Analysis_of_Twelfth_Night_Act_II,_scene_iii

Analysis of Twelfth Night Act II, scene iii Close Reading of Twelfth Night Act II, scene iii In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Act II, scene iii adds to the comical direction of the play by providing a merry comedy by Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Feste in their jesting songs, jokes and “unruly” conduct. It also prepares the humiliation of Malvolio at the hands of the others, and the peevishness and conceited nature of Malvolio in great detail. Finally, this scene subtly foreshadows Sir Toby and Fabian’s trick on Sir Andrew by revealing Andrew’s “unrequited” love for Olivia. With these agendas in mind one can proceed to “direct” the moods and actions of the characters. Thus this scene provides a good depiction of the motives, and personalities of Maria, Malvolio, Feste, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. Prior to Scene Three, Feste the clown is depicted as an “idiot,” ostracized by Maria, Olivia and Malvolio because of his “ridiculous” actions. However, in this scene he displays his hidden talents more fully by joining Sir Toby in a very skillful repartee replete with amusing, nonsensical dialogue and invented names such as “Pigrogromitus,” “the Vapians,” “Queubus,” “impeticos,” “gratillity” ... “Malvolio’s nose is on whipstock...the Myrmidons are no bottle-ale houses” shakespeare, twelfth, night, act, sir, toby, malvolio, andrew, scene, toby’s, feste, one, olivia, maria, very, time, should, malvolio’s, three, tells, shows, portrayed, night, love, lines, contrasts, character, between, against, wit, way, true, trick, therefore, thereby, stay, shown, same, really, plot, plan, personalities, out, others, money, making, loves, lead, later, lack, ii, idiot, great