ENGL 363 Final: 12th Night + King Lear

Who speaks the opening line, “If music be fooled of love, play on”?

Orsino

What is the name of Viola’s brother? 

Sebastian 

What is the name of the country the play is set in? 

Illyria

What name does Viola take on when she cross-dresses? 

Cesario

Why is Olivia so sad that “she hath abjured the sight/ And company of men”?

Olivia has been mourning over her dead brother. 

Whose household does Sir Toby Belch and Andrew Aguecheek frequent? 

Olivia’s household 

Why does Antonio fear walking around the streets of the town (Antonio is the man who helps Viola’s brother)? 

Antonio has past conflicts with Duke Orsino

What is funny about the duel between Viola and Andrew Aguecheek ?

Before their duel, they were both told by Fabian and Toby that their opponents were eager to fight which got them frightened.

What is Feste’s job? 

Fool who entertains (sings/dances)

The most famous part of Acts 2 and 3 is Malvolio’s receipt of a love letter tht makes him act in strange ways: 

1. Who does Malvolio think the letter is from?

2. Name one aspect of Malvolio’s strange appearance or behavior in response to the letter’s wishes? 

1. Olivia 

2. Yellow stockings and cross garters

At 1.3.57-58, Sir Andrew Aguecheek talks of “this company” – to what is he referring (what are the meanings of the phrase) and how is the line effective in this kind of theater/production? 

When Sir Andrew says “This company,” he is referring to both the group of characters that he’s interacting with as well as the audience. This is effective in the production because the line draws in a shared experience between the actors and audience (breaking the fourth wall). 

Screen shot 1 is from the beginning of the play (00:01:40). How has the production used the upper level at the back of the stage? 

The production has used the upper level for the instrumentals and another area of seating for audience members. 

Screenshot 2 is from the break between scene 1 and scene 2 (00:05:11). Playing in the evening “orginal practice.” What difference does time of day make to a performance of this (or any) play? 

The time of day can affect the atmosphere and tone of the play. Because the 2012 production was played during the evening, the artificial lighting creates a more dramatic and intimate mood.

Olivia enters in 1.5. What is funny about the way she walks/moves? 

When Olivia moves across the stage, it looks like she is floating through as her dress drapes over her feet. Her outfit of mourning contrast with her quick steps.

What jokes does the production make of Sir Toby’s line “a plague o’ these pickle herring!” (1.5.119-20). 

The production plays Toby’s drunkenness as an association with “pickle herring” where he farts and everyone is disgusted. 

How does Viola’s line about Maria as a “giant” (1.5.202) alter the apparent intention of the text/casting? 

The humor in this line depends on the physical casting. If Maria is significantly taller than Viola (played by a man in original practice), calling her a “giant” flips the dynamic and makes the line ironic or sarcastic. The production uses it to highlight differences in stature or status, adding physical comedy or commentary on gender roles and disguise.

What happens between Orsino and Viola at the end of 2.4? 

Orsino comforts Viola and they almost kiss.

What is Malvolio pretending to do (miming) when he first enters in 2.5 to be fooled by the letter? 

Malvolio pretends that he is walking Olivia into the garden and treating “her” as his partner. 

What do Toby, Aguecheek, and Fabian do to stay hidden in the box tree when Malvolio seems to hear them and turns to look their way?

They pretend to be birds. 

What does this production have Malvolio exit at line 2.5.177 and return again? 

“Joves and my stars be praised!” → He skips away and returns seeing that their is a post script.

Note the early instruments played by the musicians and a song taken from 4.2 and placed here. 

• trombone, drums, and woodwind instruments (shawms and curtal) 

• All actors are singing the song 

  • “Hey Robin, Jolly Robin” 

What are the pros and cons of playing olvia in the manner that Rylance does it? Does it enhance elements of Olivia’s character and the mode of the comic genre? Does it detract from potentially more subtle or serious ways of playing her role?

1. Pros: exaggerated- childlike behavior when in love 

   1. expressive gestures → makes actions unpredictable (dramatize) 

2. Cons: lack of subtly when it comes to intimate emotions 

   1. heavy on comedy 

   2. distract from emotional stake 

What is funny about Rylanc’s delivery of the line 3.4.17 “ How now, Malvolio?”

Rylanc’s delivery to the yellow stockings emphasized Olivia’s shocked reaction. 

Note the staging of the “anti-duel” between Viola and Sir Andrew.

1. Start: Viola on the left and Sir Andrew on the right 

   1. They get pushed to the center by fabian and toby 

   2. The are in fear and circle around eachother with their sword 

2. End: Viola on the right and Sir Andrew on left. 

How is Mavolio’s prison represented? 

Small box placed on a trapped door to represent the a small prison cell. 

What does Maria do just before she exits at 4.2.75? 

She pours wax in Malvolio’s prison. 

Note the effectiveness of Toby’s final rejection of Sir Andrew 5.1-216-17. 

His drunkenness impacts his anger at Sir Andrew making the emotional delivery effective on the audience. 

What happens as a joke at Orsino’s line “Your master quits you” (5.1.337).

Orsino addresses Sebastian instead of Olivia when saying this line. 

When Fabian tries to explain and mitigate the problem of the mistreastment of Malvolio, he says that Maria enacted her part “at Sir Toby’s great importance, / In recompense whereof he hath married her” (5.1.386-87). This production has Maria insert a word here. What is the word, and why is it funny? 

“Hurray” → Maria said it sarcastically making it seem like she isn’t happy about being married to Toby. 

Notice that while Olivia acknowledges that Malvolio has been “notoriously abused,” the Fool reminds us of his own personal reason of revenge. What is it? 

1. He reminds us that Malvolio insulted him which lead him to participate in the prank against Malvolio 

   1. The prank may have been excessive, but Malvolio brought some of it upon himself by the way he acted around others. 

Prepared Question: What are original practices?

a unique and radical experiment that was generated at the Globe and use historical performance to transform modern theatre practice 

Prepared Question: Actor and Audience relationship

• everyone is seen in the Globe 

• actors can speak to the audience or rescind to reaction of audience 

• creates intimate experience where the audience is a component of the performance 

Prepared Question: Make-up 

• stimulate the aesthetic of shakespeare’s time

• impossible to use authentic ingredients for white face paint (white lead and vinegar) 

  • white pigment mixed with chalk and almond oil 

  • crushed up pink children’s chalk for blush 

Prepared Question: Music in the spheres 

• Claire van Kampen (musical director) developed new ways of using Early modern music 

• musicians were often on stage 

• only incorporated reconstructions of period instruments w/ no electronic aids 

Prepared Question: Clothing 

• Rylance wanted to wear clothies that had the same integrity as the reonstructed Globe 

  • Building made of oak and plaster and he wanted the same principles in his costume 

  • costume were onl made of materials and techniques from the time period 

  • full shakespearean clothes (from smock to lace gowns and hose) 

  • affect their posture and breathing creating a different dynamic 

  • the tiring house was open to allow audience to see actors getting ready 

Prepared Question: All- Male and All-Female cast 

• all male cast playing female characters 

  • women were not allow to perform until the 1660s 

  • the Glove decided not to use boys to play women, but men did take part of women 

Prepared Question: Masters? - creative team 

• No directors but “masters of play”

  • used in programmes 

  • sat uncomfortably because women were also in charge of important elements of production 

    • Claire can Kampen and Jenny Tiramnai (master of music and master of properties and clothing) 

Prepared Question: Hazelnut shells 

• An attempt to recreate the historical ambiance included scattering hazelnut shells on the theatre floor, based on archaeological findings. 

  • shells = popcorn 

  • led to practical issues like blocked drains, demonstrating the challenges of replicating historical conditions. 

Prepared question on Orsino’s and Olivia’s Household: What goes on in each house?

• Orsino's household is a place of music, poetry, and emotional indulgence. It's dominated by Orsino himself, who is absorbed in his own romantic melancholy over Olivia. His court is more performative, filled with rhetoric, male bonding, and idle aristocratic luxury

  • Passive, reflective, and somewhat disconnected from real action. Servants like Curio and Valentine mostly serve as messengers. Cesario (Viola in disguise) introduces fresh energy, but the mood is still emotionally abstract and self-centered

• Olivia’s home is more active and dynamic. Although she is in mourning, her household includes a range of lively characters—Maria, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and the Fool (Feste). There's plotting, trickery, laughter, and a more earthy energy than Orsino’s refined melancholy.

  • Structured but easily disrupted. Olivia tries to maintain control through mourning and self-isolation, but Sir Toby and others constantly undermine that. There's tension between order and chaos, seriousness and festivity.

Prepared question on Orsino’s and Olivia’s Household: How are they different?

• Gender dynamics: Orsino’s house reinforces male power and poetic ideals; Olivia’s reveals the fragility of female control in a male-dominated world.

• Tone: Orsino’s is introspective and idealistic; Olivia’s is chaotic and grounded in action.

• Emotional authenticity vs. performance: Orsino’s love is performative and detached; Olivia’s emotional shifts (e.g., falling for Cesario) are more immediate and sincere.

Prepared question on Orsino’s and Olivia’s Household: What does each one tell us about the society of the play? 

• Orsino: This household reflects the patriarchal and hierarchical nature of upper-class society, where noblemen like Orsino have the privilege of emotional excess and can afford to be removed from the practicalities of life.

• Olivia: Olivia’s house shows the tension between female authority and male intrusion. Though she is a noblewoman with power over her estate, her household is frequently disrupted by unruly men, reflecting societal discomfort with women in control.

Name two of the three characters that interact before Lear enters 1.1?

Kent, Gloucester, and Edmund

Supply the missing word from Cordelia’s resposne to Lear telling her to speak in 1.1. 

“Nothing, my lord” 

Kent object to Lear’s rash behavior in 1.1. What punishment does Lear impose on Kent? 

Banishment 

Who takes the rejected Cordelia for his wife in 1.1?  

King of France

While Kent sits in the stocks in 2.2, he pulls out a letter to read. Who is it from? 

Cordelia 

What name does Edgar take on in his disguise as a madman? 

Poor Tom 

When they meet at Gloucester’s house, Goneril asks Lear “What need you five and twenty, ten, or five?” and Regan adds “ What need one?” to which Lear responds, “O reason not the need!” What are these numbers referring to? 

Lear’s Knights

What punishment do Cornwall and Regan inflict on Gloucester in 3.7 for his support of Lear? 

Poke out his eyes 

In 4.5 the competing sisters Gorneil and Regan are both sending letters/ messages to Edmund. What is the conflict between the women? 

Goneril and Regan love Edmund and its ruining their bond. 

These linese are spoken to Gloucester: “Come on, sir/ here’s the place. Stand still. How fearful / And dizzy ‘tis to cast one’s eyes so low! [...] I’ll look no more / Lest my brain turn and the deficiency sight / Topply down headlong” (4.6.15-16, 27-29). What exactly are they describing. 

Edgar is describing how high the cliff is when it really is a lie to help Gloucester gaining the motivation to live again. 

King Lear 1.1

In this opening scene, King Lear decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters—Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia—based on their professions of love for him. Goneril and Regan flatter him excessively, while Cordelia refuses to engage in such false displays of affection. Lear disowns Cordelia and gives her share of the kingdom to Goneril and Regan. This scene sets the stage for the play’s exploration of family dynamics, loyalty, and power. Lear’s tragic flaw—his need for flattery—becomes apparent, and his decision to disown Cordelia sets off a chain of events that will lead to his downfall.

King Lear 2.1

This scene focuses on the subplot involving Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, who seeks to gain his father's fortune by scheming against his legitimate son, Edgar. Edmund deceives Gloucester into thinking that Edgar is plotting against him, setting in motion a betrayal that will have tragic consequences. This scene highlights themes of manipulation, deception, and the consequences of dishonesty.

King Lear 2.4

 Lear arrives at Regan's castle, seeking refuge after a falling out with Goneril. Regan and her husband, Cornwall, coldly reject him, and Lear begins to realize the extent of his daughters' betrayal. He becomes increasingly enraged and vulnerable, reflecting the gradual erosion of his authority and sanity. This scene demonstrates Lear's growing isolation and loss of control, foreshadowing his descent into madness.

King Lear 5.3

This is the play’s tragic climax. Lear, now mad and in despair, enters with the body of his dead daughter, Cordelia, who has been hanged by Edmund’s orders. Lear's grief is overwhelming, and he dies of a broken heart, his tragic journey reaching its end. This scene underscores the themes of family, betrayal, and the futility of power. It is a heartbreaking culmination of Lear’s mistakes, his suffering, and the destruction of his family.

King Lear 2.2

• Main speakers: Kent, Oswald, Cornwall, Regan, Gloucester

• Context: Kent (disguised as Caius) insults and attacks Oswald, who is Goneril's servant. Cornwall punishes Kent by putting him in the stocks. This scene shows the growing cruelty of Lear’s daughters and highlights Kent’s loyalty.

  • Important line: "A knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats..." – Kent.

• Significanc: Demonstrates the breakdown of Lear’s authority and the disintegration of political order.

  • Foreshadows Lear’s further loss of power and dignity.

King Lear 4.1

• Main speakers: Gloucester, Edgar
  Context: Gloucester, blinded in the previous scene, is led by an old man; Edgar (disguised as Poor Tom) encounters him. Gloucester speaks of despair and wishes to end his life. Edgar decides to guide his father without revealing his identity.

  • Important line: "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport." – Gloucester.

• Significance: Reflects the theme of suffering and the perceived cruelty of fate or divine will. Gloucester’s despair mirrors Lear’s mental anguish.

King Lear 4.2

• Main speakers: Goneril, Edmund, Albany, Messenge

• Context:Goneril flirts with Edmund, implying a betrayal of her husband, Albany. Albany rebukes Goneril for her cruelty to Lear. News arrives of Cornwall’s death and Gloucester’s blinding.

  • Important line: "Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile." – Albany

• Significance: Shows Albany’s moral awakening. Highlights divisions between the sisters and their partners, preparing for future betrayals.

King Lear 4.7

• Main speakers: Cordelia, Lear, Kent, Doctor

• Context: Lear is reunited with Cordelia in a French camp. Lear is mentally recovering and feels remorse for his actions.

  • Important line: "Pray you now, forget and forgive. I am old and foolish." – Lear.

• Significance: This is Lear’s moment of redemption and humility. Represents emotional healing, though tragically temporary.