An Exploration of the Contribution of Disguise and Deceit to the Humour of Twelfth Night
‘Twelfth Night’ could be seen as a play with dark and harsh meanings,
for example, it could be said that Malvolio’s planned revenge at the
end of the play has an uneasy effect on the audience, in a time of
general harmony. However I think that although ‘Twelfth Night’ does
raise some moral issues, overall it is an enjoyable play. It is a
play; designed to be performed in the dark, gloomy winter to bring
lightness into peoples lives and I think it is successful in doing so
because of the humorous scenes and characters. I have decided to
investigate disguise and deceit because I think it is interesting to
see how Shakespeare has used these devices to contribute to the humour
of the play.
‘Twelfth Night’ contains many scenes, which are deliberately designed
to make the audience laugh, many of which are connected to disguise
and deceit. One example is Malvolio deceiving himself that Olivia
loves him, after receiving Maria’s letter. The audience would find
this funny as Malvolio has been presented as a character they are not
supposed to feel sympathy towards. This is shown when Malvolio
interrupts Feste’s, Sir Andrew’s and Sir Toby’s late-night drinking
session. The conflict of personalities draw attention to Malvolio’s
pride: his sharp questions such as ‘Do ye make an alehouse of my
lady’s house?’ provokes Toby to tell him to ‘rub his chain in crumbs’,
(Malvolio would have worn a chain, as Olivia's servant) portraying him
as a self-important steward. Olivia also highlights Malvolios
self-importance by saying he is ‘sick of self love’.
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‘I love thee so that, maugre all thy pride,
Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide’
The rhyme brings attention to the fact that Olivia's situation with
Orsino has been reversed and she can’t hide her feelings: not only is
she in love she is pleading to Cesario. The rhyme of ‘youth’ with
‘truth’ in Cesrios reply, reminds the audience of Cesarios true gender
and draws attention to the humour of the situation- Olivia has fallen
in love with a woman:
‘by innocence I swear, and by my youth,
I have one heart, one bosom, and one truth.’
The major theme in Twelfth Night is the love triangle between Viola,
Orsino and Olivia. However I think that the comedy, particularly when
associated with disguise and deceit, is the most effective device at
making the play as enjoyable and memorable as possible.
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.
“However, at the end of the performance, the audience has already experienced the highest emotional climax, the memory of which is strung along by the inevitable plot resolution. The audience has no choice but to leave with the rapidly fading memory of their dramatic stimulation and return to the underwhelming reality that awaits them outside of the theatre.”
People are not always whom they appear to be. Whether it’s that fierce tattooed muscle man or that sweet elderly lady smiling from a few seats away, what is perceived is not always what is true. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night portrays many a character whose identities do not align with their inner character. Olivia’s polite ladylike demeanour, Sir Toby’s guise of nobility, and Feste’s job as a fool all demonstrate how social identities don’t always align with inner character.
when he gets bored of it then he tells him to stop, just like that.
Andrew is funny, it is not intentional. His faults include a lack of wit, a
Function of Disguise in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is a play based around disguise in the form of deception and becoming someone different. In Twelfth Night, disguise takes many different shapes from physical disguise to mental disguise. Disguise is one of the main topics of the play and helps to create the plot. It brings in confusion and comedy as well as the darker and sadder side of the play which is disguised as fun and happiness. Disguise is evident from the very beginning of the play.
Dobson, Michael. “Twelfth Night” in The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
How Shakespeare Explores the Theme of Deception and Self-Deception in Twelfth Night Deception is the use of deceit that deceives everyone around you including yourself. It is the fact or state of being deceived. It can be a ruse or a trick in disguise, which deludes, giving a sense of indirection. It’s a misleading falsehood. One can deceive by running away from even their true self either physically or mentally.
The theme of deception runs very strong in Act One. Almost all the characters seem to either be deceiving someone, or being deceived themselves.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this play, and my reaction was enhanced by the dramatic tension Miller creates in so many ways. The unexpected twists and use of dramatic irony help to keep the audience?s attention, while the sub-plot of rivalry adds interest and also reflects the main plot. The abrupt ending of act one, reflects the abrupt ending of the play as a whole, leaving the remainder to the imagination. Ending like these force viewers to envision what would follow, and, once again this all adds to the dramatic tension.
The.. In conclusion, Twelfth Night is full of lighthearted moments and this. is expressed through both the main and the subplots, in which the fool. is the one to control comedy and humour in the play. Feste's role in the.
In Act 2 scene 5 the mood is very lighthearted and is full of theatrical comedy, we find Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and their friend Fabian hidden away as they await Malvolio to stumble upon the letter supposedly written by Olivia. Even though they are hidden the audience can still see their reactions and hear their comments, which adds to the melodramatic aspect of the scene. The audience is anxious to see what unravels next as they know Maria purposely wrote the letter in order to fool Malvolio.
Humor in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night In Twelfth Night we see different types of humour. There is the witty
Shakespeare’s use of disguise has left the audience in suspense. The audience is left waiting to
Mistaken identity and disguise are important aspects of comedy in Twelfth Night that stand at the forefront of the play’s comedy. Not only are mistaken identities and disguise evident within the main plot of the play but also in various other situations. Sexual confusion amongst characters, subversion of gender roles and farcical elements through stagecraft all effectively contribute to the dramatic comedy genre. However, it can be suggested that certain elements of Twelfth Night are not interpreted to be purely comedic; Shakespeare has incorporated serious and controversial subjects such as the idea of genuine love, the patriarchy of the time and the cruel gulling of Malvolio. Therefore, disguise and mistaken identity are not solely for the purpose of comedy and it could be inferred that it even borders on the genre of tragedy.