Gilbert: Freshman Studies: Fall 99
Paper Assignment #4: Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
In 3-5 well-written pages, discuss one of the following topics:
- Some form of egotism--vanity, self-absorption--is a basic fault of many of the central characters in Twelfth Night. Select two characters and, for each, describe his or her particular form of egotism, and how it affects his or her actions, motivations, and relations with other characters in the play.
- From the first lines, music is central to the action of the play. Discuss the role music plays in Twelfth Night
- Orsino, Olivia, and Malvolio each react differently to being in love. Compare and contrast the effects of being in love on two of these three characters. How does being in love affect their behavior, their speech, their relations with other characters?
- Compare Orsino in the first scene of the play with Orsino in the last scene. Has Orsino changed at all? If so, how? Pay particular attention to his longer speeches and the way they reflect his attitudes toward love.
Notes:
- This paper will be due in my office by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 16. This is a change from the original schedule.
- Please see me if you have questions about the paper topics--or if you'd like to propose a different topic.
And as always...
"The simplest definition of a good writer is that he has something to say, and that he has learned how to say it so he can be understood.” – Robert J. Hastings, How I Write
Back to the Twelfth Night schedule
revised: 8-Nov-1999