Twelfth Night Questions
TWELFTH NIGHT: SCENE QUESTIONS
ACT 1, SCENE i
1. Where does the play open? 2. Imagine you are the director of a Twelfth Night production. What kind of music would you have played for this scene? 3. The Duke has a very famous speech, in the beginning of the play, about love. How is the Duke feeling about love as the play opens? 4. What news does Valentine bring the Duke? How does the Duke take this news? 5. Even though we haven’t met Olivia yet, what do we know about her?
ACT I, SCENE ii
1. How is the setting of this scene different from the previous one? 2. What country has Viola arrived in? 3. What does Viola think has happened to her brother? How does the captain give her some hope about Sebastian? 4. What do Viola and Olivia seem to have in common? 5. What has Viola remembered from her father’s accounts of Orsino? 6. What plan does Viola propose to the captain? 7. Why was the girl dressed as a boy frequently used in Elizabethan plots?
ACT I, SCENE iii
1. What kind of person does Sir Toby appear to be? Why? 2. What does Sir Toby say to Sir Andrew to keep him from leaving? 3. Describe Sir Andrew’s dress, physique and manner. 4. Provide one clue from this scene that suggests the following: a) Maria is interested in Sir Toby. b) Sir Andrew really isn’t all that clever.
ACT I, SCENE iv
1. What name has Viola given herself as she pretends to be a man? 2. How do we know that the Duke has really taken to Viola, his new page boy? 3. What does the Duke ask Viola to do for him? 4. Why does the Duke argue that Viola is better suited for the task than an older servant? Where is there humour in this? 5. How does Viola feel about performing the task for the Duke? What is revealed about Viola’s feelings for the Duke?
ACT I, SCENE v
1. In the beginning of this scene, Maria is arguing with Feste over his long absence. What does Feste imply about Maria and Sir Toby to make her
ACT 1, SCENE i
1. Where does the play open? 2. Imagine you are the director of a Twelfth Night production. What kind of music would you have played for this scene? 3. The Duke has a very famous speech, in the beginning of the play, about love. How is the Duke feeling about love as the play opens? 4. What news does Valentine bring the Duke? How does the Duke take this news? 5. Even though we haven’t met Olivia yet, what do we know about her?
ACT I, SCENE ii
1. How is the setting of this scene different from the previous one? 2. What country has Viola arrived in? 3. What does Viola think has happened to her brother? How does the captain give her some hope about Sebastian? 4. What do Viola and Olivia seem to have in common? 5. What has Viola remembered from her father’s accounts of Orsino? 6. What plan does Viola propose to the captain? 7. Why was the girl dressed as a boy frequently used in Elizabethan plots?
ACT I, SCENE iii
1. What kind of person does Sir Toby appear to be? Why? 2. What does Sir Toby say to Sir Andrew to keep him from leaving? 3. Describe Sir Andrew’s dress, physique and manner. 4. Provide one clue from this scene that suggests the following: a) Maria is interested in Sir Toby. b) Sir Andrew really isn’t all that clever.
ACT I, SCENE iv
1. What name has Viola given herself as she pretends to be a man? 2. How do we know that the Duke has really taken to Viola, his new page boy? 3. What does the Duke ask Viola to do for him? 4. Why does the Duke argue that Viola is better suited for the task than an older servant? Where is there humour in this? 5. How does Viola feel about performing the task for the Duke? What is revealed about Viola’s feelings for the Duke?
ACT I, SCENE v
1. In the beginning of this scene, Maria is arguing with Feste over his long absence. What does Feste imply about Maria and Sir Toby to make her