In the Renaissance-era romantic comedy‚ "Twelfth Night"‚ William Shakespeare presents to us an entertaining play riddled with humorous plots and‚ in some instances‚ comical and witty exchanges between the characters in the play. In a novel peppered with subtle notions of deceit and illusion‚ it is fascinating how some of the most revealing truths about the characters actually lie beneath the innocent banters. Under the influence of illusion and deception‚ the figures in the play are often lost in
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Shakespeare lived. Though he married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18‚ he was rumored to have had extramarital affairs with numerous men while in London (“Shakespeare’s Sexuality”). Gay men are present in many of Shakespeare’s plays‚ most prominently Twelfth Night. A sailor named Antonio falls in love with a man of noble birth named Sebastian‚ whom Antonio rescued from a shipwreck. However‚ Antonio’s love only brings him grief‚ as the straight Sebastian views Antonio’s homosexual advances merely as gestures
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In Twelfth Night‚ Shakespeare constantly alludes to the contrast between darkness and light by the use of secrets‚ mistaken identities and the contrast between sanity and insanity. With this motif Shakespeare shows us that if we act on first impressions without the true knowledge of the entity of the situation or character‚ then the misinformed motives will surely be in vain; and our efforts futile. Creating much dysfunction within the play‚ Viola’s manly disguise as Cesario creates confusion
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William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a well-known Christmas play‚ it is considered as one of the most successful comedies. The play starts when Viola and her twin brother‚ Sebastian‚ survive a shipwreck. When they cannot find each other‚ each thinks the other may be dead. Then they move on to two separate ways‚ establishing two story lines that finally meet with each other after involving funny mistaken identities. The love bug in the comedy bites not only Olivia and Orsino‚ but also Sebastian
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Stratford-upon-Avon‚ England‚ William Shakespeare is considered by many to have been the greatest writer the English language has ever known. His literary legacy included 37 plays‚ 154 sonnets‚ and five major poems. Among his many plays is the notable‚ Twelfth Night‚ a romantic comedy‚ placed in a festive atmosphere in which three couples are brought together happily. The play opens with Orsino‚ the Duke of Illyria‚ expressing his deep love for the Countess Olivia. Meanwhile‚ the shipwrecked Viola disguises
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The “dark side of life” that William Shakespeare exposes in his play‚ Twelfth Night‚ is the danger in the individual’s willingness to abandon the intrinsic self as a means to better realize a goal. The characters Viola‚ Feste‚ and Malvolio‚ in assuming new persona’s‚ engage in a metaphysical betrayal in which they deny the reality of their nature. Viola’s choice to serve Duke Orsino as a page in hopes of finding her brother is by no means unethical‚ and her efforts are ultimately successful‚ but
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Twelfth Night or What You Will ------------------------------------------------- Discuss the role of the explicitly comic characters – Sir Toby‚ Sir Andrew‚ Feste‚ and Maria. What function do they serve in the play? How is each one different from the others? What effect does it have on your appreciation for their role in the play? Twelfth Night‚ by William Shakespeare‚ explores themes of love and mistaken identity through a witty and comedic story. Some supporting characters – Sir Toby Belch
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Feste in Twelfth Night The Elusive and Mystical Fool in Shakespeare’s Festive Comedy © Jem Bloomfield Sep 2‚ 2007 Feste in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night‚ is an fascinating character: a fool who seems to know more than most of the people around him. Feste‚ the Fool in Twelfth Night‚ is a very different character from the Fools in other comedies such as Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Merchant of Venice. Launce and Speed (from Two Gentlemen) and Launcelot Gobbo (from The Merchant of Venice)
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Write about the significance of disguise and mistaken identity in Twelfth Night Shakespeare’s use of disguise and mistaken identity is significant to the plot of Twelfth Night as it is the thread that runs through the entire fabric of the play; and is instrumental in providing confusion‚ misunderstanding‚ and ultimately – love. Almost all of the characters in this play either carry out some sort of identity deception‚ or are deceived by someone else doing much the same thing. Primarily we
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Twelfth Night Essay Twelfth Night is a comedy and a marvel. This play conveys many messages that are seen by the audience‚ but not seen by the characters in the play. There are many points involving love‚ friendship‚ conflicts and confusion. Twelfth Night displays characters that are mad‚ in love‚ and desperate for love. Twelfth Night has many conflicts that occur because characters fail to listen to messages. Viola is a character who has just thought that her brother has died in a shipwreck that
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