Twelfth Night Format Analysis Questions

How does reading a play differ from reading a novel?

• Reading a play differs greatly from reading a novel. In a play, all you have to go off of is the characters' dialogue and a few stage directions. Because plays are written to be performed, not read, you have to do much more inference about the characters and their emotions than you would if you were reading a novel.

How might your interpretation of Twelfth Night be different is it was a novel

• Twelfth Night might be much easier for modern readers to understand if it were written as a novel. Much of the humor of the play is lost on modern readers, and if they were given context clues around to dialogue, it might be easier to tell when characters are being funny.

How does watching the movie differ from reading the play?

• Watching the movie version of Twelfth Night helps greatly with the reader's understanding of the action of the play. Because there is little description in the play, it can be hard to picture the events of the story. Seeing the play being performed by actors in accurate settings helps greatly withe a reader's understanding of the story.

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night Character Analysis - Antonio

Antonio is certainly not one of the most prominent characters in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, but he does display some of the most eminent themes in the play, such as a love that triumphs over first impressions and appearances. Antonio rescues Sebastian, the twin brother of Viola, from the shipwreck that separated him from his sister (Shakespeare 60). Antonio is very sympathetic to Sebastian, listening to his tragic story and expressing his distress for Sebastian’s hardship (Shakespeare 60). Something in Antonio’s nature makes Sebastian feel that Antonio, “will not extort from [him] what [Sebastian] is willing to keep in,” and therefore, he tells Antonio of his true identity (Shakespeare 60). Antonio is very selfless when it comes to Sebastian, asking him, when he hears of his plans to leave, “will you stay no longer, nor will you not that I go with you?” (Shakespeare 60). When Sebastian refuses to let Antonio come with him, he says that taking him along would be, “a bad recompense for [Sebastian’s] love to lay any of [his bad luck] on [Antonio],” (Shakespeare 60). It is obvious that Antonio cares deeply for Sebastian, and vice versa. Sebastian mentions several times, “all [Antonio] has done for [him],” suggesting that Sebastian has been staying with Antonio for a while, recovering from his near-drowning. After Sebastian departs for Orsino’s court, Antonio, despairs that he cannot follow him, as he has enemies there. However, Antonio declares of Sebastian, “I do adore thee so / That danger shall seem sport, and I will go” (Shakespeare 62). This declaration showcases Antonio’s ardent dedication to Sebastian, and suggests that he may have romantic feelings toward him.


Work Cited:

Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. No Fear Shakespeare ed. New York: Spark Publishing, 2003. Print.