Context Flashcards
When was 12th Night?
6 th January, celebrated by doing things the opposite
When was TN written?
1601
What was the play inspired by?
Italian comedies - commedia dell’arte
Similarities with Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors
Humour coming from mistaken identities and puns
Identical twins separated at birth
Name two film adaptions of TN:
Kenneth Branagh ‘s adaption
Tim Supple BBS
What are the similarities with Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare?
Tricked into confessing love
Masks and mistaken identities are used for humour
What were the celebrations where rules between classes were more relaxed?
Shrove Tuesday
Misrule
May Day
Summer Games
What are the similarities with The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare?
Trick people into love
Oppression of women
Types of love: Eros
Passionate and desire, lustful love
Types of love: philia
Deep friendship love
Types of love: storge
Family love
Types of love: agape
Selfless love
Types of love: pragma
Realistic and practical love
Types of love: philautia
Self love
Types of love: ludus
Playful love
Types of love: mania
Obsessive love
What are the similarities with The Two Gentlemen of Verona by Shakespeare?
Woman dressing up as a man
What was special about the 2002 Globe Production of the play?
It returned to the original Elizabethan practice of all men actors which made distinguishing between Viola and Sebastian very difficult for the audience
What are the similarities with The Roaring Girl by Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker?
Cross dressing woman
Deception about love
How does Christopher Marlowe’s Dr Faustus relate to the play?
The final speech of Faustus talks about the transmigration theory which Feste questions Malvolio about
How does the play compare to a alpine by Ben Jonson?
Disguised reveal inner truths of the characters
The fool is the smartest character
Similarities with Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
Named after time of year
Comedies are generally about courtship leading to marriage how does TN differ?
It shows a number of variations of the theme of love especially the difference between selfish and selfless love
What was the Platonic Theory?
That everyone had lost a part of themselves and that life was a search for the missing part
