Twelfth Night Study Notes

Twelfth Night Study Notes

Act 1 Scene 1

  • Characters Introduced: Duke Orsino, Curio, Valentine.
  • Key Themes: The nature of love, longing, and desire.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "If music be the food of love, play on."
    • Imagery of Music: Orsino equates music with love, expressing a desire for excess as a means of satiation.
  • Significant Terms:
    • Surfeiting: Overindulgence (Line 2).
    • Dying fall: A musical phrase that brings a sense of melancholy (Line 4).
    • Strain: Refers to a musical performance (Line 4).
    • Nature of Love: Orsino’s depictions of love being as vast and deep as the ocean.
    • Love and Suffering: Orsino describes his torment from unrequited love for Olivia, using animal imagery to describe his emotional state (e.g., turning into a hart pursued by hounds).

Act 1 Scene 2

  • Characters Introduced: Viola, Captain, Sailors.
  • Setting: Illyria, post-shipwreck environment.
  • Viola's Situation: Believing her brother Sebastian is dead, she is determined to survive in a foreign land.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "What country, friends, is this?" (Viola's introduction to Illyria)
  • Themes: Identity and transformations; Viola disguising as a man (Cesario) for safety and to navigate the world she finds herself in.
  • Key Historical References: Elysium (Line 8).

Act 1 Scene 3

  • Characters Introduced: Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Maria.
  • Themes: Comic relief, the folly of drunkenness, and courtly love.
  • Character Dynamics:
    • Sir Toby and Sir Andrew engage in humorous banter.
    • Maria serves as a witty critique of the two men.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "What a plague means my niece to take the death of her brother thus?"
  • Analysis of Sir Andrew: Wealthy but foolish man, comically inept.

Act 1 Scene 4

  • Viola's Disguise: Takes on the identity of Cesario to serve Duke Orsino, showcasing early feminist themes of subverting gender roles.
  • Themes and Motifs:
    • Reversal of gender expectations.
    • Identity and deceptions are at the forefront (
    • The nature of love and romantic pursuits, particularly Orsino's passion for Olivia.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "If she be so abandoned to her sorrow" (Viola describing Olivia's situation).

Act 1 Scene 5

  • Characters Introduced: Olivia, Viola (as Cesario), Feste (the fool).
  • Olivia’s Mourning: Characterized by her devotion to her deceased brother.
  • Themes of Disguise and Deception: Viola's disguise as Cesario, causing complications in the story.
  • Olivia's Reactions: Shows how she perceives Cesario (Viola). Quotes demonstrate her conflicting feelings of attraction and resistance.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "I cannot love him."

Act 2 Scene 1

  • Plot Development: Introduction of Sebastian, Viola's brother; highlights her loneliness and despair.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "By your patience, I would not have troubled you" (Sebastian, establishing his character).
  • Themes: Duality, confusion, mistaken identities.

Act 2 Scene 2

  • Viola and Malvolio: Introduction of the comedic subplot with Malvolio.
  • Themes of Identity: Viola's disguise causes ongoing confusion.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "She took the ring of me" (Viola mistakens the meaning of Olivia's ring).

Act 2 Scene 3

  • Character Exploration: Sir Toby and Sir Andrew engage in revelry, while plotting against Malvolio, who represents rigid social norms.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "Shall I play my freedom at tray-trip and become thy bondslave?"
  • Themes: Social commentary on class and folly.

Act 2 Scene 4

  • Orsino's Views on Love: Explores the differences between male and female expressions of love.
  • Core Themes: Nature of love, languages of love, action versus passion.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "Since you to non-regardance cast my faith…"
    • Orsino’s declarations build tension between longing and the reality of romantic pursuits.

Act 2 Scene 5

  • Malvolio's Folly: The plot to humiliate him culminates in his reading of the forged letter from Olivia.
  • Themes and Characters: The misuse of power and status humorously critiqued. Highlight of folly.
  • Key Quotes:
    • "’Some are born great; some achieve greatness; and some have greatness thrust upon them." (Letter themes).

Act 3 Scene 1 - 5

  • Character Developments and Conflicts: Each character faces challenges driven by misunderstandings due to disguises and mistaken identities.
    • Sebastian’s arrival leads to confusion and eventual climax in mistaken identity with Viola.
  • Romantic Themes: Examples of subverted expectations (Orsino and Olivia).
  • Key plot points and conflicts arise from mistaken identities and the consequences of deception.

Conclusion

  • Perspectives on Love: The resolution of the play centers around diverse paths to true love culminating in marriages that were originally obstructed by identity crises and societal norms.
  • Final Quotes:
    • "For amends, But are a true love for my master." (Resolutions lead back to themes of identity and love).
  • Overall Impression: The themes illustrate a blend of comedy and commentary on human relationships, identity, and societal constraints.