If you have any questions or suggestions for improvements in our study guides, please contact Eve Muson, Director, Olney Theatre Institute at 301/924-4485 x 143 or emuson@olneytheatre.org.

Getting the most out of the Study Guide for Twelfth Night

Our study guides are designed with you and your classroom in mind, with information and activities that can be implemented in your curriculum. National Players has a strong belief in the relationship between the actor and the audience because, without either one, there is no theatre. We hope this study guide will help bring a better understanding of the plot, themes and characters in the play so that you can more fully enjoy the theatrical experience.

Feel free to copy the study guide for other teachers and for students. You may wish to cover some content before your workshops and the performance; some content is more appropriate for discussion afterwards. Of course, some activities and questions will be more useful for your class, and some less. Feel free to implement any article, activity, or post-show discussion question as you see fit.

Before the Performance:

Using the articles in the study guide, students will be more engaged in the performance. Our articles relate information about things to look for in the show and information on Shakespeare. In addition, there are articles on the various play adaptations and movies inspired by Shakespeare work. All of this information, combined with our in-classroom workshops, will keep the students attentive and make the performance an active learning experience.

After the Performance:

With the play as a reference point, our questions, and activities can be incorporated into your classroom discussions and can enable students to develop their higher level thinking skills. Our materials address Maryland Core Learning Goals, which are listed on the next page.

The study guide, pre- and post-show discussion questions, and extended activities address specific Maryland Core Learning Goals in English and Essential Learning Outcomes in Theatre, including:

Director’s Comments: Staging Twelfth Night

By Clay Hopper

When directing a Shakespeare play, a director usually asks: Where are these people? What time period are they in? The answers to these questions must be very well considered, as they will inform every aspect of the production’s design--from the costumes and sound, to the props and the set. But why not simply set the play in the time in which it was written? What is the purpose of setting a classic play in the present?

The answer to that question is simple: In plays as rich and as large in scope as Shakespeare’s, the choice of place and time period becomes a tool to help illuminate the play’s themes. Viola says, “I am what I am not,” and in Twelfth Night, as in many of his plays, Shakespeare is preoccupied with identity and disguise, and the paradox of discovering the truth only by pretending.

In our production of Twelfth Night, the designers and I were struck by the fact that all of the characters endow others with what they want them to be. It’s as if they are so blinded by their desires that they (consciously or not) use all of their considerable ingenuity and energy to turn other people into what they are not. This allows them to fool themselves into thinking that what they are seeing in others is real. So we decided that the costumes should reflect this notion. The image we started with was that of actors rehearsing the play before they leave the rehearsal hall to go to the stage. They use whatever is around them to make the things that they need. If they need a golden chalice, they use a plastic bottle. If they need money, they use buttons. If they need a candle, they use a flashlight stuck on plate. A piece of tightly wrapped fabric becomes a corset. An apron becomes a tailcoat… You get the idea.

We hope to highlight this idea that runs through the play: that we humans create what we need to be there, especially when what’s there isn’t what we want it to be. But it often turns out that what is there is exactly what we need.

Left: Costume Desiger Pei Lee’s Costume Rendering for Olivia. Based on painting by Ingres.

So watch the show, let the story move you in whatever way is true to you. Laugh if you want to laugh, be afraid, intrigued, shocked, confused or horrified. The actors want you to be involved in the story they are telling. But please be respectful of the actors working hard to bring you a live performance and to the audience around you trying to enjoy the play. And remember, you will have the opportunity to ask any question about the play or the actors after the show during our Question-and-Answer session.

There is a rhythm to each line, almost like a piece of music. Shakespeare wrote in a form called iambic pentameter. This basically means that each line is made up of five feet (each foot is two syllables) with the emphasis on the first syllable. You can hear the pattern of unstressed/stressed syllables in the line, “If music be the food of love, play on.” Listen for this in the play as it adds a very lyrical quality to the words.

Read a synopsis or play summary ahead of time. Shakespeare’s plays, especially his comedies, involve many characters in complex, intertwining plots. It always helps to have a basic idea of what’s going on beforehand so you can enjoy the play without trying to figure out every relationship and plot twist.

Enjoy it! Shakespeare’s comedies are actually funny. Find the humor, laugh, and have a good time!

Left: Edmund Blair Leighton’s 1888 painting Olivia.

Who’s Who?

Orsino’s Household

Duke O r s i n o is a romantic nobleman of Illyria. He is in love with Olivia— although some may argue that he is in love with the idea of being in love. Olivia does not return the duke’s affections, and as a result he wallows in melancholy.

C u r i o is Orsino’s servant. Although he tries to serve him as best he can, he is not as close to the duke as the newly arrived Cesario.

The Shipwrecked

V i o l a ( C e s a r i o ) is a young woman of aristocratic birth and the twin sister of Sebastian. She dresses as a young man named Cesario in order to act as page to Duke Orsino, and she quickly becomes his close confidante.

S e b a s t ia n is the twin brother of Viola. He is mistaken for Cesario when he enters Illyria, and mayhem ensues.

A n t o n i o is a sea captain who rescues Sebastian after the shipwreck. He accompanies Sebastian in Illyria— because he cares for him and wishes to protect him— but this is dangerous for Antonio because he is a wanted man in Illyria.

The S e a C a p t a i n and Viola are shipwrecked together. He helps her in becoming Cesario and introduces her to the duke.

Twelfth Night Synopsis

With a plot full of hidden love, foolery, music, and an ultimately triumphant ending, Twelfth Night has delighted audiences for 400 years. Twelfth Night, called “the funniest of Shakespeare’s play,” by critic Harold Bloom, was the last of his light comedies before venturing into a line of tragedies and darker comedies known to modern scholars as “problem plays.”

Twelfth Night opens as Orsino, duke of Illyria, speaks of his consuming passion for the beautiful Olivia. She, however, has rejected all of his advances because she is in mourning for her recently deceased brother.

Meanwhile, Viola and a sea captain, who have been rescued from a shipwreck, land on the coast of Illyria and Viola believes that her twin brother, Sebastian, has been killed in the wreck. Defenseless, Viola decides to disguise herself as a young man and seek service with Duke Orsino. Unbeknownst to her, however, Sebastian has been rescued by Antonio, another sea captain, and has landed in further up the coast. He begins to make his way to Illyria with Antonio.

Right: Imogen Stubbs as Viola in disguise and Helena Bonham Carter as Olivia in a 1996 film version of Twelfth Night.

Under the name Cesario, Viola gains Orsino’s favor and, although she falls in love with Orsino herself, consents to be his go-between with Olivia. In Olivia’s household, the only servant who seems to enjoy the enforced mourning for Olivia’s brother is the humorless, uptight Malvolio. Olivia’s kinsman, Sir Toby Belch, and his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheeck (one of Olivia’s suitors) spend their nights carousing, aided and abetted by Maria, Olivia’s maid.

Cesario (Viola) arrives to carry “his” master’s pleas to Olivia, but to complicate matters, Olivia finds herself falling in love with Cesario.

That night, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Feste, Olivia’s fool, drink and revel. Maria begs them to be quieter; but when Malvolio comes in and reprimands them for their carelessness, they all decide to exact revenge on him. Maria forges a note that appears to have been sent by Olivia to a lover; when Malvolio receives it, he is sure that it is meant for him. The note instructs him to be surly with servants, to wear yellow stocking with cross-garters, and to smile continuously in Olivia’s presence. The plot against Malvolio works to perfection: his strange antics in following the instructions of the note cause him to be imprisoned in a dark room as insane.

Sir Toby, making more mischief, sets up a duel between Sir Andrew and Cesario, on the pretext that Cesario is a rival suitor for Olivia’s hand. As the two unwilling duelists prepare to fight, Antonio rushes in and, believing that Cesario is Sebastian, prevents the duel. However, when officers seize Antonio as a former enemy to Illyria, he begs Cesario to vouch for him. Upon Cesario’s denial that “he” knows Antonio, the good captain’s faith in human nature is shaken. However, Viola, upon reflection, realizes that the name “Sebastian” has been spoken and hopes that her brother may be alive.

Convinced that Cesario is a coward, Sir Andrew rushes out to challenge the page; but instead of Cesario he finds Sebastian. Olivia’s entrance breaks up the fight, and mistaking Sebastian for Cesario, invites him into her house, and then proposes marriage to the smitten Sebastian.

The Duke and Cesario arrive before Olivia’s house, where they meet Antonio. When Antonio again reproaches Cesario — whom he still believes to be Sebastian—the Duke is completely baffled by Antonio’s insistence that the young man has just arrived in Illyria. Olivia enters and speaks lovingly to Cesario. Orsino is naturally angry at what he supposes has been Cesario’s treacherous attempt to win Olivia’s affections, and when a priest swears that he has recently married the couple, Orsino becomes furious.

Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, meanwhile, have inadvertently picked a fight with Sebastian (believing him to be Cesario) and both enter wounded and bleeding. However, when Sebastian appears almost immediately, all the characters realize that they have been dealing with almost-identical twins. Matches are made all around: Sir Toby has married Maria, Orsino offers to marry Viola, and Olivia and Sebastian remain together. Everyone is happy except Malvolio, who vows revenge on the whole group.

Adapted from Synopses of Shakespeare’s Complete Plays.by Nelson A. Ault and Lewis M. Magill, Littlefield, Adams and Co., 1962.

William Shakespeare: The Man Behind the Words

Throughout the decades, William Shakespeare has come to be revered as one of the greatest playwrights in the history of theatre. Not only are his works continually performed all over the world, but numerous theatres exist solely to produce his plays.

Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England on April 23, 1564. He came from a family described as “honest, hard-working, middle-class stock.” He received minimal education and by the time he was 18 he was married to a girl by the name of Anne Hathaway. His first daughter, Susanna, was born the next year, followed by his twins, Hamnet and Judith, in 1585.

In the late 1580s, Shakespeare moved to London (96 miles away — about a four-day walk — from Stratford) in an attempt to financially support his family through the theatre. He began as an actor, but soon started writing plays and poetry as well. By 1592, he was known throughout the London theatre scene as an up-and-coming young artist.

In the spring of 1594, Shakespeare joined a company of actors known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Company, called such because they were under the patronage of the Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth I. The troupe began performing at the Theatre, but when their lease on the land expired, they took matters into their own hands. Illegally dismantling the Theatre and carrying its timbers across the Thames River, the company built what would become one of the most famous theatres in England: the Globe.

Soon after the move, Shakespeare became the principal playwright for the company, providing actors with approximately two plays a year. He was also highly involved in the management of the troupe and received a share of all profits. During this period, Shakespeare gained recognition as one of England’s premiere playwrights, while each of his plays received tremendous popular acclaim.

In 1603, when King James I was crowned after Queen Elizabeth’s death, Shakespeare’s troupe became known as the King’s Men and performed often in the King’s court. They were now recognized as Grooms of the Chamber, or minor court officials. At this time, Shakespeare gave up acting completely and became solely a playwright/manager for the company.

In 1611, Shakespeare retired to his home in Stratford, where his wife and children had remained all these years, supposedly to spend time in “ease, retirement, and the conversation of friends.” By this point, he had come to be quite a wealthy man and was able to live comfortably.

Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616. Those who knew him remembered him as “a handsome wellshaped man, very good company, and of a ready and pleasant wit.” Today he is remembered for his literary genius and timeless stories.

Shakespeare’s Theatre

The theatre scene that Shakespeare found in London in the late 1580s was very different from anything existing today. Because he was directly affected by and wrote specifically for this world, it is very important to understand how it worked.

The Performance Space

The Globe Theatre was a circular wooden structure constructed of three stories of galleries (seats) surrounding an open courtyard. It was an open-air building (i.e. no roof ), and a rectangular platform projected into the middle of the courtyard to serve as a stage. The performance space had no front curtain, but was backed by a large wall with one to three doors out of which actors entered and exited. In front of the wall stood a roofed house-like structure supported by two large pillars, designed to provide a place for actors to “hide” when not in a scene. The roof of this structure was referred to as the “Heavens.” The theatre itself housed up to 3,000 spectators, mainly because not all were seated. The seats in the galleries were reserved for people from the upper classes who came to the theatre primarily to “be seen.” These wealthy patrons were also sometimes allowed to sit on or above the stage itself as a sign of their prominence. These seats, known as the “Lord’s Rooms,” were considered the best in the house despite the poor view of the back of the actors. The lower-class spectators, however, stood in the open courtyard and watched the play on their feet. These audience members became known as “groundlings” and gained admission to the playhouse for as low as one penny. The groundlings were often very loud and rambunctious during the performances and would eat (usually hazelnuts), drink, and socialize as the play was going on, as well as shout directly to the actors on stage. Playwrights at this time were therefore forced to incorporate lots of action and bawdy humor in their plays in order to keep the attention of their audience.

Left: Sketch of the original Globe Theatre by Arend van Buchell

“O Spirit of Love, how quick and fresh art thou”

Orsino opens the play with one of Shakespeare’s often-quoted speeches. He is in an agony of emotion—for the onset of love turns us all into adolescents, regardless of age—and he is consequently unstable. He sets both the tone and the intensity of feeling in the play, but he is far from the only lovesick character. Lovesickness seems to sweep like an epidemic through the play, or, to use the play’s images, like a madness or a binge.

Watch how the love infection spreads: Viola catches it as soon as she joins Orsino’s court, for she falls in love with him in three days. Olivia catches the sickness from Viola during their first interview. And Sebastian catches the plague of love as soon as he meets Olivia.

A number of other characters speak in the language of love, or try to do so, for both Sir Andrew and Malvolio consider themselves wooers of Olivia. Sir Andrew’s love talk is distinguished by its poverty and ineptitude. He wants to be eloquent, but he has slender means.Malvolio—though mostly “sick of self-love,” as Maria notes—believes Olivia loves him and abandons his pride to pursue her, dressed in his yellow garters with a smile on his face. Even Antonio’s passionate dedication to Sebastian uses love’s rhetoric, for the male friendship bond in the Renaissance was more forthright andemotional than today.

Viola’s love must stay unspoken and secret, yet she cannot help but express her feelings and her ideas about love. In fact, her disguise allows her to speak more freely, and to discover what she really wants. Orsino is drawn toCesario as the only person with whom he can discuss love, and they debate the comparative fidelity of men and women in love. Orsino makes big claims, but Viola wins the argument not only with her words, but with her actions.

Where is Illyria?

Illyria, the setting of Twelfth Night, has been a subject of critical discussion for decades. Where exactly is this place, and why did Shakespeare choose it as a setting for this play?

• Illyria really does exist. It is a region on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea along the Northwest Balkans, said to be the ancestor of modern-day Albania. In Shakespeare’s time, it was known for its wild riot, drunkenness, and piracy (aptly fitting the play’s themes of revelry and trickery).

• In Ovid’s Metamorphoses (a known source of inspiration for Shakespeare), there is a mention of Illyria in the line, “Upon the coast of Illirie his wife and he were cast.” This has lead scholars to believe that perhaps Shakespeare’s characters and setting were inspired by those of Ovid, who lived near the actual Illyria.

• Many critics, however, argue that Illyria is meant to represent an imaginary, distant land; a place out of the world and out of time, such as the forest in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Arden in As You Like It.

Gender Identity and Disguise in Shakespeare

The element of gender identity and disguise is prominent in many of Shakespeare’s plays. In Twelfth Night, Viola disguises herself as a man, Cesario, for protection in the new, strange land of Illyria. She believes that her twin brother, Sebastian, has drowned, and chooses to disguise herself

for her protection and to find work. But her handy solution turns out to be her biggest problem—how can her love for Orsino ever be requited if she is a man? How can Olivia’s love for Cesario ever be requited if Cesario is in fact a woman?

Viola states that although she created this problem, there is no way she can fix it – “O time, thou must untangle this, not I. / It is too hard a knot for me t’untie.” It seems very “womanly” to not try to fix a major problem that she was a part of, instead choosing to give responsibility for solving the problem to an outside force. As critic Ann Barton writes, “Even her boy’s disguise operates not as a liberation but merely as a way of going underground in a difficult situation, of

waiting to see what Time will bring.” However, this passage also proves Viola’s maturity: She knows she cannot mend these troubles, and she also recognizes that fate rules all.

Paradoxically, it is only in the disguise that Viola is free of the patriarchal boundaries that confine and oppress women in her world. As Cesario, she is able to debate freely with Orsino and become his peer and partner. Only by pretending can she discover and realize her authentic identity.

There is no small amount of controversy over the exact dates when The Bard wrote his plays—just as there is controversy over his life itself. The following list, however, represents the dates that are accepted by most scholars:

The Fool

How many times have you seen the class clown come out on top in difficult situations? It happens all the time in William Shakespeare’s plays and Feste in Twelfth Night is no exception. Feste is the storyteller of this comedic drama, mainly through song; he is the only character besides Viola who moves back and forth from Orsino’s court to Olivia’s court, and he knows more about the events and action in the play than anyone else. He also predicts the outcome of the play—again through song — in the beginning of the second act: “Trip no further, pretty sweeting, / Journeys end in lovers meeting.” Feste foresees the last scene where Orsino claims Viola as his bride and Olivia finds out that she married Viola’s twin brother Sebastian. Feste, by traveling between the two main areas of action, is not emotionally involved in the drama between the different characters and acts as an observer and as a tie between the two houses.

Viola is the only character who recognizes how perceptive Feste actually is: “This fellow is wise enough to play the fool.” Feste, along with a few other characters (Olivia’s gentlewoman Maria and Olivia’s uncle Sir Toby Belch) play tricks on Olivia’s steward Malvolio, the play’s actual fool. The egotistical Malvolio shuns songs, playing, and drinking all hours of the night, but is quite excited when he receives a declaration of love…but he doesn’t know the letter isn’t from who he thinks it is. Malvolio is convinced that the letter is from Olivia when Maria actually wrote it, at the goading of Feste and Sir Toby. Malvolio proceeds to wear cross-gartered yellow stockings and smile like an idiot because the letter states that those are the things that will tell Olivia that Malvolio loves her back. In the end, Feste is proven a wise man while Malvolio storms off in anger, the play’s true fool.

The First Twelfth Night

The phrase “Twelfth Night” actually refers to the last night of the Feast of the Epiphany, a 12-day celebration of the Christmas holidays and the journey of the Magi to bring gifts to the infant Christ. The Twelfth Night celebration occurred on January 6th every year and was known as a feast of misrule, eating, and drinking during which masques and revels were presented. Historical documents show that on January 6th (Twelfth Night) in 1601, Queen Elizabeth I of England held a royal celebration in her court to entertain the visiting Duke Orsino of Bracciano. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (Shakespeare’s company) were paid to perform a play at this particular celebration. These facts lead scholars to believe the first performance of Twelfth Night may have been at this celebration. It would make sense for the play’s name to refer directly to its occasion, as well as the name of the queen’s guest in one of its main characters.

Rather than creating a play to be performed at the Globe Theatre like so many of his others, Shakespeare would have written it specifically for the court in which it would be presented.

Looking back on that first performance of Twelfth Night, it is difficult to know if this is in fact the exact scenario that unfolded as Shakespeare penned his famous comedy. However, as scholars have found, it is exciting to piece together what might have been and what forces could have prompted the creation of such a play.

Below: Designer Pei Lee’s rendering for Maria Based on painting by Ingres.

Pre-Show Discussion Questions

1. Discuss your previous experiences with Shakespeare and his works. Were they at all difficult to understand, or tedious to read or view? Do you find the language in Shakespeare beautiful and poetic, or does the archaic language just bring about frustration and hinder understanding? What has helped make the plays more accessible and relevant to your own life? Having read the synopsis of Twelfth Night, what scene and/or relationship are you most excited to watch?

2. Messages and messengers play an important role in Twelfth Night. More often than not, the messages are the source of misinformation or confusion. Have your students write a brief description of something that happened recently in the classroom, and then read the descriptions aloud. See if the students can guess who wrote which description.

3. If you are able to read the play before the performance, write a short description about or discuss relationships between the following character pairs: Sir Toby and Maria; Malvolio and Olivia; and Antonio and Sebastian. Keep these descriptions for use after you see the performance.

Post-Show Discussion Questions

1. Twelfth Night is hailed as one of Shakespeare’s best comedies. What elements of the play make it so entertaining? Think about characters, relationships, plot devices, language, etc. What about

Below: Designer Pei Lee’s the people in Twelfth Night makes them so funny? Why do we, rendering for Sir Andrew Aguecheek as theatergoers, love to watch people in sticky situations and find Based on painting by Ingres. it entertaining? How does Shakespeare get an audience to laugh out loud?

1. The time in which Shakespeare was writing is much different from today’s world. How do you think the relations between people and the themes in Twelfth Night compare and contrast to today? Can you think of a theme similar to one in Twelfth Night—such as hidden love, mistaken identity, or the wise fool— you have heard about recently?

2. How does knowing about the configuration of the Globe Theater and the way in which Shakespeare’s plays were performed there change your understanding of his plays? Do you find any explanations in this information for why he wrote his plays the way he did? Think about the actual experience of attending a theatre in Shakespeare’s day. Are there any similarities to a theatre you would attend today? What are the major differences? Which style appeals more to you?

1. Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, and as such, love is the primary focus. Why do you believe each of the characters falls in love? Was it because of the situation itself, because of the personality of the other person, or because of his or her outward appearance? Support you argument with evidence from the play.

2. Although the play offers a happy ending, several of the characters grieve or suffer pain because of their love. Make a list of the characters who suffer due to love in the play, and discuss or write a brief description of why. How closely related are the ideas of love and suffering? Does anyone fall in love in this play who doesn't suffer? How does this relate to your own life? Do some of the characters even enjoy their own suffering? Given that this is a romantic comedy, what was Shakespeare’s purpose in showing the pain love can cause? Overall, what do you believe The Bard was saying about life and love in Twelfth Night?

3. Gender ambiguity in Shakespeare is a never-ending area of discussion. When Shakespeare’s plays, including Twelfth Night, were first produced, all-male casts performed them. Also, he wrote many plays where female characters disguised themselves as men and sometimes, female characters adopted the gender roles of the male. Why does Viola disguise herself as a boy in Twelfth Night? How are women thought of and treated in the play? Are women treated differently today? How so?

4. Shakespeare’s Fools are often the most complex characters in his plays, and Twelfth Night’s Feste is no exception. Is Feste a wise Fool, a foolish Fool, or a bit of both? How does his role help to develop the other characters in the play, such as Olivia, Sir Toby and Malvolio? How is he different than the other characters? How does Feste influence the plot? Does he serve a role between the play and the audience? What are his overall purposes in the production?

5. What do you find humorous about the treatment of Malvolio? Do you sympathize with the character, or is he too unlikable to pity? Relating the manipulation of Malvolio to situations in current movies (i.e. Meet the Parents, Home Alone), what is so funny about cruelty and human misfortune? What makes it entertaining to watch?

6. Refer to the descriptions of the character relationships that you made before the performance (between Sir Toby and Maria; Malvolio and Olivia; and Antonio and Sebastian). Now that you have seen the play performed, have your perceptions of these relationships changed? What different or new aspects did you notice in each of the relationships?

7. A person’s perception of events is often shaded by their own point of view. Have the class split into pairs or groups. Each group member will pick a different character from the play and assume that character’s identity (and that character’s point of view). Have each group then debate the events of the play, with each student maintaining the point of view of the character they have chosen. Does each character see the events of the play in a different light? If so, how was their point of view different? What are the reasons for the differences?

Adaptations

The proof of the resilliance and continued power of William Shakespeare’s work is in the many adaptations that his plays have inspired. From movies that use the original dialogue to those that take Shakespeare’s situation as a springboard for contemporary characters, the number of Shakespeare adaptations is still growing. Here is a short list of some of the movies that have been created from the words of William Shakespeare.

Further Reading & Research

Twelfth Night: Extended Lesson Plans