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Musical thematics on twelfth night
Analysis of comedy in twelfth night
Analysis for the twelfth night
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The Different Types of Comedy Employed by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare wrote 'Twelfth Night' in 1914 as he was
commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I to write a comic play for very
important Italian courtier. The play included themes of love,
confusion, disguise and other particularly funny topics from
Shakespearean time.
The title 'Twelfth Night' fits in well with the comic play for a
number of reasons. 'Twelfth Night' is the name used for the Twelfth
Day after Christmas. On this day (6th January), decorations are taken
down, pranks are made and the servants and masters inverse. Two
characters that appear in the play, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, would
like this period of time as they love to drink, joke and have loud
fun. Their dancing, singing and drunkenness would most probably make
the audience laugh. In contrast to Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, Malvolio
is a puritan. A puritan is someone who believes getting drunk is
immoral and they must also live by the principles of the bible. His
character would also be funny towards the audience because of his
sensibility, stubbornness and other exaggerated beliefs. Another
comical character in the play is Feste. Feste is Olivia's fool. Feste
plays with his words and by using comical language appeals to the
audience.
Before explaining the comic devices in 'Twelfth Night' Act II Scene V,
it is necessary to know what has previously happened in the play.
Malvolio is deeply in love with Olivia who is head of the house and
has also been mourning for her dead brother for a long time. Malvolio
is her servant and would love to raise his social status. In Act II,
Scene V Sir Toby a...
... middle of paper ...
... by playing with his mind, hopes and dreams.
In my personal opinion, it was a good idea that William Shakespeare
placed Malvolio, who was both a puritan and very proud, as the central
comical character as he was easy to make mock and the audience would
have loved to hate him. The play due to its many comical devices is
quite humorous and the appearance and attitude of the main character,
Malvolio, and the contrast toward Sir Toby and Sir Andrew made it more
amusing for the audience in Shakespearean times to laugh. In
comparison to Shakespearean times, today we are very different and
William Shakespeare wouldn't receive the same amount of laughter now,
as he would have done in his own life. All of William Shakespeare's
comical devices would have made his selected audience laugh which was
the effect he was looking for.
His inflated ego has lead him to misinterpret Lady Olivia’s feelings for him-or rather, her lack of feelings. Although he already has the notion that he should end up with the Lady, he is fooled by Sir Toby, Maria, and Sir Andrew, believing Olivia feels the same for him. The tricksters deliberately write a letter indirectly addressed to Malvolio, divulging “Olivia’s” hidden love for the steward. Without giving much thought to the credibility of this discovered letter, Malvolio follows its enclosed instructions, unwittingly earning the real Lady Olivia’s disfavor (2.5.91-195). “This and his continuous disapproval of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew's drinking, earn him their hatred and he quickly becomes their pawn in a complex romantic ruse” (Review at Absolute
... He speaks to Viola, before Feste, Olivia’s Jester, sings to signal the ending. “Cesario, come – For so you shall be while you are a man; But when in other habits you are seen Orsino’s mistress and his fancy’s queen.” The characters in Twelfth Night each play an important and specific role, especially when it comes to interfering or setting fate for romantic interests.
Precise definition of a festive comedy is best outlined in the distinctive depictions if merry in the tone, exhibition of Elizabethan holidays, satire depiction in the composition to mockery which is to a greater extent natural. The same is resonated in depictions of comic faith wherein what matter most is the rather satirical and happy depiction of events in the hope of a greater cause such as religion and love. In structuring up the play ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream,’ there is clear mapped outline that makes reference to the ideal of it being regarded as a festive comedy but notions of the same are heavily transcended in the different sections of the play coupled with the ideal of comic faith as well. What is followed
Feste is a jester, clown or fool who moves between the homes of Olivia and Orsino. During the Renaissance, monarchs and some noble families had fools or clowns in their households as entertainers- to sing, make witty observations and play practical jokes. Shakespeare usually includes at least one clown in most of his comedies. This is how Feste earns his living, along with giving other characters shrewd advice. Despite being a professional fool, Feste often seems the most intelligent person in Twelfth Night. Feste seems to be a pivotal character in the play, and his presence makes the play much more than just a tale of romance.
One of the reasons that none of the characters seemed to get along with Malvolio was because of his strict adherence to the rules. For characters like Sir Toby and Maria, this was considered especially (outcast-like) behavior because of their blatant disregard for the rules. Nancy Lindheim supports this point in her article by stating, “Malvolio alone acts with a moral severity that angers most other members of the household and is inimical (not friendly) to comedy itself.” (Lindheim 700) In this quote she is stressing the fact that Malvolio tends to act more morally than the other characters. This is seen in act 2 scene 3 of the play. Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria are all having a good time, drinking and speaking very loud when Malvolio comes in and informs them that they are not showing respect to Olivia by being so rowdy in her house this late at night. Sir Toby then tells Malvolio to go hang himself. From this example we can see that very early on in the play there are some characters that really do not like Malvolio at all. Things only get worse after this point in the play.
Use of Humor in Romeo and Juliet & nbsp; Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. One. could give many reasons as to why this play became such a huge success, but one of the most important reasons could be the use of humour in the play. The main reason for doing this could be to relieve the tensions in the play. and to entertain and keep the Elizabethan audience interested. &
William Shakespeare is the author of the comedy play ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’. This play was written around 1595. In this essay I will be answering the question how does Shakespeare creates humour in act 5 scene 1. There are many reasons as to how the play was humorous; one of the main reasons was the staging you would have the real audience, the court on the stage and on the original stage you would have the mechanicals perform. The other reasons on how Shakespeare creates humour are with the characters (fairies, court and mechanicals) and the repetitive incorrect use of language and errors. An example of this could be when in act 5 scene 1 Bottom says ‘O grim looked night, O night …….
Twelfth Night was written in 1601 by William Shakespeare. Another meaning to Twelfth Night was the coming of Wise Men. This also called “Epiphany”. Epiphany means sudden stroke of insight, a sudden understanding of the “reality of things.” A seeing beyond appearances. Often consider moments of Epiphany to be crucial events in our intellectual, spiritual lives. At Epiphany of Christ, first who saw the powers that child stood for. For centuries Twelfth Night had been celebrated with plays; one of the most theatrical nights of the year. Audience would become involved in action, plays would spill over into streets, halls of houses where performance taking place.
After Malvolio establishes that "Olivia" writes the letter he then begins to interpret the letter to suit his situation. "`M'--Malvolio! `M'! Why, that begins my name" It is humorous because he believes the letters "M.O.A.I" is an acronym for his name. However the audience knows that it is a device cleverly thought up by Maria that has obviously succeeded in its purpose to trick Malvolio.
Feste, the fool character in Twelfth Night, in many ways represents a playwright figure, and embodies the reach and tools of the theater. He criticizes, manipulates and entertains the other characters while causing them to reflect on their life situations, which is similar to the way a playwright such as Shakespeare interacts with his audience. Furthermore, more so than the other characters in the play he accomplishes this in a highly performative way, involving song and clever wordplay that must be decoded, and is thus particularly reflective of the mechanisms at the command of the playwright. Feste is a representation of the medieval fool figure, who is empowered by his low status and able to speak the truth of the kingdom. A playwright speaks the truth by using actors and fictional characters, who are in a parallel low status in comparison to the audience, as they lack the dimensionality of real people. Thus, the role Feste plays in the lives of the characters in the play resembles the role the play itself plays in the lives of the audience watching the performance. This essay will explore this comparison first by analyzing similarities between the way in which Feste interacts with other characters and the way the playwright interact with the audience, and then focus on the similarities between the aims and content of these interactions.
Humor in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night In Twelfth Night we see different types of humour. There is the witty
...h the underlying theme of festivity in the play. Edward Cahill’s article and evidence from the play provides solid evidence to support this argument. However, what Salingar hasn’t addressed in his article is that the sub-plot also serves to illustrate the dangers of unchecked festivity. The sub-plot is absolutely necessary to the play and adds a layer of depth and insight into the themes of Twelfth Night but most of all, the subplot is what allows this play to be classed as a comedy.
...one of the antics at the start play to woo Olivia succeed for Orsino and Viola’s initial plan in the beginning does not blossom. This line concludes the part of Feste’s song in which he is giving a synopsis of the play. The last two stanzas are addressed to the audience and Feste thanks them.
Mistaken identity and disguise are important aspects of comedy in Twelfth Night that stand at the forefront of the play’s comedy. Not only are mistaken identities and disguise evident within the main plot of the play but also in various other situations. Sexual confusion amongst characters, subversion of gender roles and farcical elements through stagecraft all effectively contribute to the dramatic comedy genre. However, it can be suggested that certain elements of Twelfth Night are not interpreted to be purely comedic; Shakespeare has incorporated serious and controversial subjects such as the idea of genuine love, the patriarchy of the time and the cruel gulling of Malvolio. Therefore, disguise and mistaken identity are not solely for the purpose of comedy and it could be inferred that it even borders on the genre of tragedy.
Shakespearian comedies have some common characteristics which are found in The Tempest. The first characteristic of Shakespearian comedy is that there is a struggle of young lovers. They have to go through many adversaries to achieve their love. Miranda is a passive character and Ferdinand is also not the hero of the play. But they are the important couple of the play. Miranda is shown as a meek lady who is very faithful to her love when she says, “I am your wife, if you will marry me; / If not, I’ll die your maid” (III.i.83–84). Along with the struggle of the lovers, the protagonist also is shown going through several adversaries. The exile theme is one of the major themes in Shakespearian comedies. For example in Just like Prospero, in “As You Like It”, Duke Senior was exiled by Fredrick. Rosalind’s adverse journey starts from here. Rosalind is portrayed as a strong lady; hence she becomes the real hero of the play. But in The Tempest, Miranda’s character is portrayed as a weak person. Unlike Rosalind from As You Like It, Miranda is not the influential lady in the play.