The perfect lives that make up the routine of the Illyrian citizens portrays a society in which enjoyment, and personal gain are held in utmost priority. Shakespeares mocks the passivity of the Illyrian lifestyle to explain to the audience that excess of such festivity has negative side effects such as ego and lack of true love. He expresses that the pursuit of expression and truth in itself invokes enjoyment. Sir Aguecheek mirrors the uncertainty of a person through lack of self-confidence and the desire to openly reveal his true self when lamenting “Is it a world to hide virtues in?” (1.3.131). While uncovering aesthetic and emotional mysteries, the Illyrians find that disport restrains them from actual enjoyment and love. The play follows the audience to motivate them towards dissemination of feelings and expression of passion as a “locus of growth and self discovery” (Logan 223) and to obtain true happiness by ridding themselves of excessive, meaningless fun.
By constructing an ideal universe, Shakespeare attributes intricate symbolism of characters within the utopian backdrop to the individual desire of festivity, lust, and enjoyment present in human culture which in excess is not beneficial. Shakespeare “evokes its audience a recognition of the limits of festivity by abolishing such limits in the stage-world of Illyria”(Logan 223).
Referring to the last night of Christmastide celebrations, the title of Twelfth Night in itself deems in its opening scenes Illyria as a world of privilege and leisure. According to Goddard “Illyria is a counterfeit Elysium”(302) where enjoyment evokes pleasure but not happiness and attraction invokes lust but not love. Illyria acts as a playground for revelry and limitless self in...
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Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a comedy that has been interpreted in different ways, enabling one to receive multiple experiences of the same story. Due to the content and themes of the play, it can be creatively challenging to producers and their casting strategies. Instead of being a hindrance, I find the ability for one to experiment exciting as people try to discover strategies that best represent entertainment for the audience, as well as the best ways to interpret Shakespeare’s work.
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Twelfth Night, written by Shakespeare between the years of 1599 and 1601 (“Shakespeare-Online”), is easily one of his most well-known plays. A year after the assumed date of publication, on February the 2nd of 1602, Twelfth Night was performed for the first time (“William-Shakespeare)”. The location of the production is thought to have taken place in the Middle Temple, which was one of four law schools within London that were known as the Inns of Court (“Shakespeare-Online”). Though some would classify Twelfth Night as generic, it is laced with a sharp sense of humor and controversial concerns that can easily be applied to the issues of present day. Many of these issues, such as marriage, gender identity, gender, homosexuality, and social ambition, are relevant in today’s society, making them easy to relate to.
Twelfth Night was written in 1601 by William Shakespeare. Another meaning to Twelfth Night was the coming of Wise Men. This also called “Epiphany”. Epiphany means sudden stroke of insight, a sudden understanding of the “reality of things.” A seeing beyond appearances. Often consider moments of Epiphany to be crucial events in our intellectual, spiritual lives. At Epiphany of Christ, first who saw the powers that child stood for. For centuries Twelfth Night had been celebrated with plays; one of the most theatrical nights of the year. Audience would become involved in action, plays would spill over into streets, halls of houses where performance taking place.
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