Malvolio: a Character Analysis Lecture No: 8
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Teacher Resource Pack I, Malvolio
TEACHER RESOURCE PACK I, MALVOLIO WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY TIM CROUCH RESOURCES WRITTEN BY TIM CROUCH unicorntheatre.com timcrouchtheatre.co.uk I, MALVOLIO TEACHER RESOURCES INTRODUCTION Introduction by Tim Crouch I played the part of Malvolio in a production of Twelfth Night many years ago. Even though the audience laughed, for me, it didn’t feel like a comedy. He is a desperately unhappy man – a fortune spent on therapy would only scratch the surface of his troubles. He can’t smile, he can’t express his feelings; he is angry and repressed and deluded and intolerant, driven by hate and a warped sense of self-importance. His psychiatric problems seem curiously modern. Freud would have had a field day with him. So this troubled man is placed in a comedy of love and mistaken identity. Of course, his role in Twelfth Night would have meant something very different to an Elizabethan audience, but this is now – and his meaning has become complicated by our modern understanding of mental illness and madness. On stage in Twelfth Night, I found the audience’s laughter difficult to take. Malvolio suffers the thing we most dread – to be ridiculed when he is at his most vulnerable. He has no resolution, no happy ending, no sense of justice. His last words are about revenge and then he is gone. This, then, felt like the perfect place to start with his story. My play begins where Shakespeare’s play ends. We see Malvolio how he is at the end of Twelfth Night and, in the course of I, Malvolio, he repairs himself to the state we might have seen him in at the beginning. -
The Representation of Puritans in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume2, Number 1, February 2018 Pp. 97-105 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol2no1.7 The Representation of Puritans in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night Rachid MEHDI Department of English, Faculty of Art Abderahmane-Mira University of Bejaia, Algeria Abstract This article is a study on the representation of Puritans in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night; or, What You Will, one of his most popular comic play in the modern theatre. In mocking Malvolio’s morality and ridiculous behaviour, Shakespeare wanted to denounce Puritans’ sober society in early modern England. Indeed, Puritans were depicted in the play as being selfish, idiot, hypocrite, and killjoy. In the same way, many other writers of different generations, obviously influenced by Shakespeare, have espoused his views and consequently contributed to promote this anti-Puritan literature, which is still felt today. This article discusses whether Shakespeare’s portrayal of Puritans was accurate or not. To do so, the writer first attempts to define the term “Puritan,” as the latter is quite equivocal, then take some Puritans’ characteristics, namely hypocrisy and killjoy, as provided in the play, and analyze them in the light of the studies of some historians and scholars, experts on the post Reformation Puritanism, to demonstrate that Shakespeare’s view on Puritanism is completely caricatural. Keywords: caricature, early modern theatre, Malvolio, Puritans, satire Cite as: MEHDI, R. (2018). The Representation of Puritans in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies, 2 (1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol2no1.7 Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies 97 eISSN: 2550-1542 |www.awej-tls.org AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies Volume, 2 Number 1, February 2018 The Representation of Puritans in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night MEHDI Introduction Puritans had been the target of many English writers during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. -
Gulling of Malvolio in Twelfth Night
Subject-English Hons. Core Course Semester II Paper -ENGH-H-CC-T-4 Teacher’s name-Nilanjana Chakraborty Gulling of Malvolio in Twelfth Night: Malvolio is the steward of Olivia’s household. He dislikes all manner of fun and festivity and for that reason he reproaches Sir Toby for making late night gathering. Maria calls him a kind of ‘Puritan’. His puritanism and aversion to fun misplace him in the jolly society of the Illyrians. He responds to revelry and humour of the household with indignation. His duty is to maintain order in the household. As Olivia is not really in mourning, she enjoys Feste’s disorderly playfulness. But Malvolio’s reaction to this disorder is ‘distempered’. He finds nothing but offence in Feste’s remarks. Malvolio is sick of self-love and Olivia says this right on his face, “O, you are sick of self-love, Malvolio, and taste with a distempered appetite.” Actually, he is suffering from the exaggerated sense of self-importance. He also lacks a sense of humour. Malvolio dislikes parties, drinking, merriment of all sorts, and so he is very critical about the conduct of Sir Toby and others who are always involved in frivolities. Sir Toby, Maria, Feste and Sir Andrew Aguecheek openly resent Malvolio and Maria calls him an “affectioned ass” who uses high-flown language without necessarily knowing its proper meaning. He is not resented only as a Puritan, but also for the fact that he aspires to marry Olivia. Before he sees the letter, he is indulging his ambitious and substantial day-dreams; they include not only marrying Olivia and thereby becoming Count Malvolio, but also, from that position reproving Sir Toby. -
Twelfth Night KEY CHARACTERS and SENSORY MOMENTS
Twelfth Night KEY CHARACTERS AND SENSORY MOMENTS Characters Viola Sebastian Olivia Malvolio Sir Andrew Sir Toby Feste Maria Orsino Antonio Sensory Moments Below is a chronological summary of the key sensory moments in each act and scene. Latex balloons are used onstage throughout the show. Visual, dialogue or sound cues indicating dramatic changes in light, noise or movement are in bold. PRESHOW • A preshow announcement plays over the loudspeaker and instruments tune onstage. ACT ONE SCENE ONE SENSORY MOMENTS • Feste begins to sing a song. When he puts DESCRIPTION a paper ship in the water, the storm begins. At Duke Orsino’s palace in Illyria, Cesario and There is frequent loud thunder, flickering others sing for Orsino. He’s in love with the lights and flashes of lightning via strobe countess Olivia, but it’s unrequited because she lights. Actors shout during the turmoil, is in mourning for her brother and won’t receive cymbals crash and drums rumble. his messengers. • The storm sequence lasts about 90 seconds. • After the storm, lights slowly illuminate SENSORY MOMENTS the stage. • Actors begin singing a song. Orsino enters the stage and picks up a balloon. When he walks to the center of the stage, the balloon SCENE TWO pops loudly. • When Orsino says, “Love-thoughts lie rich DESCRIPTION when canopied with bowers,” the actors Viola washes ashore in Illyria, saved by the leave the stage, suspenseful music plays and ship’s captain. She asks the captain to help her the lights go dark. disguise herself so she can get work in Orsino’s court. -
Twelfth Night First Folio
1 TWELFTH NIGHT CURRICULUM GUIDE Consistent with the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s central mission to be the leading force in producing and preserving the Table of Contents highest quality classic theatre, the Education Department challenges learners of all ages to explore the ideas, emotions Synopsis 3 and principles contained in classic texts and to discover the Who’s Who in Twelfth Night 4 connection between classic theatre and our modern William Shakespeare 5 perceptions. We hope that this Curriculum Guide will prove useful to you while preparing to attend Twelfth Night. Elizabethan England 6 Shakespeare’s Genres 7 This curriculum guide provides information and activities to Shakespeare’s Language 8 help students form a personal connection to the play before attending the production. It contains material about the Topsy-Turvy, or The Feast of 12 playwright, their world and their works. Also included are Epiphany approaches to explore the play in the classroom before and The Heroine’s Journey 14 after the performance. What You Will: A Note on Gender 15 We encourage you to photocopy these articles and activities Diversity and use them as supplemental material to the text. Theatre Design 17 Classroom Activity: Design a Set 18 Enjoy the show! Discussion & Essay Questions 19 Resource List 20 The First Folio Curriculum Guide for the 2017-2018 Theatre Etiquette 21 Season was developed by the Shakespeare Theatre Company Education Department: Founding Sponsors Miles Gilburne and Nina Zolt Director of Education Samantha Wyer Bello Presenting Sponsors Beech Street Foundation Associate Director of Education Dat Ngo Suzanne and Glenn Youngkin Audience Enrichment Manager Hannah Hessel Ratner Leadership Support Community Engagement Manager Jared Shortmeier D.C. -
Bisexuality and Transvestitism in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Articulāte Volume 2 Article 5 1997 Bisexuality and Transvestitism in William Shakespeare's Twelfth iN ght Julie Driscoll Denison University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.denison.edu/articulate Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Driscoll, Julie (1997) "Bisexuality and Transvestitism in William Shakespeare's Twelfth iN ght," Articulāte: Vol. 2 , Article 5. Available at: http://digitalcommons.denison.edu/articulate/vol2/iss1/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Denison Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articulāte by an authorized editor of Denison Digital Commons. Julie Driscoll 25 or in the Renaissance, this was the role of Viola in Twelfth Night. duties. Her flourishing remarks and declaration of devotion to her BLSEXUALITY AM) TRANSVESTITLSM IN WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S The acceptance of such a practice has worked its way into society, imply a definite sexual attraction. However, she shares the same proving to be another perspective one can apply toward interpreta- Twi:um NIGHT attitude toward Orsino, suggesting that she would be a better woman tions of Twelfth Night. The way in which these devices affect the fit for him, as she has already devoted her service as an attendant. actions of characters is relevant in examining their intentions, de- Viola displays the same tone of love toward both Orsino and Olivia JULIE DRISCOLL '97 ceptions, and sexual desires throughout the play. and adorns each with varying compliments, exhibiting bisexual be- Historically, bisexuality has been written out of literature, and havior. possibly out of the Shakespeare canon. -
Proposed Core Literature Titles Twelfth Night, Or, What You Will
Proposed Core Literature Titles The following summary is provided by the California Department of Education’s “Recommended Literature List”, and the top three Google searches of the book title and author name that produced a description of the title. Twelfth Night, or, What You Will Proposed Grade Level: 8 Title: Twelfth Night, or, What You Will Author: William Shakespeare First Published: 2002 Lexile Level: 1140 Proposed Grade Level: 8 California Department of Education, Recommended Literature List: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/rl/ This title is on the CDE Recommended Literature List. Annotation: On the island of Illyria, Duke Orsino pines away for the love of the beautiful, but unapproachable Olivia. A tempest occurs that brings Viola and Sebastian to the shores, and a renewed pursuing of affection begins among the island's inhabitants. (Circa 1600.) Copyright: 1992: Original Copyright: 1600 Grade Level Span: 9-12 Genre: Drama Classification: Classic Topic: English-Language Arts/General Discipline: English Language Arts/Vocabulary; Visual and Performing Arts Descriptions From Top 3 Google Searches: Search: "Twelfth Night or What You Will" by William Shakespeare https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Night Viola is shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria and she comes ashore with the help of a Captain. She has lost contact with her twin brother, Sebastian, whom she believes to be drowned, and with the aid of the Captain, she disguises herself as a young man under the name Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino. Duke Orsino has convinced himself that he is in love with Olivia, who is mourning the recent deaths of her father and brother. -
COMEDY-Theories of Comedy
SHAKESPEARE Theories of Comedy • Between the 1520s and the 1590s, something astonishing happens to English Comedy; for one thing, it becomes quite suddenly ‘funny’, and despite Changes in audiences and linguistiC usage, audiences today Can still find Shakespeare amusing or we Can even be delighted or even moved • No doubt that many of the Tudor Comedies achieved the aim of entertaining their immediate audiences and modern stagings Can Certainly be entertaining, Capitalising on the aCrobatiC energy of live performanCe and the ability of talented actors to take command of the individual moment. • However, there is a Change taking place within that 70 years, in the nature and the quality of those dramatiC texts; partly to do with the language of comedy. ‘…our English tongue, which hath been the most harsh, uneven and broken language of the world…is now, by this secondary means of playing continually refined, every writer striving in himself to add a new flourish unto it; so that in process, from the most rude and unpolished tongue, it is grown to a most perfect and composed language…’ (Thomas Heywood’s ‘An apology for Actors, Book III, 1612) LANGUAGE; • MuCh of the effeCt of Comedies suCh as ‘As You Like It’, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ depends on the skilful manipulation of language; often language of a highly artificial kind • Shakespeare took the ornate, sophistiCated language, highly Conceited language of dramatists like John Lilly, who was working in the 1570-80s, and he made this language of eloquence not merely -
Twelfth Night
Character Study of Malvolio in Twelfth Night Malvolio, Olivia’s steward in Twelfth Night, is self-important, pompous, and even a little puritanical (he is accused of being a ‘puritan’ by the other characters). But he is also alienated. Indeed, his alienation from the other characters – from Olivia’s affections and favours which he so craves, and from Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Fabian and their drunken and riotous antics – is his saving grace, and what prevents him from being an insufferable bore. We take delight in laughing at him when he dons yellow stockings and makes a fool of himself, believing his mistress wants him to dress in such a ridiculous fashion; but Shakespeare encourages to laugh as much at Malvolio’s human frailty and weakness as at his pomposity and delusions of grandeur. His (deluded) belief that Olivia may indeed favour him is only too understandable, especially in Twelfth Night, a play with no shortage of characters who have deluded beliefs about other characters’ affections. We enjoy seeing him taken down a peg or two, but Shakespeare wants our mockery to be gentle, rather than gleefully triumphant. Indeed, this is the clever masterstroke of that key scene, II.5, in which Malvolio finds the letter (really written by Maria, Olivia’s gentlewoman, but imitating her mistress’ handwriting) in which Olivia supposedly declares, anonymously, her fondness for her steward, and Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Fabian all hide in the tree and watch as Malvolio prances his way about the place, his breast positively swelling with misplaced pride at the prospect of Olivia liking him. -
Webster and the Running Footman
Early Theatre 13.1 (2010) David Carnegie Running over the Stage: Webster and the Running Footman Although the frequent stage direction ‘passing over the stage’ has provoked much discussion as to its precise meaning,1 ‘running over the stage’ has attracted much less attention. Indeed, the famous Elizabethan theatrical clown Will Kemp achieved more fame by morris dancing than by running, though in his case heightened by being from London to Norwich.2 In early modern English drama there are, nevertheless, many kinds of running called for in stage directions. Alan Dessen and Leslie Thomson’s Dictionary of Stage Directions in English Drama, 1580–1642 lists roughly 260 examples under the headwords ‘running’, ‘hastily, in haste’, and others, divided into four categories.3 1. ‘enter/exit running/in haste’; this is the largest group, and includes examples such as ‘Enter in haste … a footman’ (Middleton, A Mad World My Masters 2.1.6.2–6.3), ‘Enter Bullithrumble, the shepherd, running in haste’ (? Greene, Selimus sc. 10; line 1877), ‘Enter Segasto running, and Amadine after him, being pursued with a bear’ (Anon., Mucedorus B1r), and presumably ‘Enter Juliet somewhat fast, and embraceth Romeo’ (Shake- speare, Romeo and Juliet 2.5.15.1). 2. ‘runs in/away/out/off ’; a typical example is ‘Lion roars. Thisbe … runs off’ (Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream 5.1.253.1). 3. ‘runs at someone or is run through with a sword’; examples include ‘He draws his rapier, offers to run at Piero; but Maria holds his arm and stays him’ (Marston, Antonio’s Revenge 1.2 [Q 1.4].375–6), and ‘Flamineo runs Marcello through’ (Webster, The White Devil 5.2.14). -
The Role of the Maid in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night & Othello
Rasha Abdul Monim Aziz The Role Of The Maid In William Shakespeare's - Twelfth Night & Othello THE ROLE OF THE MAID IN WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S TWELFTH NIGHT & OTHELLO Rasha Abdul Monim Aziz English Department College of Languages Baghdad University ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the role of two minor characters , the maids , in two of Shakespeare's works : Twelfth Night and Othello . It shows how they influence the whole action of both plays . The paper is divided into an introduction, two sections, and a conclusion. The introduction provides a brief explanation of the effective role of the maids in these plays and how the minor character can be sometimes equally important to the sequence of events as the major one . The first section deals with Twelfth Night . The role of the maid is represented in this play by Maria , the servant of the countess Olivia . Maria creates a second plot to the play through her plan of the forged letter . The character of the maid in the second section is represented by Emilia , the servant of Desdemona in Othello . 395 Rasha Abdul Monim Aziz The Role Of The Maid In William Shakespeare's - Twelfth Night & Othello She steals the handkerchief of her lady to satisfy her husband . This handkerchief becomes the tangible proof that leads to the murder of her lady Desdemona and the tragic end of the play . The conclusion summarizes the outcomes of the research . INTRODUCTION Throughout history the role of women has been heavily debated .There are many avenues that one could take to see and understand the role of women throughout history . -
Twelfth Night (C
Twelfth Night (c. 1602) Contextual information Quotes from Twelfth Night The earliest reference to Twelfth Night is in the diary of a law student, John Manningham. He saw the play performed on 2 February 1602 in Middle Temple Hall, in the legal Inns of Court in London at the Christian feast of Candelmas. The candle- lit hall in winter might have highlighted the play’s themes of darkness and illumination. View a photograph of Middle Temple Hall, the location for the first recorded performance of Twelfth Night The play’s title refers to a Christian festival twelve days after Christmas on January 5– 6. Before Henry VIII’s reforms to the English church, ‘twelfth night’ was celebrated with a period of carnival. Social hierarchies were temporarily re-arranged to become ‘topsy-turvy’ and a ‘Lord of Misrule’ was appointed. This 1559 painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder represents the opposing forces of View The Fight between Carnival and Lent Carnival and Lent – raucous excess and religious restraint – which some see reflected in Twelfth Night. John Manningham compared Twelfth Night to other plays involving confusion between twins, including Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors and an Italian drama called Gl’ Ingannati (1531) or ‘The Deceived’. In both Twelfth Night and Gl’Ingannati the twins are boy/girl pairs. But on the Italian stage, women were played by female actors, while in Shakespeare’s England they were played by men. Shakespeare had twins, Hamnet and Judith, born in 1585. Hamnet died in 1596, five years before Twelfth Night was first performed. Explore Gl’Ingannati, an Italian play about twins and mistaken identity The British Library | www.bl.uk/shakespeare 1 In his Symposium, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, includes a fable explaining the origins of love, gender and sexuality: Humans were originally two joined creatures, but we grew overconfident, and Zeus punished us by splitting us down the middle.