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Essay Questions - Twelfth Night
Essay Questions - Twelfth Night
Act I, Scene 1
1. Does the Duke’s opening speech show praise for Olivia in particular or for the experience of love in
general? Explain your answer by citing specific lines.
2. What kind of judgment would you make about the Duke’s character based on his speech and behavior in
the first scene? Discuss why you get this impression. Discuss either several specific qualities or one
generalized personality trait.
Act I, Scene 2
1. Viola comments on the deceptiveness of appearances. People aren’t always what they seem to be. Why do
you think this theme would be significant in a play that deals with love? Cite evidence from the play to
support your answer.
2. Why does the love object have to come down from the altar of the lover’s worship? Why, that is, can’t the
Duke keep praising Olivia forever? How does Viola make it clear that there’s more to being in love than just
poetry? Make sure you present your topic sentences clearly in the essay.
Act I, Scene 3
1. Sir Andrew may not be a good suitor for Olivia. Defend this thesis statement referring to specific examples
from the dialogue.
2. Analyze the dance imagery found in lines 116–138. Why do you think Shakespeare included it in the
dialogue? With what aspect of the play does it tie in? What does it emphasize?
Act I, Scene 4
1. Think of your efforts to win a sweetheart when you’ve fallen in love, or what you might do to win one. In
what ways would those efforts be similar or different from Cesario’s endeavors to woo Olivia for the Duke?
2. Consider once again the definition of “Romantic comedy” stated earlier. Why do you think the society of a
given era would desire a happy ending? Would you like to see Twelfth Night end in another way than it
does?
Act I, Scene 5
1. How does the Clown prove that Olivia is a fool? Is he correct or incorrect in his assessment? Explain your
answer with evidence found in the text.
2. How many love strands does the first act contain? Who is involved in them? Where do the relationships
stand by the end of Act I in relation to how they will eventually develop?
2. Analyze Maria’s speeches in this scene. Explain carefully her motive to entrap Malvolio. Do you believe
that she is justified in doing it?
2. Why does the Duke believe that the man should be older than the woman in a relationship? Consider lines
29–39. Do you agree with his opinion? Why or why not?
2. Write an essay on “the love letter.” First of all, define what you think it is. Does Maria’s dropped letter fit
your definition? What do you think of the requests made in the letter? How would you compose your own
real love letter.
2. As Olivia is in the process of revealing her feelings for Cesario, she makes use of metaphors drawn from
the animal kingdom—lines 120–122 and lines 130–131. State what these animal metaphors are, and then
explain their significance. How do they illuminate the depth of Olivia’s feelings at the moment?
2. How does Shakespeare render the relationship between Antonio and Sebastian? Compare their
relationship to Sir Toby and Sir Andrew’s. Discuss the importance of friendship in a play like Twelfth Night.
2. Analyze this play in terms of its credibility and realism. To what extent is the action credible? To what
extent is it fantasy and romance? Define the concepts you work with in your essay.
2. Discuss Olivia’s attitude toward the brawl she comes upon. Find other places in the play where Sir Toby’s
foolery is criticized and list them. Why do you think characters express disapproval for the festive behavior?
How would the play stand without Sir Toby’s merriment?
2. Analyze the song with which the Clown closes the scene. Is the allusion to the Devil in harmony with the
preceding allusions in the scene? How does the song pass judgment on Malvolio?
2. Consider the influence of “accident and flood of fortune” on Sebastian’s success with Olivia. Is the
marriage just good luck and is Sebastian taking advantage of an opportunity to marry up? Discuss Sebastian’s
attitude to Olivia in your essay.
Act V, Scene 1
1. Explain Antonio’s function in the play. Is he a minor or major character? Does he clarify or interpret what is
going on with the twins? Does he oppose or support the twins?
2. Isolate the methods that Shakespeare uses to establish and reveal character. It would probably be best to
do a character study of one particular character. Are the actions of the characters properly motivated and
consistent?