Twelfth Night - Love, Desire and Comedy - AO5

According to Garber, what is the impact of Shakespeare making twins identical?

He is "able to combine an old theme with a newer one, the theme of rebirth with the theme of sexual love and growth"

What did Garber say about how Viola can educate Orsino and Olivia in love?

"Viola... is able to educate both Orsino and Olivia in love... because she is in a middle space, in disguise, and in both genders"

What are the key conventions of comedy and tragedy genres in the play? (Emma Smith) [6 points]

- Death of fathers

- Melancholic fool

- Twins

- Storm

- Crossdressing

- Desire/Sexuality and Comedy

When and what is the significance of the first meeting of Antonio and Sebastian? (Emma Smith) [7 points]

- First meet in Act 2, Scene 1

- Sets up how the play is going to be resolved

- Begins the movement towards denouement

- S is introduced as the resolution - allows the love triangle to split into two pairs

- S = physical embodiment of the idea of C

- Allows for a "comfortable comedy"

- Characters serve their plots (motivation) - S main purpose

What is Sebastian's main purpose according to Emma Smith?

Sebastian's main purpose = to be substituted for lookalike; concept of the bed trick (in bed with wrong person)

How do Viola's actions reflect conventions of comedy according to Emma Smith?

Viola becomes her dead brother = keeps him alive; a comic thing by resisting death

What is Antonio's complication in the play according to Emma Smith?

Antonio = unnecessary? undermines the chance of keeping Sebastian as clean sheet?

How is the theme of love and servitude expressed through Sebastian and Antonio? (Emma Smith) [4 points]

- Short verse soliloquy - love

- Heightened emotion/expression of love for Sebastian in A's final speech of A2S1

- S is higher up in society than A

- Mixes household service and expression of love; complication often expressed in play

Give a quote from Emma Smith about servitude and love.

"play on the overlap of servitude and eroticism"

According to Emma Smith, how is sexuality/gender expressed in Act 2, Scene 1?

- Scene could be "a lover's breakup"

- Could be read as a gay relationship

According to Emma Smith, why could Act 2, Scene 1 represent male friendship?

- Sexual practice = does not constitute identity

- Male/Male Friendship was viewed as a soul in two bodies

- Friendship = against tragedy

- Men without friends = tragedy

- Friends = alter egos