William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Twelfth Night (ca. 1601)
Things to Consider:
- Gender Roles and Their
Inversion
- Religion and Morality
- Class and Marriage
Discussion Questions (See Part Two 
and Part Three and Part Four ):
494:
- What is the name of the
theater where Shakespeare's company began performing in 1599?
494-95:
- What are the four categories
of Shakespeare's plays?
495:
- How does the construction of
Shakespeare's plays differ from that found in morality plays?
Twelfth
Night:
511:
- What is Twelfth Night? Why
might it be an appropriate backdrop for this play?
Act One:
(1.1)
513:
- Explain Orsino's opening
statement (1.1.1-3).
- Describe Olivia's
circumstances at the beginning of the play.
(1.3)
518:
- How does Andrew view his prospects with Olivia? Does Sir Toby
agree? Explain.
(1.4)
519:
- Explain Viola's final speech
in this scene (1.4.41-42).
(1.5)
523:
- Why does Olivia admit
Cesario/Viola? (cf. 1.5. 187-88)
526:
- Describe Olivia's impression
of Cesario.
Other Discussion Questions:
494:
- What is the name of
Shakespeare's acting company?
- Why was it not easy during
Shakepeare's time to make a living in the professional
theater?
- What did Shakespeare leave to
his wife in his will?
495:
- When was the First Folio
published?
496:
- Explain: "Shakespeare has the
power to multiply himself marvelously" (496).
- Explain: "The power that
continually discharges itself throughout his plays and poems,
at once constituting and unsettling everything it touches, is
the polymorphous power of language" (496).
- How can Shakespeare be at
once an agent of civility and an agent of subversion" (496)?
Twelfth
Night
510:
- How does this play
"unsettl[e] fixed categories of sexual identity and social
class" (510)?
- Explain the use of blank
verse and prose in the play.
511:
- Who is Malvolio? In what ways
is he a scapegoat?
(1.1)
513:
- Explain 1.1.18-22: What
classical allusion does Orsino make?
(1.2)
515:
- Why does Viola wish to be
presented as a eunuch to Orsino?
(1.3)
516:
- Describe Sir Andrew
Aguecheek.
(1.4)
519:
- What task does Duke Orsino
give Cesaria/Olivia? Why?
(1.5)
520-21:
- Explain the interaction
between Feste and Olivia.
525:
Act Two:
Discussion Questions:
(2.1)
527:
- Explain the interaction between Antonio and
Sebastian.
(2.3)
532:
- Why does Maria seek revenge on Malvolio? How does
she plan to achieve it?
533:
- Who is Penthesilea? Why is this an ironic name to
use for Maria?
(2.4)
534:
- How, according to Orsino, are women like roses?
535:
- Explain Orsino's comparison of women's love and
his own (2.4.92-102).
(2.5)
537:
- Explain Malvolio's
discussion with himself.
538:
- Explain the riddle (2.5.101-4).
539:
- Explain: "Some are born
great, some achieve greatness, and some/have greatness
thrust upon 'em" (2.5.136-37).
540:
- Explain Malvolio's planned
behavior.
- Explain Maria's response to
Malvolio's plan (2.5.187-97).
Other Discussion Questions:
(2.2)
528:
- Explain the exchange regarding the ring.
- Explain 2.2.29-32.
(2.3)
530:
- Explain Feste's song (2.3.45-50).
531:
(2.4)
534:
- Explain Orsino's comparison of men and women in
2.4.28-33.
- Explain the song Feste sings.
536:
- Explain Cesario's response to Orsino (2.4.105-19).
(2.5)
538:
- Explain Malvolio's remarks
about Maria/Olivia's handwriting (2.5.82-85).
Act Three:
Discussion Questions:
(3.1)
542:
- What, according
to Viola, makes Feste a good fool?
543:
- Explain the
exchange between Olivia and Viola.
(3.2)
545:
- Why will Sir
Andrew challenge Cesario to a duel?
(3.3)
547:
- Why is it
dangerous for Antonio to walk the streets?
(3.4)
548-49:
- Explain the
interaction between Olivia and Malvolio.
550:
- Explain Maria and
Toby's treatment of Malvolio.
552:
- Explain Olivia's
statement: "A fiend like thee might bear my soul to
hell" (3.4.208).
554:
- How eager is
Andrew to engage in a duel at this point? Explain.
- Why does Antonio
intercede on Cesario's behalf?
556:
- How does Toby
persuade Andrew to go after Cesario?
Other Discussion Questions:
541:
- Explain the
exchange between Viola and Feste.
544:
- How does Cesario
reply to Olivia's declaration of love?
(3.2)
546:
- What news does
Maria bring?
(3.4)
551:
- How does Toby
view Sir Andrew's challenge of Cesario?
552:
- Why won't Toby
deliver the written challenge?
553:
- How does Viola
respond to Toby's delivery of the challenge?
555:
- Why is Antonio
arrested?
- Why does Antonio
ask Cesario for money?
556:
- How does Viola
react once Antonio departs?
Act Four:
Discussion Questions:
(4.1)
557:
- Explain the interaction
between Feste and Sebastian.
- Explain the interaction
involving Toby, Andrew, and Sebastian.
(4.3)
561:
- Explain the interaction
between Sebastian and Olivia.
562:
- What does Olivia propose
they do?
Act Five:
(5.1)
563:
- What history do Antonio and Orsino have?
564:
- Explain the exchange between Orsino and Olivia (5.1.107-8).
[See also 2.4.92-102]
565:
- Why does Olivia call Cesario her husband (5.1.140)?
568:
- Explain Sebastian's claim
to Olivia in 5.1.260-62.
569:
- Explain Malvolio's letter
(5.1.299-307).
570:
- How does Malvolio explain
his behavior to Olivia?
Other Discussion Questions:
(4.2)
558:
- Why does Feste impersonate
Sir Topas?
559-60:
- Explain his interaction
with Malvolio.
(5.1)
565:
- Explain Orsino's threats in 5.1.122-28.
566:
- What accusations does
Andrew bring against Cesario?
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