By William Shakespeare
Background Information
Comedy
 Written 1600-1
 First performed February 2, 1602

Comedy
Has a happy ending
 The protagonist is better off at the end
 About normal, everyday people

Tragedy
The protagonist is a noble
 The noble is worse off at the end of the
story
 The hero is essentially admirable.
 The protagonist “Falls” due to an internal
vice such as vanity.

Characters

Viola-shipwrecked
lady




Sir Andrew
Aguecheek—Toby’s
friend
Olivia-Illyrian
countess

Malvolio-Olivia’s
steward
Maria—Olivia’s
servant

Fool (Fete) Olivia’s
jester
Sir Toby Belch—
Olivia’s relative

Fabian--gentlewoman
More Characters

Orsino—Duke of
Illyria

Antonio—
Sebastian’s friend

Valentine and
Curio—gentlemen
serving Orsino

Captain

Priest

Two officers

Sebastian—Viola’s
brother
ASSIGNMENT

Create a chart with each characters’
name and relationship to other
characters.
Setting: Act I scene I

Duke Orsino’s court in Illyria.
Pun: a play on words

Hart and heart by Orsino
ASSIGNMENT:

Make a list of other examples of puns.
 Include quotes, line #s, and explanations
Pun Assignment
Pun
Explanation
“That instant I was turned Orsino explains that
into a hart / And my
ever since Olivia
desires, like fell and cruel
captured his heart, he
hounds / E’er since
feels like a hart being
pursue me,”
(Shakespeare, 1993, 1.1. chased by hounds.
22-4).
Citation:
(Last, year, Act. Scene.
Lines)
Act I Scene I

What will Olivia do for the next 7 years?

How does Orsino react to the news?
Act I Scene 2 Setting

Near a ship in Illyria
Act I Scene 2

How does the captain give Viola hope?

What is Viola’s plan?

Do you think it’ll work?
Act I Scene 3

Describe Sir Toby and Sir Andrew
 Appearance
 Manner of speaking
 Character traits
 Treatment by Maria
 Treatment of Maria
Act I Scene 3 line 122

What are “these things?”
Act I Scene 4

How does Orsino treat Cesario (Viola)?

What is the relationship between these two
characters?

What errand is Cesario assigned?

How does Viola feel about Orsino? How do
you know?
Feste the fool

Fete means “festival”

Fools, or court jesters, were hired to
entertain the nobles with their wit and quick
humor.

They “played the fool,” but were actually
quite intelligent.
Act I Scene 5

Why could Feste be in trouble?

How does he get away with it?

What puns should you add to your list?
Act I Scene 5

Describe the interaction between Olivia
and the Fool from lines 36-70

What does Malvolio say to irritate the
fool?

How does Olivia react to this statement?
Act I Scene 5

How does Olivia react to Sir Toby’s
drunkenness?

How does the Fool react?

What did Viola say to gain admittance to
Olivia’s house?
Act I Scene 5

Why will Viola speak in front of Olivia,
but not her servants?

Describe the dialogue about the picture
(lines 229-249).
Act I Scene 5

How does Olivia feel about Viola? (lines
295-301)

Why does Olivia give the ring to
Malvolio?

What is her purpose?
ASSIGNMENT

Summarize Act I.
 6+1 rubric for grading
 Underline the thesis (last sentence, 1st
paragraph)
 Include topic sentence for each paragraph
ASSIGNMENT:

Create a drawing of each character.
 Be sure that the clothing is appropriate to
the character’s status.
 Use color and clothing to show character
traits.
 May be computer generated or hand-drawn.
ACT II Scene 1

What is Sebastian’s problem?

What danger will Antonio undergo?
Why?
ACT II Scene 2

How does Viola react to receiving the
ring?

What does she think is going on?
Orsino
Olivia
Viola /
Cesario
ACT II Scene 3

Describe the setting

Describe the interactions among Sir
Toby, Sir Andrew, and the Fool.

What will happen to the three men,
according to Maria?
ACT II Scene 3

How do Sir Andrew, Sir Toby, and the
Fool treat Malvolio?

Why do they act this way?

Where does Maria fit in with their
relationships.
ACT II Scene 3

Why is Maria upset with Malvolio?

What is Maria’s plan to get even with
Malvolio? (lines 154-60)

What does Sir Andrew want? (lines 1823)
ACT II Scene 4

Feste, the fool, was at Orsino’s house
last night.
 Very irregular for a servant
 More freedom than typical

What does this suggest about Feste’s
character?
ACT II Scene 4

What advice does Orsino give Viola
about dating?

What’s your reaction to this advice?

According to Orsino, what’s the
difference between a man’s love and a
woman’s? (103-13)

How does Viola counter this?
ACT II Scene 4

132-5: What do these lines mean?

Why doesn’t Orsino react to them?
ACT II Scene 5

Describe Malvolio. What kind of person
is he?

What is Malvolio talking to himself
about? (22-82)
ACT II Scene 5

“Some are born great, some achieve
greatness, and some have greatness
thrust upon ‘em” (Shakespeare, 1993,
2.5. 149-40).

What’s your reaction to this quote? Do
you agree or disagree? Why?
ACT II Scene 5
 The
letter directs Malvolio to:
 Be grumpy with a kinsman and
servants
 Talk about your political
opinions
 Wear yellow stockings
 Be cross gartered
ACT II Scene 5

How do Sir Toby and Sir Andrew feel
about Maria?
 Why?
 How do you know?

Why did Maria choose the color yellow,
cross gartering, and smiling?
Act III Scene 1

What is the Fool saying about
language? (1-22)

Viola says to Feste, “I warrant thou art a
merry fellow and car’st for / nothing,
(Shakespeare, 1933, 3.1. 27-8).
 How does Feste respond?
 How does this show his roundness as a
character?
Act III Scene 1

Lines 61-9: What does Viola say about
being a Fool?


Do you agree or disagree? Why?
“I am bound to your niece”
(Shakespeare, 1933, 3.1. 77). What is
the pun in this line?
Act III Scene 1

What does Sir Andrew think about
Viola’s comments to Olivia?


How do you know?
How does Viola feel about Olivia?
 How does Olivia react to this news?
Act III Scene 1

Lines 145-151: What is being said in
these lines? Why is it important?

“Love sought is good, but given
unsought is better,” (Shakespeare,
1993, 3.1. 164).
 Do you agree or disagree with this quote?
Why?
Act III Scene 2

Why is Sir Andrew upset?

How does Fabian calm him?

What “challenge” does Sir Andrew
write? To whom? Why?

What does Maria lead Sir Andrew and
Sir Toby to see?
Act III Scene 3

Why isn’t Antonio safe in Illyria?

What arrangements to Antonio and
Sebastian make?
Act III Scene 4

Describe the interaction between Olivia
and Malvolio. (lines 17-61).
 How would you react if you saw someone
acting this way?

What is Malvolio’s reaction to his
treatment.
 Is it as you predicted?
Act III Scene 4

What does Sir Toby decide to do to
Malvolio? (lines 144-50).

What is the purpose of Sir Andrew’s
letter? To whom shall it be sent?
Act III Scene 4

What will Sir Toby do with the letter?

What is Viola’s reaction to the challenge
to duel?

What is Toby’s role in the duel?
 What do you think of him for doing this?
Act III Scene 4

How is Viola saved from the duel?
 Why did Antonio do this?

What happens to Antonio? Lines 341-2

What’s happening in lines 344-75
Act III Scene 4

Why does Viola think her brother might
still be alive?


How does she feel about this news?
What do Toby and Fabian think of Viola?
Act IV Scene 1

Describe the interaction between Feste
and Sebastian.

What is Feste going to do when he
leaves?

Why does Sir Andrew beat Sebastian?
Act IV Scene 1

How does Olivia end the fight between
Sir Andrew and Sebastian?

How does Sebastian feel about Olivia?
Act IV Scene 2

What will Feste pretend to be? Why?

Malvolio says that it’s dark. How does
Feste (Sir Topas) respond?

Sir Toby wants the joke with Malvolio to
end. Why?
Act IV Scene 2

How does Malvolio feel?

How do you feel about his character?
 Are you sympathetic, or does he deserve it?
Act IV Scene 3

What are Sebastian and Olivia going to
do?

Why will it be done in secret?
Act V Scene 1

What is the purpose of Orsino’s
discussion with Feste?

How does Orsino react to seing
Antonio?

How does Antonio explain his presence
in Illyria?
Act V Scene 1

Orsino knows that Olivia loves Viola.
What does he threaten to do to Viola?

How does Viola react to hear that she’s
married to Olivia?

What proof does Olivia use?
Act V Scene 1

Why is a surgeon needed? Lines 182-8

Lines 226-7: How are the mysteries
resolved?

Who does Sebastian think Viola is?

How does she explain her masculine
clothing?
Act V Scene 1

Lines 330-5: What is Olivia saying?

Whom did Sir Toby marry? Why?

“For the rain it raineth every day”
(Shakespeare 1993, 5.1. 415).
 What does this line mean?
 Is it “in character” for Feste?
 Does it fit the mood of this scene?