Costello Brit Lit II Twelfth Night Study Questions

Name:____________________________________ pd:______

Directions: While studying Twelfth Night, use these questions to guide your independent note-taking. Use Act, scene, and page numbers to cite your notes as well. Also, annotate/highlight your text as you find information that pertain to the questions and/or need clarification. Class discussion will help fill in any gaps and clarify difficult passages. ACT 1 I.i 1. What emotions do Duke Orsino feel as the play begins, and what is causing those feelings?

2.

Why is Olivia in mourning and how long will it last?

I.ii 3. What has just happened to Viola? Whom does she think of first?

4.

Why does Viola want to serve Olivia? What does she finally decide to do?

I.iii 5. Who is Sir Toby and what is his relation to Olivia? What is his attitude toward life?

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6. Who is Sir Andrew Aguecheek and why is he there? What does he plan to do? Why doesn't Sir Toby want him to leave (Hint: see what Toby says about Sir Andrew before he enters the scene)?

I.iv 7. Who is Cesario and what is his relation to Duke Orsino? What is Cesario being sent to do?

8.

What does Duke Orsino think he sees when he looks at Cesario? What does he really see without knowing that he does?

I.v 9. Why is Feste (the Clown) in trouble and how does he get out of it?

11.

What does Malvolio think of Feste? What does Olivia think of Malvolio and Feste?

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12.

How does Maria describe the young man at the gate? How does Sir Toby describe him? How does Malvolio describe him? Who is the young man at the gate?

13.

Read the scene between Olivia and Viola/Cesario carefully. How would you describe the tone of their conversation? What playful insults does Viola/Cesario cast at Olivia? What does Olivia tell Malvolio to do at the scenes conclusion? Why does Olivia want that to happen?

Other notes/questions/difficult passages regarding Act I

Costello Brit Lit II Twelfth Night Study Questions

Name:____________________________________ pd:______

Directions: While studying Twelfth Night, use these questions to guide your independent note-taking. Use Act, scene, and page numbers to cite your notes as well. Also, annotate/highlight your text as you find information that pertain to the questions and/or need clarification. Class discussion will help fill in any gaps and clarify difficult passages. ACT II II.i 14. Who is Sebastian? What do you expect will happen when he goes to Duke Orsino's court ?

15.

Why is it unwise for Antonio to go Duke Orsino's court? Why does he choose to go anyway?

II.ii 16. What does Viola/Cesario learn from her/his encounter with Malvolio? How will she solve this?

II.iii 17. What time is it? What are Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Feste doing? Why does Sir Toby think he can get away with it?

18.

What is Malvolio's response to them? How does Sir Toby treat him?

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19. How does Maria describe Malvolio? What prank is Maria's planning for Malvolio?

II.iv 20. According to Duke Orsino, should the man or the woman be older? What is Viola/Cesario hinting at during the conversation with Duke Orsino on p. 26? How does Duke Orsinos reaction to these hints characterize him?

21.

What issue does Viola/Cesario raise on p. 28? How does she/he develop the idea? How does Duke Orsino answer her?

II.v 22. What is Malvolio doing before he finds the letter? What does this tell us about him?

23.

How does Malvolio read the inscription ? How does he read the body of the letter? How does he read the postscript? How will he appear when we next see him? How will Olivia respond?

Other notes/questions/difficult passages regarding Act II

Costello Brit Lit II Twelfth Night Study Questions

Name:____________________________________ pd:______

Directions: While studying Twelfth Night, use these questions to guide your independent note-taking. Use Act, scene, and page numbers to cite your notes as well. Also, annotate/highlight your text as you find information that pertain to the questions and/or need clarification. Class discussion will help fill in any gaps and clarify difficult passages. ACT III III.i 24. How does Viola/Cesario characterize Feste after their opening conversation?

25.

What happens when Olivia meets with Viola/Cesario? How does Olivia interpret Viola/Cesarios line that "I am not what I am"?

III.ii 26. Why is Sir Andrew leaving? How does Sir Toby get him to stay? What will Sir Andrew do instead of leaving?

27.

What does Maria tell them to come and see?

III.iii 28. Why won't Antonio go with Sebastian to view the town?

29.

What does Antonio give Sebastian and why?

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III.iv 30. Why does Malvolio expect Olivia to recognize the statements hes making? Does she recognize them? How does she diagnose what is wrong with Malvolio?

31.

How do Sir Toby, Fabian, and Maria treat Malvolio (III.iv.83-122)? What do they suggest to Malvolio is the nature of his madness? How do they propose to treat it?

32.

Describe the tone of Sir Andrew's challenge, which is read by Sir Toby. How does Sir Toby plan for the encounter to take place?

33.

How does Viola/Cesario react to Olivias ongoing flirtation?

34.

Read the "duel" scene carefully. How eager are Viola/Cesario and Sir Andrew to fight? How are Fabian and Sir Toby helping matters along?

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35. What happens when Antonio and the Officers appear?

36.

How is the plot complicated by a case of mistaken identity at the end of Act III? How does Antonio unknowingly give Viola/Cesario hope?

37.

What is Sir Andrew going to do next? Why?

Other notes/questions/difficult passages regarding Act III

Costello Brit Lit II Twelfth Night Study Questions

Name:____________________________________ pd:______

Directions: While studying Twelfth Night, use these questions to guide your independent note-taking. Use Act, scene, and page numbers to cite your notes as well. Also, annotate/highlight your text as you find information that pertain to the questions and/or need clarification. Class discussion will help fill in any gaps and clarify difficult passages. ACT IV IV.i 38. Why arent Feste and Sebastian getting along?

39.

What happens when Olivia interrupts Sir Andrews attack on the person he thinks is Cesario? How does Sebastian respond to Olivia? What does she think is happening?

IV.ii 40. What change of heart regarding Malvlio does Sir Toby express?

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IV.iii 41. What is Sebastian's response to what has happened since he arrived?

42.

To whom does Olivia think she is talking? What does she want Sebastian to do? Will he do it?

Other notes/questions/difficult passages regarding Act IV

Costello Brit Lit II Twelfth Night Study Questions

Name:____________________________________ pd:______

Directions: While studying Twelfth Night, use these questions to guide your independent note-taking. Use Act, scene, and page numbers to cite your notes as well. Also, annotate/highlight your text as you find information that pertain to the questions and/or need clarification. Class discussion will help fill in any gaps and clarify difficult passages. ACT V V.i. 43. How successful is Feste in dealing with Duke Orsino? Why is the Duke there?

44.

What happens when the officers bring Antonio to Duke Orsino? How long ago did the ship carrying Viola and Sebastian sink?

45.

What suprises Olivia during her conversation with Duke Orsino and Viola/Cesario? What does Duke Orsino threaten to do to Olivia? What does he threaten to do to Viola/Cesario?

46.

Based on what Sir Andrew says when he enters, what has happened offstage?

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47. What happens when Sebastian enters? Who first recognizes him? Whom does he first recognize?

48.

Why does it take so long for Viola and Sebastian to recognize each other?

49.

What's going to be the problem in getting Viola dressed like a woman? (See lines 251-253 and 271276.)

50.

How is Malvolio's situation resolved? Is Malvolio satisfied? How is the captain's situation resolved?

51.

How does Feste explain his part in tricking Malvolio?

63.

What weddings will take place, and where?

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64.

What characters are left out of the happiness?

Other notes/questions/difficult passages regarding Act V