Introduction
Like all Shakespeare’s mature comedies, Twelfth Night has
much serious content as well as the purely comic which
makes it a rewarding play for an audience. As is the case
in many of the plays, Twelfth Night hinges on disguise and
mistaken identity and sexual confusion.
disguised as Cesario and her brother Sebastian is much
more nearly identical because Olivia is being played by
a male actor than in most modern productions where a
female actor plays the part of Olivia. Observing the part
of Viola being played by a male actor gives an extra layer
of confusion: Olivia, played by a male actor disguises
herself as a man, Cesario, so the audience watch a man
playing a woman who is disguised as a man. See Colin
Hurley Excerpt – the practice of men playing women on
stage to listen to the actor playing Sir Toby talk about this
aspect of the production.
One of the delights of the play is the range of complex
and engaging characters that become involved in the
story of the shipwreck and separation of the twins
Viola and Sebastian, Viola’s disguise as Cesario and
Orsino’s love for Olivia. The other characters in Olivia’s
household, her cousin Sir Toby and his friend Sir Andrew,
her steward Malvolio, Maria the maid and Feste the
clown become involved in the two plots to humiliate
Malvolio and make fun of Sir Andrew. The characters
experience the sadness of unrequited love, the happiness
of love becoming fulfilled and the cruelty of humiliation.
Although it is a comedy, there are aspects of the play that
contain elements of tragedy in the humiliation of Malvolio
and his final threat of revenge.
Liam Brennan as Orsino and Johnny Flynn as Viola in the 2012
production of Twelfth Night.
The current production uses ‘original practice’ which
means that, just as in the time of Shakespeare, the female
characters are played by men. In the 16th and 17th
Centuries female actors were forbidden from performing
in the theatres so all the female parts in plays were
played by male actors, often young boys whose voices
had not yet broken. Being able to see the parts of Viola,
Olivia and Maria played by male actors gives modern
audiences the opportunity to experience the play as
audiences in Shakespeare’s time would have done. In the
current production, the similarity in appearance of Viola
Twelfth Night was completed in 1601. Interestingly there
is an account, written by John Manningham, a lawyer, of
a performance on 2nd February 1602 at Middle Temple
Hall, part of the Inns of Court which are the centre of
the legal profession in London. Middle Temple Hall
still stands and is the only venue where Shakespeare’s
plays were performed in his own lifetime that can still
be visited today. An earlier production of Twelfth Night
by The Globe in 2002 was performed in Middle Temple
Hall in exactly the same place as the production in
Shakespeare’s time. In the later years of Shakespeare’s
career, there was an increasing use of indoor theatres
instead of outdoor theatres like The Globe because they
allowed much greater control of effects such as lighting
and of course they weren’t affected by bad weather.
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Act i, scene 1
‘If music be the food of love, play on.’
1Read Act I, scene 1, lines 1 – 15.
Explain that these opening lines are very well-known.
Ask students to read these lines and list the imagery and vocabulary in the lines that refer
to death and decay.
Take feedback and discuss the way that the imagery and vocabulary such as ‘sicken’ and
‘die’ give a sense of melancholy or sadness to the atmosphere which runs throughout the
whole play.
2Thinking about the imagery in these lines, ask students to describe what they think the
music that begins the play may be like.
Take feedback and draw out the sense of melancholy which would be strengthened by the
use of suitably sad and slow music. Ask students to suggest current examples of popular
music which might have this sense of melancholy.
3Read Act I, scene 1, lines 20 – 24.
Ask students to explore the imagery of hunting in these lines and suggest what it tells the
audience about Orsino’s feelings.
Discuss the way the image of hunting suggests that Orsino feels that he is a victim of love,
that he is like a ‘hart’, a male deer, being pursued by his feelings for Olivia.
4Read Act I, scene 1, lines 27 – 33 and 41 – 42.
Ask students to compare the description of Olivia mourning her dead brother and the final
words of Orsino in the scene and identify what is similar about them.
Discuss the way that Olivia seems to be lost in her sadness over her brother’s death and
the way that Orsino seems to be almost to be enjoying his feeling of sadness over the
unrequited love as he lies in his ‘bed of flowers’. Point out how their feelings of sadness
and melancholy link with the opening lines of the play so that although it is a comedy
there is an underlying sense of sadness.
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Act 1, Scene 5:
Olivia falls in love
Summary
Viola and her twin brother Sebastian have been shipwrecked and separated on the shore of
Illyria. The sea captain tells Viola about Orsino and, disguised as a man named Cesario, Viola
becomes Orsino’s servant and takes messages to the object of his love Olivia. Viola soon falls
in love with Orsino but he does not realise that she is a woman.
This scene is supported by the Scene Machine script
1Read Act I, scene 5, lines 61 – 67.
Explain that the ‘fool’ is a servant responsible for entertaining an employer and had
freedom to say things that other servants could not. Ask students to read these lines that
Feste, Olivia’s fool, says to his mistress and then explain Feste’s argument.
Draw out in discussion the point that Olivia’s grieving for her brother is unnecessary
as she believes he has gone to heaven and how this reinforces the feeling that Olivia’s
grieving could be seen as indulgent.
2Read Act I, scene 5, lines 68 – 91.
Ask students to read these lines and decide what impression they give of Malvolio’s
character.
Draw out in discussion that Malvolio does not seem to have a sense of humour and
dislikes the fool who is, in many ways, Malvolio’s opposite. Emphasise the way that
Olivia’s comments about Malvolio being ‘sick of self-love’ tells the audience that he is
self-obsessed and ripe for the trick later played on him.
3Read Act I, scene 5, lines 170 – 210.
Ask students to decide what they think is Olivia’s initial impression of Viola is disguised
as Cesario.
Discuss the way that Olivia initially sees Viola as ‘saucy’ and as behaving ‘rudely’ but that
she then begins to show her interest in ‘him’ by asking questions such as ‘who are you?’
Finally, she agrees to send Maria away to listen to Viola alone.
4Read Act I, scene 5, lines 220 – 232 and 251 – 277.
Ask students to read these lines and list the next stages in Olivia’s realisation that she is
beginning to fall in love with Viola disguised as Cesario.
In discussion emphasise that in agreeing to show her face by drawing aside her veil Olivia
is demonstrating that she wants this young man to see and admire her. Olivia next invites
Viola to speak more ‘Why, what would you?’ when she could simply have told her to
leave. Her next question ‘What is your parentage?’ is a crucial question for a possible
partner: does he come from the right background? Finally Olivia reveals her growing
interest by asking Viola to come again even though she has no interest in Orsino’s love.
5Read Act I, scene 5, lines 278 – 301.
Ask students to read the ending of the scene and identify how the actor playing Olivia
should speak and move in these lines to show that she has definitely fallen in love with
Viola disguised as Cesario.
Draw out the way the lines convey her excitement through repeating what he said and
the short excited lines describing him and that the actor should demonstrate excitement
by delivering the lines in an excited voice and move in an agitated manner. Suggest that
when they watching the performance they should note the way the actor playing Olivia
demonstrates her excitement.
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Act II, scene 3
Malvolio falls out with the revellers
Summary
Viola’s twin brother Sebastian has also found himself rescued from the shipwreck on Illyria and
decides to go to Orsino’s court and, as he looks identical to his disguised sister, this will cause
confusion later. Malvolio has given Olivia’s ring to Viola who is puzzled and realises Olivia has
fallen in love with her in disguise as Cesario. In this next scene the plot to humiliate Malvolio
is started.
1Read Act II, scene 3, lines 85 – 120
Ask students to read these lines and list Malvolio’s criticisms of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and
Feste’s behaviour and then list their feelings about Malvolio.
Discuss students’ findings drawing out that Malvolio sees the revellers as mad and lacking
in good manners and sense. He criticises the way they exploit Olivia’s hospitality and
finally that he is going to inform Olivia of their behaviour. Toby reminds Malvolio that he
is only Olivia’s steward and that just because he disapproves of revelry ‘cakes and ale’
it will not stop them enjoying life. Emphasise the way in which the two views of life the
serious and the enjoyable are opposed here. Explain that this aspect of the play mirrors
the situation in England in 1601 where the Puritans were beginning to campaign for an
end to enjoyable pastimes on Sundays and even throughout the week.
2Read Act II, scene 3, lines140 – 159.
Read these lines and list the reasons Maria gives for thinking that her trick will work on
Malvolio.
In discussion draw out the way that Maria describes Malvolio as a time server, that he
is affected, he learns phrases from books without understanding the content, he spreads
his half understood ideas around and thinks that everyone will admire and love him. He
appears pompous and self-obsessed so is likely to fall for Maria’s trick.
3
Read Paul Chahidi’s Rehearsal 1 Blog Post
Read the extract from the blog by the actor playing Maria in this production.
You start the play with this woman who is in massive mourning, massive grief, she’s lost
her brother and her father within a year, massive body blows to her. And the sense you
get of what’s going on in the household is that Malvolio’s power has suddenly come to
the fore, it’s just increasing, and it’s partly because she’s in grief and someone needed to
take control of the household. And I think the play starts with a lot of tension for everyone:
for Olivia because of her grief and constantly getting pestered by the Count; the Count
Orsino because he’s not getting a response and he’s madly in love with Olivia; for Malvolio
because he wants to impose his puritanism through his growing power in the house and
is sensing this growing power; for Maria because she’s sensing her power is waning and
needs to upstart Malvolio, who is her social inferior and suddenly taking control. And the
same goes for Toby, he feels the same and just wants to be able to have drinks and parties.
Ask students to discuss how far this description of Maria’s place in Olivia’s household
explains her desire to humiliate Malvolio.
Discuss the way that Maria feels threatened by Malvolio’s increasing influence in Olivia’s
household and so is keen to teach him a lesson through the trick.
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Act II, Scene 5:
Malvolio finds and reads the letter
This scene is supported by the Scene Machine script
Summary
In the intervening scene, Viola and Orsino discuss love. She tells Orsino that if she were a
woman she would love a man like Orsino. The audience, knowing her true identity, see that
she is actually referring to her real love for Orsino. In this next scene, the trick is played on
Malvolio.
1Look at Act II, scene 5, lines 23 – 80.
Ask students to read these lines and decide how Malvolio should move, his expressions
and gestures as he talks to himself.
Discuss the way in which the lines give the actor playing Malvolio many hints about
movement, expression and the gestures. Draw out examples such as ‘sitting in my state’
indicating he should sit down, ‘Calling my officers about me’ indicating a beckoning
gesture and ‘I frown the while’ indicating his expression. When watching the play, students
should take note of the way the actor playing Malvolio interprets these lines.
2Ask students to summarise how Malvolio’s behaviour in these lines emphasise to the
audience that he is likely to fall for the trick.
Draw out in discussion that these lines show he already has delusions of grandeur, he
thinks Olivia is attracted to him and looks forward to being able to have control over Sir
Toby in particular.
3Act II, scene 5, lines 81 – 172.
Ask students to list the different ways in which
Maria’s clever letter convinces Malvolio that he is
loved by Olivia.
Discuss the various ways the letter is designed to
make Malvolio think it is for him and from Olivia
including: the handwriting, the language used ‘her
very phrases’, the puzzling letters all from his name
and saying she may ‘command where I adore’.
4Read Timothy Walker’s Rehearsal Notes 2 blog post
Ask students to read the extract from blog by the actor playing Malvolio in an earlier
production.
‘I have been thinking about Malvolio’s pre-stage history and his social status. He is a very
self-contradictory character. He’s seems to have a hidden agenda, due to which he is
constantly striving for social promotion, an agenda which to a certain extent gets exposed
by the play. He could come from a middling kind of class; his father could also have been
a steward. Equally, however, his father could have been a servant and Malvolio could
have bought his way out of that lower class by working very hard. Malvolio desperately
wants to become a gentleman and he certainly considers himself to be of that class. It’s a
common thing; many people feel aware of their low social status whilst at the same time
having a powerful sense of their own self-worth. There are lots of give-away lines in the
play that reveal Malvolio’s lack of learning: Maria calls him an “undigested ass that cons
state without book and utters it by great swathes…” His lack of understanding is because
© 2013 The Shakespeare Globe Trust. Permission granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, lending, is prohibited.
he wouldn’t have had a university education to help him understand what can find out
without one. He has a great appetite for knowledge, and going to university would
probably be one of his dreams.’
Having read the blog, ask students to identify why the comments in the letter concerning
‘greatness’ are likely to appeal to Malvolio’s vanity.
Discuss the line ‘some have greatness thrust upon ‘em’ and how it fits with Malvolio’s
thoughts of becoming a count and a worthy companion for Olivia from earlier in the scene.
Consider the thoughts of the actor in the blog and how Malvolio’s background may have
contributed to his willingness to believe he is worthy to have greatness thrust upon him.
5Read Act II, scene 5, lines 188 – 200.
Ask students to suggest how these lines help to prepare the audience for the outcome of
the joke.
Draw out how these lines serve as a reminder for the audience of all the aspects of
behaviour and clothing that the false letter encourages Malvolio to adopt when he sees
Olivia. The lines emphasise that Olivia, still in mourning for her dead brother, will abhor,
detest and feel contempt for him.
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Act III, scene 4
Malvolio appears in front of Olivia dressed as the
letter suggested
Summary
In the intervening scenes Sir Andrew has seen how Olivia receives Viola’s suits from Orsino
and concludes that he has no hope of winning Olivia’s love and will leave. Sir Toby and Fabian
encourage him to pick a fight with Viola. Meanwhile Viola’s twin brother Sebastian agrees to
look after Antonio’s money while they separate to look around the town.)
1Read Act III, scene 4, lines 17 – 64.
Ask students to list the ways in which Olivia shows her amazement at Malvolio’s
behaviour in this scene.
Discuss Olivia’s comments and questions such as ‘Why dost thou smile so, and kiss
thy hand so oft?’ Draw out how the comments indicate how the actor playing Malvolio
should behave in this scene. When watching the performance of the play, students should
notice how the actor uses these comments to indicate how to behave and what facial
expressions to use.
2Read Act III, scene 4, lines 65 – 124.
Ask students to identify the ways in which Malvolio convinces himself that the meeting
with Olivia has been a success.
Discuss the way Malvolio takes every aspect of the events in the meeting with Olivia and
twists them so that they fit with the instructions in the letter such as: ‘No worse a man than
Sir Toby to look to me! This concurs directly with the letter. She sends him on purpose,
that I may appear stubborn to him’. Emphasise that these lines demonstrate that Malvolio
is so convinced by the letter that he is incapable of seeing it as a trick.
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Act IV, Scene 2
In the cell
Summary
Sir Andrew has been encouraged to challenge Viola to a duel. Both are too frightened to attack
each other. Antonio is arrested and pleads for his money with Viola, thinking she is Sebastian,
but Viola is only able to offer a small sum to help. Olivia then meets Sebastian and thinks he is
Olivia disguised as Cesario. Sebastian is puzzled but goes along with Olivia’s courting of him.
Malvolio has been imprisoned because he is thought to be mad.
1Look at the two photographs of this scene one from the current production and one
from an earlier production. In one the audience can see Malvolio’s face, in the other
only his hands can be seen. Discuss what effect not being able to see his face might
have on the audience.
Draw out that being unable to see the face gives an air of mystery, leaving the audience to
imagine Malvolio’s distressed appearance but actually seeing his face helps the audience
to appreciate his desperation.
2Read Act IV, scene 2, lines 20 – 70.
Ask students to read these lines and identify how the trick has turned from an amusing
joke to become simply cruelty.
Draw out the desperation Malvolio feels as he tries to convince Feste as Sir Topaz the
priest that he is not mad. Sir Toby’s ‘I would I were rid of this knavery’ shows that he
realises the trick has gone too far. Instead of laughing at Malvolio the audience now
begin to feel sympathy for him. Despite all his grandiose ideas and pompous behaviour
the audience feel that no-one deserves this treatment.
3Ask students to listen to an extract from an interview with the actor playing Sir Toby
where he discusses the darkness of Sir Toby’s character. Ask students to consider whether
Sir Toby is a sympathetic or an unpleasant character based on the way he
treats Malvolio.
Discuss the ways in which the amusing joke which Sir Toby and Maria play on Malvolio
has led to him being imprisoned for his supposed madness. The joke has become a cruel
treatment of Malvolio which however pompous he seems he does not deserve. © 2013 The Shakespeare Globe Trust. Permission granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, lending, is prohibited.
Act V, scene 1
Malvolio threatens revenge
Summary
Olivia arranges a priest to ‘plight her troth’ with Sebastian which is a legally binding contract
to marry. Sebastian cannot believe his good fortune. Sebastian and Viola finally meet and the
confusion is resolved. Orsino will marry Viola now he realises that she is a woman, Sebastian
and Olivia will marry and Sir Toby will marry Maria.)
1Read Act V, scene 1, lines 300 – 375.
Ask students to read these lines and identify how Malvolio makes it clear how badly he
has been treated.
Discuss the way that his letter and his speeches convince Olivia that he has been badly
used. Emphasise how Malvolio’s final words contrast with the happy ending to the play.
2Read Timothy Walker’s Rehearsal Notes 2 Blog post
Ask students to read this extract from a blog by the actor playing Malvolio in an earlier
production and then discuss what they think Malvolio learns from his experiences in
the play.
What Malvolio learns during the course of the play is widely open to interpretation. He
learns that people often treat you very, very badly. He learns that he’s a fool to have
hoped for Olivia’s love and to have believed that was possible. He learns that he can’t
become part of the social elite. I’m not sure he learns much about himself. Instead, he
learns how cruel other people are. He learns how society overtakes you when it wants to
get on. So what would that teach you? I don’t know. And we’ll never know because that’s
another play! The thing is, that he’s a survivor. At the end of the play, Malvolio seems to
be to be asking a question: “Why does this happen to me?” and the answer could be any
number of things. But the fact that he can get to the question itself is important. Malvolio
lives within the confines of his own ego, but at the same time there’s a tenderness and
a vulnerability about him. That’s the power of the role, what makes him a tragi-comic
character. I suppose you could play him as a fully tragic character because of what the
others do to him. To be exposed to such humiliation – who knows what that would do
to someone? People have said that Malvolio is going off to kill himself when he leaves in
Act V, Scene 1. He might be, but I don’t think so. All sorts of things could happen to him
afterwards – but no production can really tell you what they are.
Discuss the possibility that his personality may prevent him from learning anything from
the experience but also that he could learn some humility.
3 Read Micheal Brown’s Rehearsal notes 4 blog post
Ask students to read this extract from a blog by the actor playing Viola in an earlier
production.
Lots of people have commented that we look amazingly similar to each other. I’m
enjoying exploring different ways of playing the scene, but at the moment I think that
Viola is very confused and frightened. When Sebastian enters in Act v scene 1, I hide
behind the pillar! Viola’s already guessed that it’s her brother who is causing this confusion
before he arrives on stage, but when he finally appears, she’s terrified that it might not be
him after all. I don’t know when she finally accepts that it is her brother standing there;
possibly not until after the play ends, as she tells him:
Do not embrace me, till each circumstance
Of place, time, fortune, do cohere and jump
That I am Viola;… (v.1.248 – 250)
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It’s all a bit of a shock, and it’s possible that she wants to be absolutely sure of what is
happening to them both before she can enjoy their reconciliation.
As they watch the production, ask students to notice the reaction of the audience as the
Viola and Sebastian meet on stage for the first time looking almost identical.
Draw out in discussion following the performance how the ‘original practices’ used in the
production, where the female parts are played by men, makes this moment in the play
particularly effective.
© 2013 The Shakespeare Globe Trust. Permission granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, lending, is prohibited.