Twelfth Night - Actors Theatre of Louisville

WRITING PORTFOLIO
Note for teachers: All Writing Portfolio prompts have been designed to correspond with Kentucky
Department of Education Core Content for Writing Assessment.
1. LITERARY WRITING
Shakespeare wrote his plays with a very specific setting and audience in mind. Write a scene specifically
to be performed in your class. These may be read aloud or performed, and should be written
for this distinct setting. When writing, take into consideration the people who will be viewing it
and how the scene will best affect them.
2. TRANSACTIVE WRITING
Delve further into a specific time in Shakespeare’s life (i.e. writing for the Globe, arriving in
London, his childhood, his retirement). Choose a period that interests you and see how much you
can find out about Shakespeare and his surroundings at this point. This can be developed into a
research paper or presentation, possibly stringing together all presentations in chronological order to
create a “living timeline” of Shakespeare’s life.
3. PERSONAL WRITING
Imagine yourself as a lower-class worker who goes to the Globe to watch a play as a groundling. In
the form of a journal entry, detail your experience attending the theatre. Include why you went to
the theatre that day, what you saw, and what the experience was like.
Holly Twyford & Ian Merrill Peakes
Photo: Carol Pratt
TwelfthNight
Fund for the Arts
Members Agency
Study Guide
Getting the most out of the Study Guide for
Twelfth Night
Our Study Guides are designed with you and your classroom in mind, with information
and activities that can be implemented in your curriculum. Feel free to
copy the study guide for other teachers and for students. You may wish to cover
some content before your workshops and the performance; some content is more
appropriate for discussion afterwards. Of course, some activities and questions will
be more useful for your class, and some less. Feel free to implement any article,
activity, writing portfolio exercise or post-show discussion question as you see fit.
Before the Performance:
Using the articles in the study guide, students will be more engaged in the performance.
Our articles relate information about things to look for in the show and
information on Shakespeare. In addition, there are articles on the various play
adaptations and movies inspired by Shakespeare work. All of this information,
combined with our in-classroom workshops, will keep the students attentive and
make the performance an active learning experience.
After the Performance:
With the play as a reference point, our questions, activities, and writing portfolio
exercises can be incorporated into your classroom discussions and can enable students
to develop their higher level thinking skills. Our study guide for Tweflth
Night addresses specific Core Content, for example (more core content found in
the guide):
AH-M 3.1.31-Elements of drama (Adaptation article)
AH-H 3.3.36-Renaissance 1760-1870/Shakespeare
AH-H 3.1.34-Identify skills and training necessary for a variety of careers related
to drama. (Careers in Theatre Article)
If you have questions or suggestions for improvements in our study guides,
please contact Danielle Minnis, Education Director, at 502-584-1265 or
DMinnis@ActorsTheatre.org.
actors theatre of louisville ■ 316 West Main Street ■ Louisville, KY 40202-4218
Box office 502-584-1205 ■ Group Sales 502-585-1210 ■ Business Office 502-584-1265
ActorsTheatre.org
Study Guide compiled by Melanie Anne Henry
and Jana Goold unless otherwise noted.

Play Synopsis /
Character Discussion
With a plot chock-full of hidden love, foolery, music, and an ultimately
triumphant ending, Twelfth Night has delighted audiences for
generations. Twelfth Night, called “the funniest of Shakespeare’s plays”
by critic Harold Bloom, was the last of his light comedies before venturing
into a line of tragedies and darker comedies known to modern
scholars as “problem plays.”
At the beginning of Twelfth Night, Viola and a sea captain, who have
been rescued from a shipwreck, land on the coast of Illyria; and Viola
believes that her twin brother, Sebastian, has been lost in the wreck.
Defenseless, Viola decides to disguise herself as a young man and seek
service with Duke Orsino, whom she hears is noble and generous.
Unbeknownst to her, however, Sebastian has been rescued by Antonio,
another sea captain, and has landed in a different state further up the
coast. He begins to make his way to Illyria with Antonio.
Under the name Cesario, Viola gains Orsino’s favor and, although she
falls in love with Orsino herself, consents to be his go-between with
Olivia, the noblewoman he loves. Olivia, however, refuses every plea of
marriage because she is in mourning for her dead brother. In Olivia’s
household, the only servant who seems to enjoy the enforced mourning
for Olivia’s brother is the humorless, uptight Malvolio. Olivia’s kinsman,
Sir Toby Belch, and his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheeck (one of
Olivia’s suitors) spend their nights carousing, aided and abetted by
Maria, Olivia’s maid.
Cesario (Viola) arrives to carry “his” master’s pleas to Olivia, but to
complicate matters, Olivia finds herself falling in love with Cesario.
That night, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Feste, Olivia’s fool, drink and
revel. Maria begs them to be quieter; but when Malvolio comes in and
reprimands them for their carelessness, they all decide to exact revenge
on him. Maria forges a note that appears to have been sent by Olivia to
a lover; when Malvolio receives it, he is sure that it is meant for him.
The note instructs him to be surly with servants, to wear yellow stocking
with cross-garters, and to smile continuously in Olivia’s presence.
Cesario once again arrives at Olivia’s house to deliver Orsino’s pleas, and
this time Olivia openly tells Cesario/Viola that she loves “him.” But
Cesario must, of course, ignore Olivia’s advances. Meanwhile, the plot
against Malvolio works to perfection: his strange antics in following the
instructions of the note cause him to be imprisoned in a dark room as
insane.
Sir Toby, making more mischief, sets up a duel between Sir Andrew and
Cesario, on the pretext that Cesario is a rival suitor for Olivia’s hand. As
the two unwilling duelists prepare to fight, Antonio rushes in and,
believing that Cesario is Sebastian, prevents the duel. However, when
officers seize Antonio as a former enemy to Illyria, he asks Cesario for
the money that he lent Sebastian earlier in the day and desperately needs
now. Upon Cesario’s denial that “he” knows Antonio, the good captain’s
faith in human nature is shaken. However, Viola, upon reflection, realizes
that the name “Sebastian” has been spoken and hopes that her
brother may be alive.
Convinced that Cesario is a coward, Sir Andrew rushes out to challenge
the page; but instead of Cesario he finds Sebastian. Olivia’s entrance
prevents Sir Andrew from getting hurt. She, also believing Sebastian to
David Marks, James Sugg
Photo: Carol Pratt
be Cesario, asks him to come speak with her. Olivia now convinces the
not-unwilling Sebastian to marry her.
The Duke and Cesario arrive before Olivia’s house, where they meet
Antonio. When Antonio again reproaches Cesario — whom he still
believes to be Sebastian — the Duke is completely baffled by Antonio’s
insistence that the young man has just arrived in Illyria. Olivia enters
and speaks lovingly to Cesario. Orsino is naturally angry at what he supposes
has been Cesario’s treacherous attempt to win Olivia’s affections,
and when a priest swears that he has recently married the couple,
Orsino becomes furious.
Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, meanwhile, have inadvertently picked a fight
with Sebastian (believing him to be Cesario) and both enter wounded
and bleeding. However, when Sebastian appears almost immediately, all
the characters realize that they have been dealing with two persons.
Matches are made all around: Sir Toby has married Maria, Orsino offers
to marry Viola, and Olivia and Sebastian remain together. Everyone is
happy except Malvolio, who vows revenge on the whole group.
Ault, Nelson A. and Lewis M. Magill. Synopses of Shakespeare’s Complete
Plays. Paterson, New Jersey: Littlefied, Adams, and Co., 1962.
Adapted by Jana Goold
POST-SHOW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion Questions:
Twelfth Night is hailed as one of Shakespeare’s best comedies.
What elements of the play make it so entertaining? Think about
characters, relationships, plot devices, language, etc. How
does Shakespeare get an audience to laugh out loud?
What do you find humorous about the treatment of Malvolio?
Do you sympathize with the character, or is he too unlikable to
pity? Relating the manipulation of Malvolio to situations in current
movies (i.e. Meet the Parents, Home Alone), what is so
funny about cruelty and human misfortune? What makes it
entertaining to watch?
Adaptations
The proof of the resilliance and continued
power of William Shakespeare’s work is in the
many adaptations that his plays have inspired.
From movies that use the original dialogue to
those that take Shakespeare’s situation as a
springboard for contemporary characters, the
number of Shakespeare adaptations is still
growing. Here is a short list of some of the
movies that have been created from the words
of William Shakespeare.
True to the text, time and setting:
Early 20 th Century actor Sir Laurence Olivier
starred in many film productions of
Shakespeare, including the film production of
Hamlet (1948). In Olivier’s productions, all of
the aspects of Shakespeare’s work are kept the
same. Olivier is probably the most famous
actor and interpreter of Shakespeare.
Film director Roman Polanski did an adaptation
of The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971) in which
he didn’t change the setting, the time period, or
the language. This adaptation is probably one
of the darkest, because Polanski directed the
film exactly one year after the Manson Family
murdered his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate.
Theatre and film director Julie Taymor has
directed Shakespeare plays on the stage as well
as films, such as The Tempest (1986), a recording
of a stage production, and The Tragedy of
Titus Andronicus (1999), an imaginatively
staged piece that cut the script but retained
Shakespeare’s words, setting, and the time period.
Irish actor Kenneth Branagh is also famous for
directing different film versions of
Shakespeare’s work, including Hamlet (1996)
and Twelfth Night (1988). He also starred in
Hamlet.
Actor/producer Mel Gibson starred in the
1990 version of Hamlet directed by Franco
Zeffirelli and also starring Helena Bonham
Carter as Ophelia.
Adaptations that change the time period:
Famous actors Rupert Everett, Calista
Flockhart, Kevin Kline, and Michelle Pfeiffer
star in an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (1999). This lavish adaptation takes
place in the 1930s. Some of the script is cut,
but the actors still keep to the original text.
Probably the most popular film adaptation of
recent years is The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes
and directed by Baz Luhrmann (1996). This
adaptation shifts the action to modern-day
Verona and mixes modern music with
Shakespeare’s original language, and used guns
instead of swords for the battles.
Another popular film adaptation of
Shakespeare is The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of
Denmark (2000) with Ethan Hawke as
Hamlet, as well as Julia Stiles and Bill Murray,
set in present-day Manhattan. Though the
script is cut, Shakespare’s language is preserved.
Adaptations that only preserve the situation:
O, a modern-day version of Shakespeare’s
Othello, was directed by Tim Blake Nelson and
starred Julia Stiles, Mekhi Phifer, and Josh
Hartnett, and translates Shakespeare’s story of
jealousy and murder to a private high school.
The popular film 10 Things I Hate About You
(1999), starring Julia Stiles, is an adaptation of
Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew.
The play takes place in sixteenth-century
Padua, Italy while the movie is set in a modernday
California and follows the dating troubles
of its characters in contemporary language.
A movie adaptation of Twelfth Night is due out
in 2006, titled She’s the Man. Directed by Andy
Fickman, is a modern-day Twelfth Night in
which Viola poses as her twin brother at his
boarding school, getting very close to his roommate
Duke.
For more information on Shakespeare adaptations, visit
the International Movie Database at www.imdb.com
Further Reading
Twelfth Night
reading companions
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
(Arden edition) by William Shakespeare
Outlines of Shakespeare’s Plays by Karl J.
Holzknecht, Raymond Ross, and
Homer A. Watt
Synopses of Shakespeare’s Complete Plays
by Nelson A. Ault and Lewis M. Magill
William Shakespeare: A Textual
Companion by Stanley W. Wells,
Gary Taylor, John Jowett, and
William Montgomery
Critical essays
Modern critical interpretations of
Twelfth Night edited by Harold Bloom
Twelfth Night: Contemporary
Critical Essays edited by R.S. White
Twelfth Night Critical Essays
edited by Stanley Wells
The Fools of Shakespeare
by Frederick Warde
Shakespeare
Will in the World: How Shakespeare
Became Shakespeare by Stephen
Greenblatt
Shakespeare our Contemporary
by Jan Kott
Shakespeare After All by Marjorie Garber
Shakespeare: A Life in Drama
by Stanley Wells
Shakespeare’s Theatre
The First Night of Twelfth Night by
Leslie Hotson
The Twelfth Night of Shakespeare’s
Audience by John W. Draper
Shakespeare’s Theatre by Peter Thomson
The Shakespearean Stage, 1574 – 1642
by Andrew Gurr

CAREERS IN THEATRE
An interview with Aaron Posner, Twelfth Night adapter/director
As a child, Aaron Posner loved literature. Reading everything
“from comic books to Dostoevsky,” he quickly realized
that a well-told story was one of life’s greatest joys.
Today, as an adapter/director, Posner has made a career
out of bringing great stories to life on the stage. This season
at ATL he is directing his adaptation of Shakespeare’s
classic comedy Twelfth Night.
Q: How did you get into adapting? What drew you to the
profession?
A: By chance I went to Northwestern University because
I heard it was good for theatre. What I didn’t know was
that the secret, hidden strength of the Northwestern theatre
department was what was then called the Department
of Interpretations, which later became the Department of
Performance Studies. The department focused on the
adaptation of literature for performance and the study of
literature through performance. There was a professor
there named Frank Galati; I wandered into a class of his
my freshman year and immediately transferred to
Performance Studies and followed him around for four
years.
Q: How do adapting and directing fit together into one
profession?
A: I adapt as part of the directing process. When I’m
adapting, I’m adapting from the point of view of a director.
Even though other people have directed my adaptations,
I am still approaching an adaptation from the point
of view of, “How am I going to put this on stage?” I don’t
think of it as writing a script at all. So when I look at a
Shakespearean text, it’s the same questions that any director
would have about how am I going to enter into this
play? What does it mean to me personally? What is the
story I’m trying to tell? For me, it’s not two different
processes; it’s one. It starts with, “I love this work,” and
ends when it’s being performed in front of an audience.
Q: Is Twelfth Night the first Shakespearean adaptation
you’ve done?
A: It’s a really nebulous term: adapting. Because in its
broadest sense, every time somebody has done a
Shakespeare play in a different time period, that’s sort of
an adaptation. I’ve done that before, but this is the first
one that I’ve called an adaptation. I just went further by
cutting a lot, cutting some characters, moving some
scenes. But I still don’t think I would have called it an
adaptation until I cut all the songs and put in all new, contemporary
music. That somehow felt like crossing a line
where I should acknowledge that it’s a slightly different
thing than the original.
Q: What made you
decide to update all the
music in the show?
A: One of the greatest
things about being a
director is that when I’m
working on these plays, I
carry them around in my
head and in my body
with me for a period of
months. Thinking about
them, seeing what I can find about them, seeing how they
open up for me as I go through my life and looking at the
world through the frames of these various plays is one of
the things that I love about being a theatre artist and
working in this profession. Twelfth Night is a play I’ve seen
many times, loved for years, wanted to do, almost done
before, so it was a delight to be carrying around in my
head. One day I was sitting around thinking about it a little
bit and I put on this CD of my friend Craig Wright.
The song “I’ve Got a Thing for You” that we use as the
curtain call started playing. I was sort of bopping around
my apartment to it and I suddenly went, “That’s it! That
is the song that captures the spirit of playfulness, of love,
of irreverent and enjoyable use of language!” It all of a sudden
hit me that this was what I wanted the play to be. I
wanted to make it make sense, I wanted to make sense of
the relationships, and I wanted a rollicking good time.
Q: You’ve adapted many works of fiction for the stage as
well. How is that different than adapting Shakespeare?
A: When you’re adapting literature, there’s a lot more
writing. I haven’t had the audacity to write any original
material for a Shakespearean text, but I am happy to cut
and move things around to make it a more vital, engaging
experience for audiences today. Whenever I’m adapting, I
look for the “way in.” What does this play say to me?
What do I have to say to this play? What do my experiences
in the world, in the theatre, with people I’ve known
allow me to offer the play? How can I use everything that
makes me who I am to bring out elements in this play that
I think are unique or important in illuminating the piece?
It’s all about meeting the needs of the work.
Q: What’s up next for you?
A: I hope to someday have a play that I write from scratch
that is worthy of being out there in the world. For now,
I’m working at great places across the country doing a
wide variety of work that I really love doing. I’m adapting,
consulting, doing freelance directing, and teaching. I’m in
a beautiful position in terms of my work right now.
Cast of Characters
Viola a woman shipwrecked in
an unknown country. Later disguised
as Cesario, page to Orsino.
Sebastian Viola’s twin brother.
Orsino Duke of Illyria,
a romantic young man.
Olivia a rich countess.
Sir Toby Belch Olivia’s
kinsman.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Olivia’s suitor and Sir Toby’s
friend.
Malvolio Olivia’s humorless
steward.
Maria Olivia’s maid.
Feste Olivia’s fool, or clown
Antonio a sea captain and friend
of Sebastian
Sea captain a man who helps
Viola
William Shakespeare:
The Man behind the Words
Throughout the decades, William Shakespeare has
come to be revered as one of the greatest playwrights
in the history of theatre. Not only are his works continually
performed all over the world, but numerous
theatres exist solely to produce his plays.
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon,
England on April 23, 1564. He came from a family
described as “honest, hard-working, middle-class
stock.” He received minimal education and by the
time he was 18 he was married to a girl by the name
of Anne Hathaway. His first daughter, Susanna, was
born the next year, followed by his twins, Hamnet
and Judith, in 1585.
In the late 1580s, Shakespeare moved to London
(96 miles away — about a four-day walk — from
Stratford) in an attempt to financially support his
family through the theatre. He began as an actor,
but soon started writing plays and poetry as well. By
1592, he was known throughout the London theatre
scene as an up-and-coming young artist. When
the plague epidemic closed down all of London’s
theatres, Shakespeare earned his keep writing narrative
poems — Venus and Adonis and The Rape of
Lucrece — which he dedicated to the young Earl of
Southampton, his primary patron at the time.
In the spring of 1594, Shakespeare joined a company
of actors known as the Lord Chamberlain’s
Company, called such because they were under the
patronage of the Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth I.
The troupe began performing at the Theatre, but
when their lease on the land expired, they took matters
into their own hands. Illegally dismantling the
Theatre and carrying its timbers across the Thames
River, the company built what would become one
of the most famous theatres in England: the Globe.
Soon after the move, Shakespeare became the principal
playwright for the company, providing actors
with approximately two plays a year. He was also
highly involved in the management of the troupe
and received a share of all profits. During this period,
Shakespeare gained recognition as one of
England’s premiere playwrights, while each of his
plays received tremendous popular acclaim.
In 1603, when King James I took over England after
Queen Elizabeth’s death, Shakespeare’s troupe
became known as the King’s Men and performed
often in the King’s court. They were now recognized
as Grooms of the Chamber, or minor court officials.
At this time, Shakespeare gave up acting completely
and became solely a playwright/manager for the
company.
In 1611, Shakespeare retired to his home in
Stratford, where his wife and children had remained
all these years, supposedly to spend time in “ease,
retirement, and the conversation of friends.” By this
point, he had come to be quite a wealthy man and
was able to live comfortably. He did, however, write
his final two plays (The Two Noble Kinsmen and
Henry VIII) in Stratford, supposedly aided by John
Fletcher, the new dramatist for the King’s Men.
Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616. Those who
knew him remembered him as “a handsome wellshaped
man, very good company, and of a ready and
pleasant wit.” Today he is remembered for his literary
genius and timeless stories.
Discussion Questions:
Shakespeare was an extremely popular figure during
his time and the general public adored him. How
does knowing this, along with other elements of
Shakespeare’s life, enhance your understanding of
his plays?
Discuss your previous experiences with Shakespeare
and his works. Were they at all difficult to understand,
or tedious to read or view? What has helped
make them more accessible and relevant to your
own life? Having read the synopsis of Twelfth Night,
what scene and/or relationship are you most excited
to watch?
Activity:
Choose another player in Shakespeare’s theatre to
research. It can be a person directly involved with
theatre (i.e. Christopher Marlowe, a rival playwright,
or Richard Burbage, lead actor in
Shakespeare’s company) or an outside figure who
affected his theatre (i.e. Queen Elizabeth I).
Compare the person’s position then to a comparative
position today. For example, if you choose an
actor, compare the playing styles then and now;
research should be done on the contemporary field
as well, possibly including interviews with people in
that career. Compare and contrast the person who
fills the position today with the historical figure.

Shakespeare’s Theatre
The theatre scene that Shakespeare found in
London in the late 1580s was very different
from anything existing today. Because he was
directly affected by and wrote specifically for
this world, it is very important to understand
how it worked.
Theatre Districts in London
There were two main theatre districts in
London at this time. The first was known as
Finsbury Field, an area north of the city, in
which the older theatres were housed. The
Theatre (Shakespeare and his company’s first
performing space) and the Curtain were both
located in this district and had been in existence
up to 12 years before Shakespeare
arrived. The second district, which developed
during Shakespeare’s career, was known as
Bankside, an area across the Thames River
south of the city. This region, a bedraggled and
sleazy section of London, was a fitting place for
the theatre, which at the time was not quite
reputable outside of the court. In fact, attending
theatre was on par with attending a bearbaiting
event, a favorite pastime in which
crowds watched wild dogs attack and maul a
bear that was chained to a post and blindfolded.
In this area, one would find the Swan and
the Globe (the famous theatre of Shakespeare’s
company that was built from the wood of the
Theatre). The Swan and the Globe were wellknown
enemies throughout the period in
which Shakespeare wrote for the theatre. In
fact, the Swan’s playwright, Christopher
Marlowe, was Shakespeare’s primary professional
rival at the time.
The Performance Space
The Globe Theatre was a circular wooden
structure constructed of three stories of galleries
(seats) surrounding an open courtyard. It
was an open-air building (i.e. no roof), and a
rectangular platform projected into the middle
of the courtyard to serve as a stage. The performance
space had no front curtain, but was
backed by a large wall with one to three doors
out of which actors entered and exited. In front
of the wall stood a roofed house-like structure
supported by two large pillars, designed to provide
a place for actors to “hide” when not in a
scene. The roof of this structure was referred to
as the “Heavens.” The theatre itself housed up
to 3,000 spectators, mainly because not all
were seated. The seats in the galleries were
reserved for people from the upper classes who
came to the theatre primarily to “be seen.”
These wealthy patrons were also sometimes
allowed to sit on or above the stage itself as a
sign of their prominence. These seats, known
as the “Lord’s Rooms,” were considered the
best in the house despite the poor view of the
back of the actors. The lower-class spectators,
however, stood in the open courtyard and
watched the play on their feet. These audience
members became known as “groundlings” and
gained admission to the playhouse for as low as
one penny. The groundlings were often very
loud and rambunctious during the performances
and would eat (usually hazelnuts), drink,
and socialize as the play was going on, as well
as shout directly to the actors on stage.
Playwrights at this time were therefore forced
to incorporate lots of action and bawdy humor
in their plays in order to keep the attention of
their audience.
The Performance
During Shakespeare’s day, new plays were
being written and performed continuously. A
company of actors might receive a new play,
prepare it, and perform it every week. Because
of this, each actor in the company had a specific
type of role that he normally played and
could perform with little rehearsal. One
possible role for a male company member, for
example, would be the female ingenue. Because
women were not allowed to perform on the
stage at the time, young boys whose voices had
yet to change generally played the female characters
in the shows. Each company (composed
of 10 – 20 members) would have one or two
young men to play the female roles, one man
who specialized in playing a fool or clown, one
Drawing from the past:
Shakespeare’s Sources
The plays of William Shakespeare have survived
centuries and are still being performed all
over the world today. His characters and storylines
are among the most popular in history,
and have maintained their relevance over many
eras and cultures. How, one might ask, did
Shakespeare conceive these ingenious plots?
Well, much of the time, he didn’t. Most of
Shakespeare’s plots were taken from various
volumes of history, folklore, or previously written
plays or books. In fact, nearly every story
that Shakespeare details in a play can be found
in some previous source. As one critic said,
Shakespeare loved to “pour his new wine into
old bottles.”
Twelfth Night has been traced to two main
sources: the story “Apolonius and Silla” in
Barnaby Riche’s Farewell to Military Profession,
written in 1581, and Gl’Ingannati, an Italian
play written in 1531. “Apolonius and Silla”
tells the story of a young woman shipwrecked
in a foreign land who disguises herself as a male
and soon falls in love with the Duke she serves.
The Duke, however, sends her to woo the
noblewoman he loves, who in turn falls in love
with Silla, the shipwrecked woman. Sound
familiar? Gl’Ingannati employs the exact same
plot, except for the fact that it is not a shipwreck
that lands the main character in her distant
land: she is placed in a convent there by
her father. There are, in fact, many subtle differences
between the three stories, but the similarity
in plot cannot be denied. Critics agree
that Shakespeare must have read these stories,
taken the essence and idea of their plots, and
created his own version.
The question that naturally follows is, “What
makes Shakespeare so special if he took his
plots from other sources?” The answer to this
comes in the form of another question: why
have these sources become so obscure throughout
the years? Why are we still reading
Shakespeare’s version of the story before all
others? According to critic Homer A. Watt,
“Shakespeare’s originality lies not in the novelty
of his plots but in the fresh vigor and effectiveness
of his dramatic art.” The way in which
Shakespeare told his stories is exactly what
makes them so endurable and so relevant to
every generation that has followed him. Much
of this can be attributed to his masterful use of
dramatic structure (a 5-act form with the
action centered in the 3 rd act), language, and
wit, as well as the timeless humanity he bestows
upon the characters. In Twelfth Night, for
example, he changed many elements of Viola’s
character from previous sources to make her a
more likeable heroine. Whereas in other versions
of the story she is seen running away
from her father’s home or the convent he
placed her in, Shakespeare rejected the image
of a rebellious daughter and used the technique
of a shipwreck to paint an innocent, strong
woman who must make her own way in the
face of difficult circumstances. Also, he plays
up the elements of her selfless love for Orsino
and willingness to do anything for him, as contrasted
with the conniving and manipulation
she employs in other versions. By making Viola
a sympathetic character, he invites people of all
eras to connect with her. In this way, among
others, Shakespeare did what very few could
do: tell a story to last forever.
Discussion Questions:
Were you aware that Shakespeare borrowed
most of his plots? If not, how did this revelation
make you feel? Were you disappointed
that the plots weren’t original, or did you
admire him more for retelling the story in a
timeless way?
What specific elements of Shakespeare’s
Twelfth Night do you think made it last above
other versions with the same plot? Why are
people still doing this play centuries later?
Activities:
Choose a well-known story (i.e. fairy tale, children’s
story, book plot) and re-write it in a new
way. Without changing the basic plot, find
what elements you can change (i.e. time, place,
names) to tell it in your own voice. Try to find
a way to tell the story better than it has ever
been told before. For inspiration, you can
watch some recent Shakespearean adaptations
such as the movies 10 Things I Hate About You
or O.
Read at least one scene from either
Gl’Ingannati or “Apolonius and Silla” and compare
it with the corresponding scene in Twelfth
Night. What are the major similarities and
differences? How faithful has Shakespeare
remained to the original story? Why do you
think he made these changes? Which do you
prefer and why?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
FOR TWELFTH NIGHT
1) The time in which Shakespeare was
writing is much different from today’s
world. How do you think the relations
between people and the themes in Twelfth
Night compare and contrast to today?
Can you think of a theme similar to one in
Twelfth Night — such as hidden love, mistaken
identity, or the wise fool — you have
heard about recently?
2) Twelfth Night is hailed as one of
Shakespeare’s best comedies. What about
the people in Twelfth Night makes them so
funny? Why do we, as theatergoers, love
to watch people in sticky situations and
find it entertaining?
3) Gender ambiguity in Shakespeare is a
never-ending area of discussion. When
Shakespeare’s plays, including Twelfth
Night, were first produced, all-male casts
performed them. Also, he wrote many
plays where female characters disguised
themselves as men and sometimes, female
characters adopted the gender roles of the
male. Do you think that Twelfth Night has
anything to do with the more recent cultural
phenomenon of gender ambiguity?
4) It can take a lot of concentration to
understand what Shakespeare’s characters
are saying. Sometimes it is necessary to
read or see a play multiple times to catch
all of the references and jokes that he
places in the dialogue. Do you find the
language in Shakespeare beautiful and
poetic, or does the archaic language
just bring about frustration and hinder
understanding?

Where is Illyria?
Illyria, the setting of Twelfth Night, has been a subject of
critical discussion for decades. Where exactly is this place,
and why did Shakespeare choose it as a setting for this
play?
■ Illyria really does exist. It is a region on the east coast of
the Adriatic Sea along the Northwest Balkans, said to be
the ancestor of modern-day Albania.
■ Illyria has been called “a boisterous coast,” a place
known in Shakespeare’s time for its wild riot, drunkenness,
and piracy (aptly fitting the play’s themes of revelry and
trickery).
■ In Ovid’s Metamorphoses (a known source of inspiration
for Shakespeare), there is a mention of Illyria in the line,
“Upon the coast of Illirie his wife and he were cast.” This
has lead scholars to believe that perhaps Shakespeare’s
characters and setting were inspired by those of Ovid, who
lived near the actual Illyria.
■ Several critics have examined the idea that perhaps
Shakespeare didn’t pay much attention to the setting of his
plays. According to one scholar, “The name for what is
now Albania [Illyria] conjures up the world of the late
Greek romances, but the local colour of the play is all
English.” This is similar to other Shakespearean plays such
as Hamlet (set in Denmark) or Romeo and Juliet (set in Italy);
although the plays are set in foreign countries, the land
feels distinctly like England.
■ Many critics, however, argue that Illyria is meant to represent
an imaginary, distant land; a place out of the world
and out of time, such as the forest in Shakespeare’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream or Arden in As You Like It.
Helpful Hints:
How to hear Shakespeare
When watching a Shakespearean play, there
are many things to keep in mind. Sometimes
the language in which Shakespeare writes can
be difficult to understand (but once you do,
it's really very fun).
First and foremost, you don’t have to understand
every word that’s being said in order to
understand the play. Don’t get too hung up
on deciphering each word; instead, try just to
grasp the gist of what each character is saying.
After a while, you won’t even have to think
about it—it will seem as if you’ve been listening
to Shakespeare all your life!
Watch body language, gestures, and facial
expressions. Good Shakespearean actors communicate
what they are saying through their
body. In theory, you should be able to understand
much of the play without hearing a
word.
There is a rhythm to each line, almost like a
piece of music. Shakespeare wrote in a form
called iambic pentameter. This basically
means that each line is made up of five feet
(each foot is two syllables) with the emphasis
on the first syllable. You can hear the pattern
The Fool
How many times have you seen the class
clown come out on top in difficult situations?
It happens all the time in William Shakespeare’s
plays and Feste in Twelfth Night is no exception.
Feste is the storyteller of this comedic drama,
mainly through song; he is the only character
besides Viola who moves back and forth from
Orsino’s court to Olivia’s court, and he knows
more about the events and action in the play than
anyone else. He also predicts the outcome of the play — again through
song — in the beginning of the second act: “Trip no further, pretty
sweeting, / Journeys end in lovers meeting.” Feste foresees the last scene
where Orsino claims Viola as his bride and Olivia finds out that she
married Viola’s twin brother Sebastian. Feste, by traveling between the
two main areas of action, is not emotionally involved in the drama
between the different characters and acts as a tie between the tow houses
and as an observer.
Viola is the only character who recognizes how perceptive Feste actually
is: “This fellow is wise enough to play the fool.” Feste, along with a
few other characters (Olivia’s gentlewoman Maria and Olivia’s uncle Sir
Toby Belch) play tricks on Olivia’s steward Malvolio, the play’s actual
fool. The egotistical Malvolio shuns songs, playing, and drinking all
hours of the night, but is quite excited when he receives a declaration of
love…but he doesn’t know the letter isn’t from who he thinks it is.
Malvolio is convinced that the letter is from Olivia when Maria actually
wrote it, at the goading of Feste and Sir Toby. Malvolio proceeds to
wear cross-gartered yellow stockings and smile like an idiot because the
letter states that those are the things that will tell Olivia that Malvolio
loves her back. In the end, Feste is proven a wise man while Malvolio
storms off in anger, the play’s true fool.
of unstressed/stressed syllables in the line, “If
music be the food of love, play on.” Listen for
this in the play as it adds a very lyrical quality
to the words.
Read a synopsis or play summary ahead of
time. Shakespeare’s plays, especially his comedies,
involve many characters in complex,
intertwining plots. It always helps to have a
basic idea of what’s going on beforehand so
you can enjoy the play without trying to figure
out every relationship and plot twist.
Enjoy it! Shakespeare’s comedies are actually
funny. Find the humor, laugh, and have a
good time!
man who played a good hero, etc. Shakespeare
and his contemporaries wrote their plays knowing
exactly who in their companies would be
playing each role, as well as what the specific
strengths of their companies were. Along with
the “stock” characters of an acting company,
there was also a set of stock scenery. Specific
backdrops, such as forest scenes or palace
scenes, were re-used in every play. Other than
that, however, very minimal set pieces were
present on the stage. There was no artificial
lighting to convey time and place, so it was
very much up to audience to imagine what the
full scene would look like. Because of this, the
playwright was forced to describe the setting in
greater detail than would normally be heard
today. For example, in order to establish time
in one scene in Twelfth Night, Shakespeare has
Sir Toby say, “Approach, Sir Andrew; not to be
abed after midnight is to be up betimes.” One
critic said in reference to this, “To the
Elizabethan stage we are indebted in great
measure for the exquisite descriptive poetry of
Shakespeare.” The costumes of this period,
however, were far from minimalist. These were
generally rich and luxurious, as they were a
source of great pride for the performers who
personally provided them. However, these were
rarely historically accurate and again forced the
audience to use their imaginations to envision
the play’s time and place.
Patronage
Most companies in Shakespeare’s time were run
as joint stock, or profit sharing, companies.
This meant that each member of the theatre
who was a shareholder received a specific part
of the profits. Shakespeare, for example, was a
shareholder in his company, so he received a set
portion of everything they made. However,
theatres were also generally under some form of
patronage. A patron of the theatre was a
wealthy man or woman who backed the initial
expenses of a specific acting company. In this
way, the company received a noble seal of
approval, as well as funds to begin their work.
When Shakespeare’s company became The
King’s Men, for example, they were under the
royal patronage of King James I. The troupe
would then repay this debt by performing
often in the patron’s court or home.
Quartos and Folios
During Shakespeare’s time, there were no published
copies of scripts. The playwright generally
wrote one copy of the play, and then wrote
each actor’s part (each of his lines and the line
before it) separately to give to that specific
actor. After the play had been performed, no
scripts were published or distributed to the
public. So, in lieu of this, some audience members
would write down the lines as the play was
being performed as a way of keeping a written
copy. They would often publish and sell these
versions, as there were no copyright laws in
existence. Several of these copies have survived
and become known as quarto editions of
Shakespeare’s plays. Eighteen of the Bard’s
scripts were copied in this manner and have
now been divided into “good quartos” (those
most faithful to Shakespeare’s actual text) and
“bad quartos” (those very different and shorter
than the actual play). It wasn’t until after
Shakespeare’s death that his plays were published
in a book known as The First Folio. Two
of Shakespeare’s company members, Heminges
and Condell, published thirty-six of his plays
in this edition in 1623.
Discussion Questions:
How does knowing about the configuration of
the Globe Theater and the way in which
Shakespeare’s plays were performed there
change your understanding of his plays? Do
you find any explanations in this information
for why he wrote his plays the way he did?
Think about the actual experience of attending
a theatre in Shakespeare’s day. Are there any
similarities to a theatre you would attend
today? What are the major differences? Which
style appeals more to you?
Activity:
Re-create the Globe Theatre. Have two or three
students act out any scene from one of
Shakespeare’s plays and have the rest of the
class act as audience members. Set up, either in
a classroom or auditorium, a stage, open area,
and seats. Some students will play groundlings
and stand in the open space while the scene is
being performed. Have them socialize, yell,
laugh, etc. while the “play” is going on. Other
students will sit in the seats as nobility and act
that role. Afterwards, discuss what this experience
was like as opposed to theatre going in
today’s world. Ask the actors what it felt like to
perform in this environment. Did it change the
way they performed?

David Marks, James Sugg & Sarah Marshall
Photo: Carol Pratt
The First Twelfth Night
For decades, scholars have attempted to piece together a timeline of when
each of Shakespeare’s plays was originally performed. In this quest, they
use any written records available, from journal entries of audience members
to records of payment for props.
Due to the small amount of actual written evidence, it is difficult to determine
the exact date that Twelfth Night was first performed. The first written
mention of it comes on February 2, 1602 in the journal of lawyer John
Manningham who wrote, “We had a play ‘Twelve Night or What you
Will’.” In this entry, Manningham creates the first documented performance
of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
However, there has been much speculation throughout the years that the
play was actually performed earlier than this date. Over a year earlier, in
fact. The phrase “Twelfth Night” actually refers to the last night of the
Feast of the Epiphany, a 12-day celebration of the Christmas holidays and
the journey of the Magi to bring gifts to the infant Christ. The Twelfth
Night celebration occurred on January 6 th every year and was known as a
feast of misrule, eating, and drinking during which masques and revels
were presented. Historical documents show that on January 6 th (Twelfth
Night) in 1601, Queen Elizabeth I of England held a royal celebration in
her court to entertain the visiting Duke Orsino of Bracciano, and the Lord
Chamberlain’s Men (Shakespeare’s company) were paid to perform a play
at this particular celebration. These facts lead scholars to believe the first
performance of Twelfth Night may have been at this celebration. It would
make sense for the play’s name to refer directly to its occasion, as well as
one of the play’s title characters (Duke Orsino) to refer and pay homage
to the visiting Duke.
Upon closer examination, several other characters in the play also reflect
upon certain people who would have been present at this celebration.
Malvolio, for example, has often been linked to the Comptroller of the
Queen’s household at the time, Sir William Knollys. Knollys was, at the
time, the cause of a large scandal in the Queen’s household. Although he
was married, he was rumored to be wooing a young, pregnant girl named
Mall. While his personality was very similar to that of the famed Malvolio,
there is also a direct reference in the name itself. The exact translation of
“Malvoglio” is “I want Mall.” By writing this character into his play,
Shakespeare seemed to have been making a very topical, personal jest that
members of Queen Elizabeth’s court would have found hilarious.
Furthermore, Twelfth Night is known as Shakespeare’s most musical comedy.
This is very likely because Queen Elizabeth, a great fan of English
singing and dancing, would have wanted to show off these skills to the visiting
Duke. Shakespeare, therefore, incorporated more written songs and
dances in this piece than in any of his others.
Queen Elizabeth heard of the Duke’s arrival on December 26, 1600,
which would have given Shakespeare exactly twelve days to write and prepare
the play. While this seems a very short time, it would not have been
unusual for Shakespeare to create a piece in this time frame. The main difference,
however, would have been that he was writing this with a specific
occasion and place in mind. Rather than creating a play to be performed
at the Globe Theatre like so many of his others, he would have written it
specifically for the court in which it would be presented.
Looking back on that first performance of Twelfth Night, it is difficult to
know if this is in fact the exact scenario that unfolded as Shakespeare
penned his famous comedy. However, as scholars have found, it is exciting
to piece together what might have been and what forces could have
prompted the creation of such a play.
Discussion Questions:
If Shakespeare was indeed tailoring many of his characters to people at
the first performance, what is it about these characters that allows them
to rise above personal jest and still seem relatable to us today? What
makes them timeless?
Discuss other examples of topical satire in society today. For example,
what do Saturday Night Live and Twelfth Night have in common? In
what ways do they both poke fun at their respective cultures?
Activity:
Search in a library or online for primary documents about Twelfth Night
(or any other subject determined by the teacher). See how many sources
you can find that are firsthand, not related by anyone else, and bring
them into class. Compare findings and discuss how scholars put such
information together in an attempt to recreate the past.
Gender Identity &
Disguise in Shakespeare
The element of gender identity and disguise is prominent in many of
Shakespeare’s plays. In Twelfth Night, one of the main characters,
Viola, disguises herself as a man, Cesario, for protection in the new,
strange land of Illyria. She believes that her twin brother, Sebastian, has
drowned, and chooses to disguise herself for her protection and to find
work. Women in today’s world face somewhat similar choices, if under
much less duress, often feeling pressure to dress or act more “masculine”
to success in the workforce. Look at clothing catalogues from the 1880s
to today: how have women’s fashions changed? What kind of attributes
do you think are considered “feminine” in today’s society? What
attributes are considered “masculine”? Can you think of situations in
which women are encouraged to act more traditionally “masculine”?
Why might women act, dress, or even (as in Viola’s case) pretend to be
men? Can you think of reasons men aren’t encouraged to dress or
behave similarly “feminine”?
Viola’s disguise allows her to escape the patriarchal boundaries that
confine and oppress women in her world, but leads to mass confusion
among many of the characters in the play. The countess Olivia falls in
love with Viola as Cesario when she goes to confess Orsino’s love to
Olivia. At the same time, Viola has fallen in love with Orsino. Later in
the play, Olivia mistakes Sebastian for Viola/Cesario, which leads to
more turmoil between the characters. Viola, the main player in all this
mess, states that there is no way she can fix these problems – “O time,
thou must untangle this, not I. / It is too hard a knot for me t’untie.” It
seems very “womanly” to not try to fix a major problem that she was a
part of, instead choosing to give responsibility for solving the problem
to an outside force. As critic Ann Barton writes, “Even her boy’s disguise
operates not as a liberation but merely as a way of going underground
in a difficult situation, of waiting to see what Time will bring.” However,
this passage also proves Viola’s maturity: She knows she cannot mend
these troubles, and she also recognizes that fate rules all.
Patriarchal: In gender politics, the word patriarchy often refers to a
social organization marked by the supremacy of a male figure, group
of male figures, or men in general. Men and masculine characteristics
are considered the norm against which all members of the society are
judged. A patriarchal society is also usually marked by the subordination
of women, children, and those whose genders or bodies defy
traditional man/woman categorization.