insists on...

Viola believes that love is an "appetite" and that hers is as "hungry as the sea." This means that she does not believe in love, but rather physical attraction. The use of the word 'surfeit' also...

When Olivia first allows Cesario to speak with her, she has Maria put a veil on over her face before Cesario arrives (I.v.155-56).

Orsino uses others to woo Olivia in Twelfth Night because he is infatuated with the idea of love rather than Olivia herself. He believes sending intermediaries, like Cesario, will better convey his...

In "Twelfth Night," gender distinctions are blurred as characters are driven more by motives than inherent gender differences. Viola and Sebastian, being twins, are mistaken for one another,...