Twelfth Night - Symbols and Motifs

What is the motif of hunting a metaphor for?

Lover's pursuit of his beloved.

What is Orsino's emphasis on the motif of hunting?

He enjoys the pursuit more than consummating love. Reflects his aristocratic status; once prey is caught, the fun ends.

Which scenes contain the motif of hunting?

Act 1, Scene 1; Act 2, Scene 3; Act 2, Scene 5

What is hallucination often compared to?

Love is often compared to hallucination.

What is hallucination symbolic of?

Love is based on misperceptions, mistakes, or fantasies.

Which scene is the motif of hallucination in?

Act 1, Scene 1

What do costumes showcase?

A character's identity can change in different situations.

Give three significant costumes in the play.

- Feste's joker costume

- Olivia's veil

- Malvolio's yellow cross gartered stockings

What is Feste's Joker Costume symbolic of?

Contrasts his intelligence; shows not to judge by appearance.

In which scenes do we see Feste's joker costume?

Act 1, Scene 5; Act 4, Scene 2

What is Olivia's veil symbolic of?

Symbolizes her performative grief.

In which scenes do we see Olivia's veil?

Act 1, Scene 2; Act 3, Scene 1

What are Malvolio's yellow, cross-gartered stockings a symbol of?

Symbol of manipulation and ambition.

In which scenes do we see Malvolio's stockings?

Act 2, Scene 5; Act 3, Scene 4

What is the motif of music symbolic of?

Love

Which scenes does the motif of music appear in?

Act 1, Scene 1; Act 2, Scene 3; Act 2, Scene 4; Act 5, Scene 1

Give an example of a quote from Act 1, Scene 1 linking to the motif of music and what it means.

Quote: "If music be the food of love, play on. That surfeiting the appetite may sicken and so die."

Meaning: Orsino sees music as nourishment for love.

What is a hart? What it is a homophone of?

Definition: A deer.

Homophone: Heart.

Where do harts appear in the play?

During Orsino's speeches about his love for Olivia.

What are harts symbolic of? [3 points]

Romantic Pursuit: Represents pursuit and vulnerability.

Hunter/Hunted Dynamic: Reflects patriarchal views; men needed to control women.

Orsino as a Hart: Vulnerability and loss of control, showing his intense infatuation with Olivia and his narcissistic view of love.

What is the sea symbolic of? [4 points]

Vast Love: Represents how vast and all-consuming love can be.

Destructive Power: Love can be drowned and destroyed.

Grief and Melancholy: Highlights emotions felt by characters.

Love Symbolism: Vastness, complexity, and changeability.

Give an example of love being destroyed by the sea in the play.

Viola and Sebastian grieve, thinking each other dead from the shipwreck.

Which scenes is the motif of the sea used in?

Act 1, Scene 1; Act 1, Scene 2; Act 2, Scene 1; Act 3, Scene 4; Act 4, Scene 1

What is the motif of darkness symbolic of?

Loss of place in society and sorrow/melancholy.

In which scenes is the motif of darkness used?

Act 1, Scene 5; Act 4, Scene 2; Act 5, Scene 1

How many times is the word soul used in the play?

21 times

What is the significance of the use of the word 'soul'? [4 points]

- The idea of the soul is significant in Twelfth Night because it develops the themes of love and religion, showing the levels of connection between lovers and perhaps that love is just another form of devotion.

- It is also significant in developing the theme of deception and disguise, considering Viola as a soul trapped in the wrong body, showing the internal and deep conflict caused by deceit.

- Feste uses the transmigration of the soul to bait Malvolio in order to consider how some souls are trapped in bodies that do not serve them.

- Shakespeare is commenting on obstruction and how souls cannot talk to each other when they are in the wrong bodies.