William Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay examples

William Shakespeares Twelfth Night In Twelfth Night Olivias trusted steward Malvolio, like Sir Andrew, is the butt of comedy. His very name suggests ill-will, which echoes his role in the play. Malvolio is an egotistical, overweening rogue, who is a straight laced, puritanical, social climbing rebuker of others for their anti-social and often sinful behaviour, or as he put it, misdemeanours. Malvolios character is summarised excellently by Maria in Act II Scene III: The devil a puritan that he is, or anything, constantly, but a time-pleaser, an affectioned ass that cons state without book and utters it by great swarths; the best persuaded of himself, so crammed, as he thinks with†¦show more content†¦She says that he is, sick of self love. Malvolios reaction to this statement shows one of three possible things about his character. Either he has enough self control to simply say nothing, demonstrating the traditional, astute, hard faced, and faithful servant Malvolio, or it could be used to show his complete, blissful isolation from the outer world, too busy wallowing in the self love that Olivia was talking about, or finally, and my personal choice, Malvolio could laugh the remark off to Olivias face, but when she turns away show his inner hurt, at the malicious remark that had come from the mouth of the woman he loves, by facial expressions directed at the audience, thus showing a more sensitive and loving Malvolio which he is afrai d to show to others. Malvolio is a very versatile character and can be played in numerous different ways ranging from the gloriously funny, but not offensively, vain Malvolio, to the manically self righteous extremist puritan who deserves every bit of what comes his way. I feel that the manner in which the character of Malvolio is played all depends on the reaction you want to achieve from the audience: either you must see Malvolio as the victim of Sir Toby, or Sir Toby as the victim of Malvolio. I have chosen the reaction of the sympathy for MalvolioShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay1146 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night The use of genre in any literary work assist the responder in understanding the text, as prior knowledge and past experience are used by composers to construct certain expectations due to characteristics that are recognised. Shakespeare, in his play Twelfth Night uses the Romantic comedy genre and its conventions of strong themes of love and a series of obstacles and misunderstandings concluded with a harmonious union of the loversRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay1962 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night William Shakespeare was baptised on the 26th April 1564, and as it was the tradition for children to be taken to the church for this only a few days after birth, April 23rd has been traditionally held as his actual birthday. It also fits relatively nicely for English person to be born on St. Georges Day as this represents England. He was born in Stratford upon Avon. In 1601, near the middle of Shakespeares careerRead MoreThe Impervious Perception of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night1631 Words   |  7 PagesIn the kingdom of Illyria (fantasy world), Twelfth Night was supposedly originally written for the entertainment of Queen Elizabeth I. William Shakespeare’s comedy associates with the Feast of Epiphany (January 6th) and was means for entertainment in the seventeenth century. It contains some aspects that can be thought of as a successful comedy when compared to the standards of today’s society. The play incorporates some of the very same devices that are used in modern comedies today, such as topsy-turvyRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Twelfth Night3268 Words   |  14 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night In Act 1, scenes 1-3, there are many ways to which these scenes provide an effective opening to the play. Individually, these scenes each serve a different aspect, which contributes to an effective opening. In Act 1, scene 1, Orsino is introduced into the picture, with his whining and pining towards this love for Olivia, with much exaggeration, due to the excessive use of imagery, and gives us one of the central theme of the play –Read More Feste in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay1077 Words   |  5 PagesFeste in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night In William Shakespeares comedy Twelfth Night, it is ironic how many times the fool is said to be dishonest, when, in fact, his role proves entirely opposite. Though sometimes the characters do not realize his hidden messages, the reader can instantly comprehend Festes figurative language, which is evident in every scene in which the fool appears. Whether he is singing to Orsino, arguing with Malvolio, or playing around with Viola, Feste alwaysRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay examples1337 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeares most famous comedies, involving complex plots, which result in hilarious outcomes. The main plot of Twelfth Night tells of Count Orsinos efforts to woo the Lady Olivia who does not return his affection. Instead, Olivia is smitten with Orsinos servant Cesario, unaware of his true identity. Cesario is actually shipwrecked Viola who, believing her brother has drowned, dresses up as a man to workRead MoreViola in William Shakespeares The Twelfth Night Essay551 Words   |  3 PagesViola in William Shakespeares The Twelfth Night Viola as a main character is the most deceitful; she tricks everybody into believing shes a man, but as well as being most deceitful she is also the most honest and sincere. So what are her attractive qualities? Why does she appeal to us as an audience? In this essay I will be looking at Viola and her appealing qualities as well as the way in which I believe she should be acted. In many ways Viola represents trueRead More Misperception and Deception in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night2160 Words   |  9 PagesMisperception and Deception in Twelfth Night  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Twelfth Night is likely one of Shakespeare’s most entertaining and complete comedy. This romance explores a generous wealth of themes and issues. The most recurrent theme is the relationship between misperception and deception. As a result of their environment and immediate circumstances, men are forced into misperceptions. Paradoxically, they are completely trapped by these illusions. Between the bad fortune they encounter andRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay examples892 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night The final act is a simple scene in this romantic Shakesperian comedy. It brings together all the threads of the storyline the plots, mistakes and confusions. It shows Cesario (Viola) being accused of deception, lies and acts of violence by a number of others including Orsino, Olivia, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Antonio. The scene is set outside Olivias house. It begins with Feste (the fool) and Fabian negotiating with each other overRead MoreEssay about Deception in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night775 Words   |  4 PagesDeception in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night In William Shakespeares comedic play, Twelfth Night, a recurring theme is deception. The characters in the play used deception for a variety of purposes. Violas use of deception involves her disguising herself as a man in order to obtain a job with the Duke of Illyria, Orsino. On the other hand, Maria, Olivias servant, writes a letter to Malvolio in Olivias handwriting to make Malvolio act foolishly because of his love for Olivia. While