Final Draft check list:
- avoid
passive voice (is shown, instead of shows)
- specific
verbs and adjectives (good, is, has—be more precise)
- avoid
using words like “is shown” (passive voice), use direct verbs instead like
“shows”
- varied sentence structure (start your sentences
differently, not always subject verb. Switch the sentence that will flow
well in the new order)
- read
your essay aloud to check for fluency, correct awkward sections
- make
sure that your commentary is specific to the quotation or example then
move out to adding depth to your thesis
Irony and Opposites essay (and some that applies to the Feste essay too)
- irony
is the basis of the entire play—comedy—irony is often funny
- commentary
on our understanding of the world—with irony, everything is confusing, so
you need to be really smart like (Viola and Feste)
to understand what’s going on and what the truth is
- this
is the Duke’s essential failing (besides being obsessed by the image of
Olivia)—he does not see the truth
- he
needs to understand the world as it really is
- central
problem of this play is the discrepancy between appearance and reality—the
Duke is fooled by appearances
- this
is why Viola’s disguise is so effective
- additionally, her disguise works because the characters
believe in the basic Greek concept that “the beautiful is the good.”
Shakespeare twists this concept to reveal its fallacy
- Feste points this out to us: people believe disguises
because they believe in that concept that people’s outsides match their
insides, use the quotations about Feste and his
Sir Topas disguise working even though they
don’t look alike to make this point
- the play deals with the basic idea that just as
appearances can be misleading, so can words. Quotation when Viola and Feste talk and show their ability to twist the meaning
of words: you can make words mean anything if you’re clever. These two can
do it because they are the only two who have a clue
- basic
point that Shakespeare makes, you have to have good perception and judgement in order to succeed –this is what the Duke
needs to learn and Viola and Feste teach it to
him
- reversal:
when Cesario reveals himself to be the lady
Viola and Sebastian reveals himself to be her twin brother—this leads to
the final resolution
- foil: individ or groups are set up in opposition in order to
give more depth or information about each character
- major
characters v. minor characters
- Viola
v. Olivia
- Duke
v. Sir Andrew
- Sebastian
v. Cesario, Sebastian v. Duke
Feste essay
- Feste’s actions towards Malvolio
(foil for Olivia’s action towards Cesario) skip,
but do focus force the Duke to lead, because they
are so out of control, he has to do something. The first action the duke
takes as a leader is to deal with the mistreatment of Malvolio
- use
the fool/husband quotation, Olivia won’t need him anymore because the
husband is the fool
- paragraph
on how Viola and Feste are similar—both induce
the duke to act, both get Olivia out of mourning, both misleading (pseudo
husband role)
- importance
of Feste to play as a whole
- the
play ends with his words
- Feste gets people to move in the right direction
- moves
people towards love (Maria about Sir Toby, Olivia out of mourning, Cesario needs a beard)—marriage—order in the kingdom
Theme of Love essay
Duke’s view of love
- superficial
- Cesario should go for a younger woman because women’s
looks fade so quickly)
- he
chases the image of Olivia, doesn’t really love the real her
- blind
to the admirable and feminine characteristics of Viola—he can’t see
through her disguise
- appearance
is reality for him
Viola begins to educate the duke
through the power of her words
- she
begins to sway him that his view of love is limited (women can love as
much as men)
- when
she finally reveals her true identity, he realizes how false appearances
can be and he immediately chooses Viola for her personality rather than
Olivia’s looks
- Viola
& the duke are deeper characters in the end, Olivia and Sebastian are
all about “the beautiful is the good”—two couples are good foils for each
other
- doesn’t
show how the “beautiful is the good” is wrong, just plays with the idea
politics of romance
- disorder
I the play because the duke does not rule—instead he’s chasing the image
of Olivia
- whole
play—everyone is single—disorderly behavior and misunderstandingàpeople
start behaving when they get married
- with
marriage comes the resolution of the play and restoration of order, Duke
leads, people behaves
- duke’s
relationship with his wife (or wife to be) mirrors the duke’s
relationship with his subjects
- discuss
Viola’s role in educating the Duke