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WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)
William
Shakespeare was the great author of the history of English Literature and the
shining star of the Elizabethan age.
He
contributed 37 plays which are classified into comedies, tragedies,
tragic-comedies, and romance, 154 sonnets, and 2 long narrative poems to English
literature. He is often known as the national poet of England.
He
deals with the deepest and the darkest aspects of human life and this quality
makes his work universal in nature.
This
very quality of Shakespeare's work has made him immortal.
The
rare Ben Jonson says about Shakespeare
"He
was not for an age but for all time"
Shakespeare
was born on 26 April 1564 in a village of Warwickshire near the middle of
England. His father John Shakespeare dealt in agricultural products. But soon
his business collapsed and the whole family was surrounded by financial problems.
Resultantly Shakespeare was removed from school.
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At
the age of eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway who was an eight-year
senior to Shakespeare. Anyhow he was bestowed with two girls and 1 boy.
He
joined Lord Leicester's company in 1575. From 1586 to 1588, Shakespeare left
Stratford to seek his fortune in London.
His
energy soon won him over to show his
Skills.
He became one of the leading members and, later on, chief shareholder of the
Company
and got a good reputation as an actor.
Robert
Huntington Fletcher divided Shakespeare's dramatic career into four divisions
of increasing maturity.
1st period
The
first period is that of experiment and preparations which starts from 1588 and
extends up to 1593. Richard III is the most important work of this period.
Second
period
Extending
from about 1594-1601 is occupied chiefly with chronicle-history plays and happy
comedies. Those include 'Richard II', 'Henry IV', 'Henry V','Twelfth Night',
'Midsummer Night's Dream' and two tragedies The Merchant of Venice' and 'Romeo
and Juliet'
Third
period
The
third period extending from about 1601-1609, includes Shakespeare's great
tragedies and cynical plays. He grapples with the deepest and the darkest
problems of human character and life. 'Julius Caser’, ‘Othello’, 'King Lear',
‘Hamlet’, 'Macbeth' and 'Antony and Cleopatra' are the great tragedies of this
phase.
Fourth
Period
The
last period of this division is of only two or three years and deals with the
expression of the serene philosophy of life. The noble and beautiful
romance-comedies, 'Cymbeline', 'The Winter's Tale' and 'The Tempest'.
Shakespeare
is one of the conical figures in the history of England because of his wisdom,
his power, and his mastery of poetic beauty.
T.S
Eliot says about Shakespeare
"We
can say of Shakespeare that never has a man turned so little knowledge to such
great account."
Title
The title Twelfth Night refers to the last night of the Christian holiday celebration in England before the feast of Epiphany. According to tradition, on the twelfth night, communities choose a ‘Cord of Misroute’ to lead the activities. Various kinds of pandemonium often involve cross-dressing, playing practical jokes, and participating in other antics to temporarily disrupt the social order. These activities also figure prominently in Shakespeare's plays.
PLOT
1) Exposition
2) Rising
Action
3) Climax
4) Falling
Action
5) Resolution
Exposition
In the introduction of Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night Viola has survived a shipwreck in which she became separated from her twin brother Sebastian whom she presumed to be dead. She has been washed to ashore in Illyria, the kingdom of Orsino, Duke of Illyria. Orsino is melancholy because he is in love with Olivia and likes to propose marriage to her but he cannot make any progress.
Olivia is in mourning for her dead brother and refuses to see any of Orsino's messengers. She has made a vow not to receive any visitors for seven years and she is not attracted towards Orsino. Duke Orsino of Illyria rules all that he sees except his beautiful neighbor, Olivia. He will not rest until he wins her heart and her hand. Early in the first scene of Act 1, at his palace in a locale on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, Orsino is pining for Olivia as musicians play for him and other lords of his realm.
When the sweet sound of
the music evokes in him the bittersweet longings of love, he orders the
musicians to stop playing. Curio, a gentleman in his service, asks him whether
he plans to join a deer-hunting party. Orsino answers with a pun in which he
compares himself to a hart (male deer with antlers) and his feelings of love for
the hunting dogs that pursue it:
Rising Action
In
the rising action Viola seeking work goes to the court of Orsino dressed as a
boy, Cesario, and not only gets the job she becomes the duke's
favorite page. Orsino sends Cesario to plead his case to Olivia but Olivia
immediately falls passionately in love with Cesario. Meanwhile Sebastian,
Viola's brother, has also landed in Illyria saved by Antonio, a kind man who
turns out to be an old enemy of Duke Orsino. When Sebastian tells him, he is
going to Orsino's court they separate with Antonio giving him a purse of money
and Casey to buy something and wishing him Good Luck.
Olivia's uncle Sir Toby, his friend Sir Andrew, Olivia's maid Maria and Olivia's jester Feste called the fool, drink and make merry. When dour Steward Malvolio scolds them for inappropriate partying in a house of mourning. They decide to get revenge on him writing a false letter from Olivia that expresses her love for Malvolio encouraging him to pursue her and bidding him come and see her in ridiculous bright yellow cross-gartered stockings. Malvolio acts on the suggestions in the letter and makes a fool of himself leading Olivia to think he has gone crazily outraged to see Olivia bee tow such favor on a mere servant. Sir Toby encourages Sir Andrew who is pursuing Olivia to challenge Cesario to a duel.
Antonio sees Sir Toby watching as Sir Andrew and someone he
thinks to be Sabastian is drawing swords to duel and he entered. He saves
Cesario from the duel. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew continue to chase Cesario but
they eventually come upon the wandering Sebastian whom they believe Cesario.
Sebastian defends himself wounding both men assuming Sebastian is Cesario.
Olivia prevents them from further fighting and asks Cesario to marry her.
Sebastian is utterly confused but he accepts.
Climax
The climax of Twelfth Night occurs when Viola and Sebastian reunite and their true identities become known to everyone. Their reunion sets up the conclusion (or denouement), in which preparations are made for the marriage of Viola to Orsino and Sebastian to Olivia. The conclusion also explains how the plotters against Malvolio carried out the prank that caused him to appear insane. In the climax of the play, Viola and Sebastian finally meet face to face overjoyed to find one another alive.
Falling
Action:
The falling action is when Malvolio accuses Olivia of tricking him so he would act like a fool in confessing his love for her. When in fact, Maria forged the letter to Malvolio. Olivia swears she did not write the letter however Malvolio swears revenge and runs away. In the falling action, Orsino vows to marry Viola and Olivia learns of the trick played on Malvolio who was then locked away in a dark room. She releases him.
Resolution:
In
the play's resolution, Olivia and Sebastian will live happily ever after.
Orsino and Viola will stay with Olivia until they marry. Orsino
and 'Cesario' meet Antonio and the guards on their way to prison and are
confused by his belief that 'Cesario' has abandoned him. Olivia arrives and
announces that she and 'Cesario' are newly married. Orsino believes her and
turns on 'Cesario', who pleads that she loves him.
When
Sebastian appears the twins are reunited, the confusion is resolved and Orsino
and Viola are free to proclaim their love for one another.
The
trick played on Malvolio is revealed and we learn that Sir Toby has married
Maria. Malvolio is released from his prison cell and swears revenge on them
all.
