Twelfth Night, Act 3 scene 1, v.59-162

Résumé du document

Act III opens in Olivia's garden. We can say that this scene is light and jovial because Viola (disguised as Cesario since Act I) has just encountered Olivia's Clown Feste. It is mainly a scene between Olivia and Viola, and we may say that the last time they were together on stage was in Act I scene 5 and that right after Viola's departure, Olivia sent her a ring by Malvolio as an excuse to express her feelings. However Viola always comes to speak to Olivia for Orsino's interests since she is his servant and because he is in love with Olivia.

We may wonder whether this extract of Act III scene 1 proves that Twelfth Night is a comedy, and whether it is a climactic scene (like the third act of all plays). Therefore on the one hand we will focus on the elements which prove that this extract is comic, and on the other hand we will concentrate on those which prove that it is a climactic scene.

A scene reflecting that Twelfth Night is a comedy.
Firstly, we have to mention that in Twelfth Night, there are two types of characters referring to the two main plots of the play which are the world of high-life romance, and the world of low-life comedy. Therefore there are high-life characters belonging to aristocracy, and low-life characters, and some characters keep criss-crossing between low-life and high-life. We will see that in this scene, low-life characters and the characters who keep criss-crossing between the two worlds provide comic effect, but at different level.

Extraits

[...] Then, the fact that she uses rhetorical questions l.115 and 118 shows how lost she is. Next, she highlights her intensity of feelings l.116-117 as she uses an image echoing that of Orsino at Act 1 scene 1 l.21-22: ‘Have you not set mine honour at the stake/And baited it with all th'unmuzzled thoughts' which refers to a comparison with bears which would be tied up and baited with dogs. Moreover, she uses a metaphor as she deals with her heart l.118-119: one of your receiving/Enough is shown': it underlines the fact that she expresses her feelings. [...]

[...] Twelfth Night, Act 3 scene v.59-162 Act III opens in Olivia's garden. We can say that this scene is light and jovial because Viola (disguised as Cesario since Act has just encountered Olivia's Clown Feste. It is mainly a scene between Olivia and Viola, and we may say that the last time they were together on stage was in Act I scene 5 and that right after Viola's departure, Olivia sent her a ring by Malvolio as an excuse to express her feelings. [...]

[...] References William Shakespeare. Twelfth night, or, What you will . Oxford University Press Pierre Iselin. W. Shakespeare : Twelfth night . [Paris] : Didier Erudition : CNED , 1995. [...]

[...] Next Olivia is seeking for intimacy with Viola as she uses a metaphor in her sentence had rather hear you to solicit that/ Than music from the spheres' l.107-108. Indeed she prefers listening to Viola than hearing a heavenly music. Then Olivia thinks that Viola is intimate with her as she says l ‘That's a degree to love'. But Viola answers back in a hurry not a grece' l.122, grece meaning step and thus referring to the degree to love. [...]

[...] Then, we saw that with the reference to time, tension got rising and climax was reached. It was time for Olivia to declare her love to Viola rapidly instead of wasting time playing cat and mouse. Last but not least, Twelfth Night is a Shakespearian comedy. We know that all of them end with at least two weddings. Therefore we may wonder how Shakespeare will manage to end Twelfth Night like every of his comedies with such an unrequited love. [...]