Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (Book Analysis) E-Book

Bright Summaries

• Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: BrightSummaries.com
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 18

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Unlock the more straightforward side of Twelfth Night with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, which recounts the romantic adventures and misadventures of the Illyrian nobles Olivia and Duke Orsino and the identical twins Sebastian and Viola. The use of disguises, plus the fact that the two twins are identical, results in a series of misunderstandings and leads to a love triangle in which Viola, disguised as a page boy named Cesario, plays a pivotal role. With a compelling cast of characters, including the vain and foolish Sir Andrew Aguecheek and the haughty servant Malvolio, Twelfth Night has captivated audiences for centuries and continues to be performed regularly today.

Find out everything you need to know about Twelfth Night in a fraction of the time!

This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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Leseprobe

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT AND POET

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.Died in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616.Notable works:Romeo and Juliet (c. 1594), playHamlet (1601), playThe Tempest (1610), play

Hailed as Britain’s greatest dramatist, William Shakespeare wrote and produced around 39 plays, as well as a famous sequence of 154 sonnets and two long narrative poems. He married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children (Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith). As well as a writer, Shakespeare was also an actor and part-owner of his playing company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later the King’s Men). In 1599, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men moved to the purpose-built Globe Theatre, which burned down in an accident involving a theatrical cannon in 1613, before being rebuilt in 1614. Besides providing a valuable insight into the Elizabethan and Jacobean times in which he lived and wrote, Shakespeare’s works are often praised as timeless guides to human nature and art that continue to be relevant today.

TWELFTH NIGHT

A ROMANTIC COMEDY OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Genre: comic playReference edition: Shakespeare, W. (1988) Twelfth Night. London: Routledge, ed. Lothian, J. M. and T. W. Craik1stedition: written and performed c. 1601, published in the First Folio in 1623Themes: love, disguise, gender, practical jokes, madness, social class

Twelfth Night is a comic play about the romantic adventures and misadventures of the Illyrian nobles Olivia and Duke Orsino, and the identical twins Viola and Sebastian, who have been separated in a shipwreck. Viola’s decision to disguise herself as a page boy called Cesario creates a love triangle which generates misunderstandings but is eventually resolved. The play’s mischievous tone reflects the fact that it was probably composed for the Elizabethan festival of Twelfth Night, which was celebrated with carnivalesque reversals (servants would dress as up as their masters, for instance). The play also features the pranking and humiliation of a haughty and self-important servant called Malvolio. Under the cloak of comedy, Twelfth Night tackles and complicates questions of class, gender, and sexuality.

SUMMARY

ACT ONE