Twelfth Night - Study Guide

The play was written probably in 1600; we know that it was performed at the Middle Temple (one of the London law schools) on 2 February, 1602 and at court in 1618 and 1622, so presumably it was and remained popular. The plot has no obvious source, but with its confusion of twins it owes something, of course, to Plautus's Menaechmi, various Italian comedies of mistaken identity (e.g. Gl'Inganni, "The Frauds," written in 1531) and Shakespeare's own Comedy of Errors. It was first published in the 1623 folio.

1. Why is the play called Twelfth Night? Think about how this holiday might be relevant to the play's central thematic interests. Think also about its subtitle: What You Will.

2. Look at the functions served by Viola's disguise; how do they compare with those of other disguised heroines in Shakespeare's plays?

3. Who is accused of madness in the play and why? What are the relations between madness and folly?

4. Think about the role of Feste? What sort of clown is he? What doe she add to the play? What is the import of giving his final song? Is this a "festive comedy"?

5. Compare the households of Orsino and Olivia. (What kinds of music are associated with each household?)

6. Consider the effects of names like Aguecheek and Belch. What sort of actor would you cast in each role? Think of the long history of comic double acts (Laurel and Hardy?).

7. Olivia is pursued by three suitors: Orsino, Aguecheek, and Malvolio. How do these three actions comment on each other?

8. King Charles I owned a copy of the Second Folio (1632) of Shakespeare's works, and in his own hand referred to the play as Malvolio. Is there any justification for thinking of the play this way?

9. Think how gender confusions work in the play (and remember boy actor played female roles). Does this unsettle ideas of sexual identity or this play possible precisely because the notions are so firmly fixed?

10. The play has obvious references to festivity, but financial relations are also part of its texture. Think about the importance of money in the play (e.g. 1.5.284; 2.3. 19-32; 2.3.179-184; 2.4. 69-70; 3.1.44-54; 3.4.337-350 - and you should find others)