Context Flashcards
When was Twelfth Night written?
1600-1602
What does the play’s subtitle “What You Will” mean in context of the play?
laden with innuendo
a version of ‘anything goes’
SETTING
What is Shakespeare’s country of Illyria remarkably like? Why is this?
the London of Shakespeare’s day
Antonio recommends that Sebastian stays at ‘the Elephant’ public house in ‘though south suburbs’ - this is near the London Globe theatre and in reality is not a reputable place
SETTING
What is the difference in Orsino and Olivia’s houses?
Orsino’s house is an Italian-style court, embracing lesiurely life of music,hunting and fantasies
Olivia’s house is more of genteel English establishment, with its garden and population of servants
RELIGION
What kind of term was the word ‘Puritan’ in 1600?
a strong term in the politics of religion
RELIGION
What does a Puritan mean?
anti-theatre, anti-drinking and feasting, anti-Catholic
RELIGION
What winter celebrations were strongly associated with the ‘Old Religion’ or Roman Catholicism?
Christmas, Twelfth Night, Candlemas
RELIGION
What were the tensions Catholicism caused?
it has caused many tensions in 16th century England as for the Puritans, the entire year must be equally sober, only a perpetual, law-abiding Lent
What ex-Puritan wrote about disliking Twelfth Night? Why is this perhaps? State what this person wrote concerning this.
Samuel Pepys.
He had a continuing sympathy for Malvolio: ‘ the business of abusing the Puritans begins to grow stale, and of no use’
‘they being the people that, at last, will be found the wisest’
THEATRE
What was early modern theatre not concerned with? In fact, what was key to the theatrical experience?
making its audience believe that what they were watching was happening
recognising the artificiality of the spectacle
THEATRE
Rather than be lost in the experience as audiences go to the theatre for today, why did early modern theatre audiences go?
to be seen as much to see, they ewre lit by natural light and wore same clothing
THEATRE
What did the Elizabethan convention of women played by men add to the performances?
complexity
profoundly affects the erotic interplay between the actors and hence the audience’s reaction
THEATRE
What did Shakespeare use this convention for?
while male actors were convincing as women, there wa still that awareness
rather than suppressing/ignoring this, Shakespeare enjoyed playing on these confusions it creates
THEATRE
What did this convention allow for Shakespeare?
the apparent restraint that was placed in Shakespeare becomes an artistic freedom, enabling the characters to switch their sexual identities
TWELFTH NIGHT EVENT
When does Twelfth Night happen?
at the end of the festive season
