Twelfth Night Themes

Question 1

Theme of Gender/Sexual Identity

Answer 1

• Viola’s identity
• possible homosexual relationships; Olivia’s attraction to Cesario (Viola)
• gender in relation to status (gender hierarchy).

Question 2

Theme of Deception

Answer 2

Viola’s gender identity
- mocking of Malvolio (and deeper meanings of that)
- Malvolio’s self-deception believing he can have a relationship with Olivia
- Toby making Andrew believe he has a chance with Olivia
- Feste as Sir Topas
- counterpoints:
Feste speaks truthfully, but is never taken seriously and Viola’s honesty is misconstrued because of her disguise

Question 3

Theme of Love

Answer 3

• all relationships
• love in relation to status (Olivia and Malvolio)
• love between men (Antonio/ Sebastian)
• does love cause more harm than good?

Question 4

Dramatic Irony

Answer 4

• the comedic value of the play in relation to the main and subplot
• the audience knows the true identity of all

Question 5

Theme of Social Class

Answer 5

• Malvolio = ambition to rise above his
  position as a servant and into a higher class
• Maria plays on these ambitions - others find it funny because Olivia would rarely go for a man below her in social class
• irony of Olivia falling in love with a page boy
• Maria increases social standing by marrying Sir Toby

Question 6

Theme of Violence

Answer 6

• Viola and Sir Andrew’s duel
• Sebastian beats up Sir Andrew and Sir Toby
• mental violence against Malvolio (and perceived to be from Malvolio, supposedly gone mad/ possessed by Satan)

Question 7

Theme of Transgression

Answer 7

• Viola pretending to be male
• Olivia falling for a page boy
• Malvolio wooing his mistress
• creation of transgressive comedy and link to play’s title

Question 8

Theme of Feminism

Answer 8

Female characters have agency, but ultimately fall into conventional social roles (feminism anachronistic in Shakespeare’s time)
- (counterpoint) originally all-male casting

Question 9

Theme of Loyalty and Devotion

Answer 9

Viola and Antonio embody this
- Orsino, Olivia and Sebastian are capricious, while Sir Toby is the antithesis (no loyalty to Sir Andrew)

Question 10

Theme of Darkness

Answer 10

• Malvolio’s mental torture (literally left in the dark)
• Sir Toby’s exploitation of Sir Andrew
• callous treatment of Antonio

Question 11

Theme of Costume/Disguise

Answer 11

• Viola’s Cesario identity
• Malvolio cross-gartered and yellow-stockinged;
• Sebastian originally hides his identity
• Olivia veiled and in mourning dress
• Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws proscribed certain clothing
• Feste as Sir Topas

Question 12

Theme of Madness

Answer 12

• madness caused by love (Olivia);
• Malvolio portrayed as mad
• characters questioning their sanity over the Viola/Sebastian mix-up

Question 13

Theme of Melancholy

Answer 13

• melancholy linked to unrequited (Orsino, Viola) or narcissistic (Malvolio) love
• melancholy linked to bereavement (Olivia, Viola)
• characters’ melancholy exaggerated to create humour