Twelfth Night

1/10: You’ll be watching 3.4 today, to see how the threads set up throughout the play begin to come together (if you missed class, you can watch here: start at 50:00 and go to about 1:01 - this is a different version than the in class version, so many of the notes that follow won't apply). The film clip you’re watching actually starts with a chase – Antonio has been spotted by Orsino’s men and they are chasing him through the streets. This version also inserts a short part of 4.1 (a confrontation between the Clown and Sebastian – who the Clown believes is Cesario), but other than that, it’s a fairly faithful performance. Plot-wise –it begins with Malvolio cross-gartered, in yellow stockings and smiling. When Olivia tells Maria to make sure Toby takes care of him, Malvolio takes this to be a confirmation of the letter as well, and he (as the letter “instructs” him to) “abuses (verbally) Toby and the others. He “won’t hear of prayers” which is a sign of madness (think Puritan witch trials) and this gives Toby the idea to lock him in a “dark house” – a madhouse – to make him truly pay for all his sleights (watch Maria’s reaction to this suggestions – even she thinks he’s gone too far). Then, we are off to the duel challenge. Watch as Toby and Fabian stir the pot by traveling back and forth between the Cesario and Andrew. Of course, when Antonio races in, he thinks he sees Sebastian under threat and so steps in. Pay attention to the confusion this causes. If you need to watch twice, please ask the sub to play it again. If you are set, get together in your groups from yesterday, talk about what you saw and move forward (you’ll see that the exchange between Sebastian and the Clown opens Act 4).

1/9: Act 3.

1/6: The plot against Malvolio begins: We looked at the letter Maria constructed (attached) then watched 2.5 performed and talked about the comedy, the idea of self-love, of the "meanness" inherent in the joke, of a joke going too far, etc. we also read the beginning of 3.1 - the interchange between the Clown and Viola.

1/5: We made our way through most of Act 2 (stopping at 2.5).

1/3: We started our discussion of the play by looking at what's funny.