Essays on Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night is an influential Shakespearean play that explores and touches upon numerous themes and concepts, the most notable ones being love, ambition, identity and uncertainty of gender. In the following essay, I will be exploring and analysing the themes of gender masking, roleplaying and…

   In the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, Cesario is a very secretive person who has undying loyalty for whom she loves. He is also very obedient to whom he serves. Cesario is a very important part of the play because his character supports…

While reading Twelfth Night, it was fascinating to see how Shakespeare implemented comedy into the piece. Being the genius that he is, Shakespeare was able to break up comedy in his play into several different types (including physical, verbal, and visual comedy). In doing so,…

“If music be the food of love, play on,” which seems to be a key element of this play, is the first line we read. The rest of the play follows a similar theme, but it is not so simple as feeding one’s love and…

Twelfth Night is easily one of the funniest plays by Shakespeare. Many foremost Shakespearean critics agree to it including Harold Bloom. The whole tone of the play is set by the way it begins. The play begins with the conceit of Orsino which he maintains…

In Act 2 Scene 2, we witness Viola’s only soliloquy that she expresses after watching Malvolio’s frustration at her and realising that Olivia has feelings for her. This extract highlights Viola’s confusion and emotions regarding her disguise. This may have been intended to be her…

A romantic comedy is a specific genre of drama that deals with the humorous depiction of burgeoning love, and highlights the foible and follies of those falling in love. An air of romance, a spirit of levity and a happy ending are the integral aspects…

Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s focus. Even though the play offers a happy ending, where the lovers find their significant others, William Shakespeare shows that love has two key aspects loving unconditionally, and just maintaining the relationship. Love…

The playwright ‘Twelfth Night’ written by William Shakespeare and the film adaptation ‘She’s the man directed by Andy Fickman, both tackle the idea of love during the duration of the narrative. Shakespeare’s depiction of love is usually seen as an impressive representation of emotion, as…

Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the greatest playwrights in history and one of the most commonly studied figures in schools’ English literature curriculums all around the world. Quotes such as “ To be or not to be” from Hamlet and “Some are born great, some…

Shakespeare is known as the most prominent figure and the greatest writer in English Literature. He wrote poems and sonnets during his lifetime but his plays are the ones which are more known and famous among people even today. Shakespeare uniquely portrayed women in his…

Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the greatest playwrights in history and one of the most commonly studied figures in schools’ English literature curriculums all around the world. Quotes such as ” To be or not to be” from Hamlet and “Some are born great, some…

Gender is a major theme of Twelfth Night. Despite a woman being the ruler of England at this time, men were seen as the dominant and more powerful gender. Until a women got married and became the ‘property’ of her husband, she belonged to her…

William Shakespeare is deemed to be the greatest dramatist of all time. As Ben Jonson, one of his closest friends once said, “Shakespeare is not of an age but for all time”. Many of his plays continue to be studied in our modern era and…

Nothing takes the moniker of a timeless classic like Shakespeare’s writings. He is known for his plays of magnitude, passion and drama that still continue to thrill audiences all over the world. He explicitly explores man fantasies, flaws, vanities, passion, desires in the English language…