copyright 1999, Sirpa Grierson
Novel Information and Resources:
Preface to Twelfth Night
Barker-Granville, Harley. "Preface to Twelfth Night." Prefaces to Shakespeare 6 (1974): 26-32.
Barker is a director who in this article describes his vision of how the play Twelfth Night should be performed. He discusses how Shakespeare would have constructed the play, how the cast would have looked, acted, and dressed. He talks about the prose in the play, and how in should be spoken to pull off the best effect, and just in general how Shakespeare truly intended the play to be.
Shakespeare as a Comic Dramatist
Dowden, Edward. "Shakespeare as a Comic Dramatist." Representative English Comedies: From the Beginnings to Shakespeare 1 (1912): 635-61.
Dowden, an Irish critic, believed that within Shakespeare's works was a record of his own personal development. He argues that in Twelfth Night, the "midsummer of Shakespeare's comedy is reached." The overwhelming mirth and playfulness found within the play is an attempt by Shakespeare to overcome his sad thoughts and the negative events of his life. Dowden examines the characters and tries to match them up with an actual person that Shakespeare may have at one time come in contact with. Malvolio, he speculates, may be a "starched Puritan" that Shakespeare became acquainted with.
Language and Reality in Twelfth Night
Eagleton, Terence. "Language and Reality in Twelfth Night." Critical Quarterly 9 (1967): 217-28.
The language in Twelfth Night, much as in many of Shakespeare's other works, melds with reality to twist and turn and change illusion into images presented to the reader as true. It takes the values and beliefs that one already holds and tosses them out, making way for the illusion that Shakespeare wishes for the reader to believe. What was considered wrong at the time suddenly becomes right. The social roles of the characters become confused due to the language, but completely acceptable. This power of the language to shape reality is continuously displayed throughout the play.
An Extract from a New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare: Twelfe Night, or, What You Will
Furnivall, F.J. "An Extract from a New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare: Twelfe Night, or, What You Will." A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare: Twelfe Night, or, What You Will 13 (1901): 385.
Furnivall takes a slightly different look at the play Twelfth Night. While the play does indeed contain the spirit of a happy and bright time, Furnivall notes a "shadow of death and distress" that hangs over the play. It is in truth a "farewell to mirth."
Classic Notes
"Classic Notes." GradeSaver. Online. Internet. Available: www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Title/shakespearen_theater.html
Links from this page on the ins and outs of Shakespearean theater take one to several other Shakespeare related websites relating to any of his plays, including Twelfth Night. Included in this list: About the author, background, short summary, analysis, character list, summary and analysis of all the acts, links to other sites, and quizzes.
Short Essays for Twelfth Night
Eskin, Catherine R. "Short Essays for Twelfth Night." Online. Internet. Available: www.hf.ntnu.no/engelsk/shakespeare/12thque.htm
This web page proves several essay questions relevant to the characters, dialogue, etc, of Twelfth Night. These questions are useful for discussion or testing in a classroom.
The Life of William Shakespeare
"The Life of William Shakespeare." Online. Internet. Available: www.angelfire.com/f14/Shakespeare/index/html.
This web page covers the important background facts of Shakespeare's life, his works, his first, second, third, and fourth periods of writing. Each play is categorized under one of these periods with a brief background.
Novel Analysis Twelfth Night
"Novel Analysis Twelfth Night." NovelGuide. Online. Internet. Available: www.novelguide.com/twelfthnight/summaries/act1scene2.html (insert the desired Act and scene).
This website has a brief over view of each scene within each act, an easy way to get the main idea of the play across. It also has links to a novel summary, character profiles, metaphor analysis, theme analysis, top ten quotes, and a biography.
Twelfth Night Bibliography
"Twelfth Night Bibliography." All Shakespeare. Online. Internet. Available: www.allshakespeare.com/plays/12/b.shtml
This website provides a bibliography on various books that provide information and background on the play Twelfth Nigh as well as information on Shakespeare and his plays. Also available is a table to the left of the bibliography called "Navigate" that contains an introduction, the full text, a plot summary, character analysis, critical discussion, criticism, and selected quotes, all of which pertain to Twelfth Night.
Twelfth Night
"Twelfth Night." Online. Internet. Available: www.geocities.com/dhushara/book/proph/twnight.htm
This web page deals with some of the background of Twelfth Night, such as the story it was probably based on. It points out different representations throughout the play as well as analyzing and pointing out important instances of dialogue.
Reading Resources and Unit Guide for this Novel