Twelfth Night; The Topsy- Turvy Trivial Twisting Theatrical Comedy!
Twelfth Night, a play written by Shakespeare in 1601 has now become one of the most famous plays ever written, with many modern-day adaptations of this comedy, movies based on it and high school students studying this play. It’s guaranteed to make you burst out laughing and leave you with an enjoyable experience.
Act 2, Scenes 1 and 2
Every single impression we make seems to have an overarching impact of how we are all perceived. Job interviews, speeches, casual conversations, meeting new people; the impression YOU project to others in each of these contexts has the power to determine what occurs next for you. However, we should pose ourselves this question: where exactly do these impressions that we make stem from?
Thankfully, Shakespeare aids us in the answering of this question in a rather enthralling manner, in Act 2 Scenes 1 and 2 of ‘Twelfth Night’!
“For such as we are made of, such we be”
Now, one may ask, HOW can one’s personal image trigger affection or hate so quickly? HOW is it so infectious?
Well, it boils down to what we are made of. Act 2 Scenes 1 and 2 emphasise how “for such as we are made of, such we be”, and shows us that the external factors such as how we present ourselves and how we articulate ourselves that form these overall first impressions.
With that in mind, let’s examine the characters specifically, and see the impact their impressions have on each other.
Sebastian (Act 2 Scene 1)
Meet Viola-err I mean Cesario-pardon me, I mean Sebastian! Act 2 Scene 1 is the first scene where the readers of Twelfth Night are exposed to Sebastian, who is the brother of Viola. Particularly from viewing the Globe Production and National Theatre Production of Twelfth Night, Sebastian’s skin tone, hair and costume have been rendered to resemble Viola’s, to make Sebastian a doppelganger , more than just a brother.
This creation of doppelgangers is intended to create a sense of confusion for the audience, given that this is one of the primary themes Shakespeare wants to emphasise in the play. When doppelgangers are present particularly for celebrities, things can get…confusing, let’s say.
Clearly, the readers’ first impression of Sebastian is warm-hearted and values his family roots, evident from his verse about tracing back his sister, Viola. Interestingly enough, he only mentions Viola indirectly, perhaps hinting that he is not fulfilled in his mission UNLESS he tracks down Viola.
Clearly, it is THESE fundamental qualities of retaining your roots and maintaining ties with families that shape our character and outlook as people , thus strengthening the impressions we make on others.
Antonio (Act 2 Scene 1)
Act 2 Scene 1 is also the first time we see Antonio, who rescued Sebastian from a shipwreck because he “…[adores] thee so”. Surprisingly enough, Antonio never knew Sebastian prior to the shipwreck! “[Sebastian’s] life [Antonio] gave him and did thereto add [his] love without retention, or restraint” in the months following the shipwreck because Sebastian’s warm-hearted character would have appealed directly to Antonio, seen as Sebastian was “a wrack past hope” physically and in being street smart.
While Antonio’s love may appear extensive when reading the play, the various theatrical adaptations tamper with that perception. In the Globe Production of Twelfth Night, Antonio is portrayed as someone who inhibits his feelings for Sebastian, by avoiding contact and sympathising with him instead as well as kneeling, to pay respects.
Conversely, the National Theatre Production of Twelfth Night has the actors engaging in contact. When Sebastian and Antonio are about to diverge, Antonio walks in and kisses Sebastian on the lips, indicative of his extreme affection towards Sebastian. Personally, this caught me off guard, and redefined the role of Antonio in this play, as someone who also contributes to t
“Our frailty is our cause, not we”; is it?
Well, if you’ve made it here, you would know that Viola is now hot property for Olivia! Malvolio passes on a ring to Viola, which at first is thought to be Orsino’s ring, when it is actually Olivia’s ring to Viola! Upon receiving this from Malvolio, Viola speaks in a soliloquy, and across productions, I think it is portrayed in two manners: excited and amused, and perplexed and nervous. In the National Theatre Production, Viola really adds a comedic touch, when she passionately exclaims “she loves me!” and omits the word ‘sure’ from the line, to make it sound more natural and organic, while in the Globe Production, she sounds apprehensive and hesitant as to what occurs next. The former focusses the viewers on the present and evokes a degree of respect for Viola’s status, while the latter CONFUSES viewers, and asks them to speculate on how this development tangles the plotline later down the track. Trust me, it’s all part of the confusing psychology of theatre!
Additionally, we, the readers, also recognise that “our frailty is our cause, not we” in cultivating a strong first impression. Viola’s soft nature, as opposed to merely her appearance, is the main factor that attracts Olivia to her; Viola articulates in a forthright manner, which is one of “this youth’s perfections” that is attractive.
“Come sir!”; the negative impacts of first impressions?
Here comes my favourite part: Malvolio, and the impact of negative first impressions! When reading the text of this scene, Malvolio comes across as the police officer enforcing a supposed law of Olivia’s house (which has not been perceived correctly by him) about proposal rings, while in the National Theatre Production of Twelfth Night, Malvolia is extremely authoritative, projecting her dominance as a dictator of Viola, with her own rules! Particularly, Tamsin Greig’s “COME SIR” exclamation in a very deep voice incited laughter, and made me reminisce of her time playing ‘Fran’ on the hit British sitcom Black Books, not to mention its unforgettable theme! The extreme authority seen here creates an unfriendly impression which leads other characters to display such hatred towards Malvolio/Malvolia and take advantage of her in the later scenes.
Doth thou hath any suggestions for improvement?
However, I personally believe that Shakespeare could have further emphasised how good first impressions generate extraordinary outcomes, by elaborating on the potential romance between Antonio and Sebastian in the climax of the play, Act 5. It doesn’t necessarily have to follow the same trajectory as other romances, and who knows, Shakespeare could have twisted the plot to make Antonio HATE Sebastian indefinitely, because of the impression Viola (who was thought to be Sebastian by Antonio) made on him. This would have accentuated the ‘make or break’ nature of first impressions!
So, what impression does Act 2 Scenes 1 and 2 give us of impressions?
Leaving the criticism aside, this set of scenes provides us with an excellent impression of impressions! By examining the main factors that an impression consists of, and how it can make or break your fate in a certain situation, Shakespeare has done an exceptional job in defining this often hard to master trick in life!
Act 2 Scene 4
Act 2, scene 4, the turning point in the story? We can see in this scene Orsino still in love with Olivia, but not any love, mad love. He contemplates his life to Viola/Cesario, tells him about love then a song of fondness follows and commences leaving Orsino in a changeable mood later leading into a serious yet passionate conversation between master and servant — some say the fulcrum in this interesting play.
Overall, throughout this entire scene we can see love as a main feature, the key in this. Shakespeare knew how to create suspense making a problem then complicating that problem then leading a somewhat confusing end creating the perfect mixture of comedy, tragedy, and happiness. How does one show their love yet conceal their love at the same time? An intriguing question yes but this scene shows it all. A girl hiding in a form of a boy yet in love with a man who also is in love with another woman.
The main part of this scene further plays out that question and comes in the form of Orsino’s and Cesario’s conversation at the end of the scene. Viola pours out her heart, Orsino listens yet brushes away the feelings he has, not knowing she is a girl. Questions start pouring into Orsino’s mind like, who is this, why do I feel this way, can I for some reason love a man? Viola then says, “I am all the daughters of my father’s house and all the son’s too.” She is desperate to reveal herself but can’t, ending in fiery connection full of fervour and zeal.
We can see in the song playing by Feste earlier how they start making eye contact together and sudden turns that show the emotion, hesitancy and chemistry striking between each of them. This is in my opinion is where both really became serious about their relationship together and a real future of the play took a turn with a whole new level of problems and interest about to unfold.
Here are some of the examples of different adaptations of Twelfth night plays where we can not only be limited to reading of a page but can witness the performance to make the experience so much more real. Firstly, the Globe theatre production, in this where all actors were men as in Shakespeare’s time. In this particular scene we can see their emotions — perplexed yet interested in whatever is occurring like they are in a different dimension. In the last scene the most iconic we can see that pull for each other really come to motion. As they speak their bond comes out and they actually go for a near kiss. Compared to other productions which actually end in a kiss this version is far better I believe, not making the story end to quickly with a short kiss but prolonging that tension with a near kiss keeping the suspense.
In my opinion and a whole lot of others, this scene leads most of the play on. We already know Viola likes Orsino and Orsino likes Olivia but has a slight feel for Cesario but here we can see the complications that the relationship in this scene causes further causing the trouble at the end which in turn brings out the nice ending with all of them united with their lovers. Act 2 scene 4 truly is an amazing segment full of that thrill, what Shakespearean plays are about overall adding and enhancing the feel of Twelfth Night.
Act 3 Scene 1
In Act 3 Scene 1, Viola (still disguised as Cesario) is on her journey to meet Olivia when he crosses paths with Feste the Fool at Olivia’s gate, and they have a discussion with him on the English language and foolery. On the discussion of language, Shakespeare plays with words through the character Feste, and Viola reacts to these remarks equally as thoughtfully. Shakespeare himself likes to play with language a lot, for example in the first scene of the play Curio asks Orsino whether he would like to go hunting. Orsino replies; ‘Hunting what Curio?’, and Curio replies ‘the hart’. This is obviously referring to the deer however when saying the word hart out loud it sounds exactly like heart, which is what Shakespeare has used to cleverly craft a pun as Orsino is lovestruck. Puns and other wordplays are also evident in other Shakespeare plays. From this maybe Shakespeare is reflecting his character into the play through Feste.
This scene seems to be a scene more for comedic purposes at first glance, however later on, when Viola enters into Olivia’s house, Olivia confesses her love to Viola. This is a significant part of the play’s plot and influences many parts of the outcome. For example, after Viola rejects Olivia, Viola attempts to leave Olivia’s house. However, Olivia comes back at Viola ‘begging’ her to stay. This displays a level of emotional immaturity, insecurity (‘tell me what thou thinks of me’) and the blinding love brings (“O scorn looks beautiful) present in Olivia at the time. This demonstrates the maddening effect of love. This behaviour coming from Olivia also greatly contrasts her ‘normal’ behaviour as she efficiently runs a household and her sharp wit when she first met Cesario.
The stage productions of Twelfth Night bring different aspects to the play alive that we wouldn’t notice in the stage script. For example, facial reactions and kissing are not in stage directions and are a aspect brought to life only by the production. This makes a bigger difference than you would expect, some of these results are theatre productions are vastly different to each other, and even though they all follow mostly the same script the facial reactions, lighting, stage setup, props and costumes bring a different feel to the play. Another important factor that can only be distinguished in the plays compared to the books is how characters interact, for example, one of the things we ALL noticed was kissing and other romantics interactions between the characters that was not in Shakespeare’s script or stage directions. For example, the Royal Shakespeare Company version of Act 3 scene 2 shows the characters very differently than the National Theatre version we watched in class. The clothing of the characters in the Royal Shakespeare Company version is a lot more modern compared to the clothing style present in the National Theatre version. The way the characters act and talk are also slightly more modern across the different plays that we have seen of twelfth night.
Royal Shakespeare Company clothing style
National Theatre Version Clothing style
Globe Production Clothing style
Act 3, Scene4
Act 3, Scene 4 is the funniest scene of the entire Twelfth Night play, it is also one of the most mischievous. Two key parts of this scene are Malvolio falling for Maria’s love letter and acting weird in front of Olivia, and the duel between Sir Andrew and Cesario (No prizes for guessing who the mastermind behind both these mischiefs was, it was of course Sir Toby). In an earlier scene, Maria wrote a love letter to Malvolio pretending to be Olivia, and he fell for it “liver and all”.
The mischievous gulling of Malvolio
Malvolio is the key to this part. This is the action and comedic part (but it is a little sad, on the part of Malvolio and what happens to him [or her as in the National Theatre version]).
Malvolio follows the love letter, in love, Shakespeare words in the letter are jumbling, it leaves Malvolio to interpret its meaning in his head, making him follow the letter even more, and makes it entertaining when he turns up dressed in yellow and cross-gartered to Olivia. His trust in Olivia liking him, as said about in the letter, is further enhanced when Olivia says, “Wilt thou go to bed, Malvolio”, even though she means go home and rest, Malvolio misinterprets this and think Olivia was asking him to join her in bed, supporting the love letter’s point of Olivia loving him secretly. Olivia’s actions in the Globe play clearly show to the audience her feelings towards this change in Malvolio, but for some reason Malvolio turns his eye to these reactions and continues to babble, showing he is self-important. This puts down whatever respect Olivia had for Malvolio, and she did have some as she says at the start of this scene, “Malvolio is sad and civil, perfect for a person of my fortunes”, and then this happens making her doubt his worthiness and value. Ironically, right after Olivia praises Malvolio, he comes in dressed in yellow, and cross-gartered, something Olivia hates and starts acting the exact opposite of sad and civil. Eventually, Olivia herself leaves, bored with the madness and sends in Sir Toby, Fabian and others to deal with Malvolio, to whom Malvolio is very rude, so they end up locking him in a dark room, which will come to bit back later when Malvolio vows revenge on the whole pack in the last scene.
The duel between mighty Sir Andrew and heroic Cesario
Sir Andrew challenges Cesario (Viola) to a joust, following the increasing favours Olivia has been doing towards the count’s man. This scene shows what Sir Andrew lacks of a knight, and all the lies Sir Toby says when he brags about Sir Andrew being strong and brave. Sir Toby is the mastermind behind this plot, he very intelligently for his own entertainment, tricks Sir Andrew to fight Cesario in a duel, for a show of valour, so Olivia will start to respect and love Sir Andrew. This goes bad from the start when Sir Andrew writes a challenge to Cesario, Sir Toby remarks to it with, “Now will not I deliver this letter … I will deliver this challenge by word of mouth, set upon Aguecheek a notable report of valour”, this sarcasm in his voice brings forth his real feelings about the unworthiness of the letter of challenge written by Sir Andrew to do any good, so he takes upon himself the task and does it with such pride and such boastfulness, that Cesario is scared out of his wits, even Fabian compliments him and strikes terror into Cesario’s heart as soon as Sir Toby leaves, this all almost makes Cesario, who is really a woman and in those time women never learned to fight or wield a sword. Ironically, this becomes a scene of comedy when the supposed strong and brave Sir Andrew turns out to be a coward and has trouble even holding the sword let alone fight, luckily Cesario is no better. The duel is very funny when both sides are scared out of their wits and refuse to draw, the National Theatre version, bring out the cowardice very well as we see that they are both bad with swords and get theirs sticks in tree sculptures and the reactions are the best though, seeing Sir Toby and Fabian force them, both their reactions of cowardice and they get to close to crying and fleeing, Cesario does to try to flee but Fabian stops him and forces the duel. Luckily for both of them, Antonio intervenes and is awarded by a surprised Cesario (Viola), whom he assumes to be Sebastian, refusing to return his purse to him and has no idea what Antonio is talking about. This frustrates Antonio. Antonio has no idea that it was not Sebastian he interfered for but Sebastian’s twin sister Viola who was supposedly drowned, but has survived and is now pretending to be a man working in Duke Orsino’s court, but as a reward for intervening and stopping the duel, Cesario offers Antonio half his own money.
Act 4 Scene 2
“Sir Topas! Sir Topas!”(4:2)
These words echo in the dark chamber where the steward, Marvolio, is held captive in a dark room. Act 4 scene 2 is takes place near the end of the play, where a prank being held on Marvolio starts to go too far.
Apart from the whole ordeal of love in this play, this scene plays under a theme of deception manipulation, confliction, and confusion. A good example of this deception is when Feste dresses as Sir Topas. Feste is an enigmatic and quirky person with weird and witty remarks who disguises himself as a wise philosopher, hinting to Marvolio “Nothing that is so is so”, meaning that sometimes the truth can be hidden in lies and that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The stone topas was once thought that it could cure madness, these small details further shape Sir Topas’s character for Act 4 scene 2. During this scene, Feste teases with Marvolio, who’s hair is scruffy, voice is horse, and his cries are desperate. Feste manipulates Marvolio to think that Feste is a good soul, passing on the letter to Olivia but Feste is the one tormenting him.
I believe that Twelfth Night is known and loved by many people because the play is very relatable. This scene is shows us that sometimes deception and manipulation is a product of bullying and peer pressure. Those who bottled up scorn and disdain for others often express their anger and hate through bullying, which can be a product of deception and manipulation used to physically and mentally harm victims. The audience can’t help but feel bad for Marvolio because the sense of injustice and torment he as experienced doesn’t balance out his unlikable personality. This scene evokes memories or scenarios that many, if not all people have seen or heard. For example: children being bullied on the school yard, discrimination against co-workers and toxic relationships. It is surprising that Sir Toby, a drunk, lazy, and impolite alcoholic is the first person in the play to realise the prank has gone a bit too far. Sir Topy shares at that moment during the play the feeling that all the audience feels: Empathy.
Transitioning from the topic of themes and emotions, these feelings can only be brought out from the settings, language, and tone of the scene. Tweflth Night’s adaptation by the production: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre displays Act 4 scene 2 in a bright and wooden floorboard, with a small jail that Malvolio is imprisoned in, it only shows his head and hands gripping the bars while Sir Topas walks around the prison with a very fancy outfit; the two characters act in the middle of the giant stage. The Globe’s setting allowed for the audience to see hear or feel the expressive emotions of the two characters. Marvolio is pleading for help, whilst Feste is fooling around speaking quickly and weirdly. The spotlight helps exaggerate their dialogue quite well. Meanwhile the RSC production of Twelfth Night has Act 4 scene 2 has the setting of the background set to a dim, blue, and sombre tone. Marvolio is also locked up in a dark shack. Feste and Marvolio don’t have dramatic facial expressions, but the play uses setting and tone to show their emotions. During the end of the scene, Feste goes into a dance and the lighting turns into a warm orange, spotlighting Feste singing. Both scenes accurately represent the script written in Twelfth Night, but the two plays have vastly different settings. Act 4 scene 2, a brilliant scene that ties the whole of Twelfth Night together.
Act 5 Scene 1
Act 5 Scene 1, the culmination and meeting point of the characters; the act where all secrets are spilled, and relationships are revealed. As the conclusion of the play, Act 5 has an integral role to not create a cliché cookie-cutter ending, instead to create a satisfying ending with deeper meaning.
The scene brings up themes of confliction, confusion, and chronological clashes. An example of confusion is the dialogue between Orsino, Viola and Antonio. When Antonio is brought in by the officers, Viola, disguised as Cesario, stands up for him, making note of his care towards Viola. Antonio backs this too with his claim saying that he had saved Cesario from a shipwreck, and that he had been with each other since. This puts Orsino is a confused state, as he is sure that Viola had been serving him the whole time.
The confusion doesn’t start there, as Olivia re-enters the scene, she admits her love for Viola, in turn causing Orsino to delve into a deeper state of conflict and confusion, “I’ll sacrifice the lamb that I love,” Orsino says of Viola. He suspects Viola of cheating on him with Olivia, however, for the first time, Viola announces her affection towards Orsino. She makes this statement still under the disguise of Cesario, putting everyone in a sense of disquietude. Olivia disputes this as she married someone who she thought was Cesario. If Orsino wasn’t suffering enough already, his rage towards Viola intensifies. After this sequence, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby barge in, accusing Viola of injuring them. This time, it is Viola that is shocked.
As the climax of the play approaches, so does Sebastian. Holding no belief or hope that Viola is alive, Sebastian barges into the confrontation. Shocked, he sees Viola, but dressed as a splitting image of himself. With this lucky reuniting, the reoccurring theme of mistaken identity is finally dismissed. Another huge point of this scene is that it is the first time the name “Viola” is used in the play. For someone reading the text, they know that the person had always been Viola, but from the perspective of a viewer, that character had been Cesario. Antonio uses the metaphor of “an apple cleft in two” to depict their similarity and how they are both a part of one other, as he is perplexed by seeing Sebastian and his replica.
When Malvolio reappears, he talks calmly, and for the first time in the play, in verse. He is not perplexed, as he had been during Act IV, but rather seeks retribution for the wrongs he feels Olivia has committed against him. Olivia, on the other hand, has done nothing to her steward (stewardess if it was the National Theatre version); she delicately defuses the situation, promising him justice and behaving sweetly so as not to further enrage him.
Malvolio is still unaware of his flaws at the end of the play; despite the fact that the pranks perpetrated on him were intended to punish him for his pride and vanity, he has not recognised the folly of his ways or attempted to improve. Feste’s assertion that his adversaries “tell me plainly I am an ass,” might be seen as justification for the entire endeavour to bring Malvolio to penance. If Feste’s torment of Malvolio was motivated by this assertion, then his actions in Act IV were not nearly as brutal as they appeared.
Although Orsino states at the end of the play, mentioning a “golden time” ahead of them, Act 5 Scene 1 concludes on a bittersweet note, where not everyone may end up happy, with Feste’s prologue song, with the repeating refrain: ‘The rain it raineth every day’. It uses wind and rain to symbolise a journey of one’s life and its hardships.
‘The rain it raineth every day’ might be read in this song as a reminder that we are confronted with challenges and tribulations every day, things that inconvenience us or dampen our spirits, rain on our parade. While this song may have a deeper meaning, it may also be a red herring thrown out by a fool. It may not even be worthwhile to analyse his words; nevertheless, it can still give us viewers some realisation.
Watching the stage productions of Twelfth Night puts forward new ways to watch and perceive the play. The productions bring a sense of being alive, something that may have been hard to get across through the script. A reader’s image of a certain characters is given artificial respiration through the stage productions, drawing their characteristics and personalities, facial reactions and emotions out on display. Their physical interactions with each other, not stated in the stage script, are also present. Elaborate sets and unique costumes illustrate the stage productions’ own style.
The Globe theatre production has a more classical portrayal of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. As the production is performed at a Globe Theatre, it is without a doubt an excellent choice to have an all-male cast for the play. This gives the viewers a type of experience that has close resemblance to how the play was performed in Shakespeare’s time. Although the set is quite basic, each character’s costumes are quite creative.
If you thought Twelfth Night already had enough gender swapping and gender bending, then prepare yourself for more! Performed in 2017, the National Theatre’s take on Twelfth Night is unorthodox and more modern. Featuring a rotating set, this version of Twelfth Night is a refreshing twist. The aforementioned additional gender-bending occurs in how some characters are performed as. For example, Feste is now a woman and Malvolio, who is also a woman, is now called Malvolia. This sets up a lesbian relationship between Malvolio and Olivia, pushing the idea of genderfluidity forward
The differences begin from the start of the stage productions. In the original script, and in the Globe Production, they begin with Orsino listening to music. The Globe Theatre shows Orsino and a pianist, however, in the national theatre’s version, it is different. At the start, there a short dark sequence, the scene of Viola losing Sebastian in the shipwreck. The differences don’t end there, as Orsino appears in the first scene stepping out of a car, along with a guitarist and saxophonist. This shows that the two productions are set in different time periods. There are also changes in the order in which they perform the acts and scenes, in the National Theatre version, Act 2 Scene 1 is before Act 1 Scene 5, again showing the unorthodox side of the stage production.
Malvolia dancing to the singing of Feste at the end of Twelfth Night (National Theatre)
Viola, dressed as Cesario, finally reunited with Sebastian. (Live at the Globe)
How Viola (left) and Sebastian (right) reunite in the National Theatre production.
So there we have it; the confusing comedic concocted creation of Shakespeare! With many twists and turns throughout the plot, and tangled romantic relationships, Shakespeare has crafted a timeless play that truly plays with the audience, in addition to projecting a variety of key themes and morals which are still relevant to this day. Now, if you ever make the excuse that Shakespeare’s language is too intricate to read, then you are simply missing out on this rollercoaster ride of a plot! Take up the challenge, and entertain yourself through the various acts and scenes of the play. Remember, “Nothing so is so” in this play, making it highly entertaining to read!
