Why did Shakespeare choose to write about gender-bending in his play? Was he trying to emphasize what the people of his time period deemed as suitable behavior for women? Or was he trying to show that just as men can play the roles of women, women can play the roles of men? (Given that at the time period all the women’s roles were played by men)
It’s interesting how the fool is the lowest character in the play, in terms of social class, yet he speaks very ironically and poetically. Is it possible that the fool serves as an ironic character in the play? That his poems and songs are an analog to life and death or the events going on in the play?
Shock of the New was both interesting and informative. Firstly, I like the way it started out. “The world has changed less since the time of Jesus Christ than it has in the last thirty years.” The chapter clearly states that “only very exceptional sights, like a rocket launch, can give us anything resembling the emotion with which our ancestors in the 1880s contemplated heavy machinery.” The changes during that time, whether it was machinery or the development in art were unheard of before, they were foreign concepts. However, our generation is used to change, so even if something new comes out, it’s not such a big deal for us.
It seems like everything has been done already. Shock of the New mentions numerous inventions that were life-changing and some changes that brought a new meaning to art. So, is there still opportunity for huge change and evolvement or are we so jaded when it comes to new ideas that there can be no such thing anymore as a “shock of the new”?
How is romantic love depicted in the play? What points does Shakespeare make about romance?
What is the fool’s place in this book? He is constantly talking and singing, but does not have a prominent role in the main plot. Is he there just to provide humor?
Is Sir Toby “Belch” a not to his crass nature?
Tamar Lichter
Why does Orsino constantly send Viola to woo Olivia instead of going himself? If he is so in love, why does he not make the effort to go talk to Olivia?
What role does the fool play throughout the play? Also, what did Malvolio do for Toby and Andrew to seek revenge on him by writing a fake letter from Olivia?
Do you think that Olivia is actually in love with Sebastian or the image that Viola created while she was masquerading as a male?
There were many rumors that state Shakespeare was homosexual. Does Twelfth Night portray homosexuality in a positive light? Could the ending of the play be used to mask Shakespeare’s true feelings about this issue?
There are many instances where hidden identities cause chaos and confusion. When Olivia falls in love with Viola/ Cesario she is unknowingly falling in love with another woman. Similarly, when Orsino mentions Viola/ Cesario’s beautiful and feminine features, he is being attracted to someone whom he thinks is a man. In both these instances, and also in regard to Antonio’s love for Sebastian, there seems to be a lot of homosexuality. While it is something accepted now, how did people during the Shakespearean Era respond to this?
