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Class System In Twelfth Night

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The rigid class system in Middle Age Europe was a primary factor that determined the course of events. In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, there are underlying issues throughout the plot involving classes of the characters, and their roles within their class. While for the time period, it was common for those in lower classes to be looked down upon, Shakespeare uses many mediums to slyly challenge this idea. Throughout the play, Shakespeare makes the class differences obvious, yet creates certain character dynamics which challenge preconceptions. Twelfth Night is centered around a distinct and rigid class system, yet Shakespeare comments on its negative impacts, and yearns for a more fluid system, in order to create a more just and fair world. Shakespeare includes Malvolio's misfortunes in order to hold up the accepted social structure for the time period. Toby and Maria perceive Malvolio as a man who thinks too highly of himself, and they believe …show more content…

Throughout the play, Feste the Fool is looked at as a character who receives very little respect, yet is rather smart and witty. On the other hand, Toby is respected for being a noble even though he is much less competent than Feste, and is essentially a drunk. Through this relationship, Shakespeare is relaying the idea that not all people are determined by their class, and rather a person's character is what earns them respect. When referencing Toby, Olivia acknowledges that, “he’s in the third degree of drink: he’s drowned,” (1.5.133). While Toby is clearly just a drunken idiot, he is looked upon highly by his peers for his social status, and must be respected by those beneath him, such as Malvolio. This aspect of the social class system primarily represents the class system, yet subliminally declares the system to be backwards and rather

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Malvolio was a villain, but a wrongly treated villain. He was not as bad as people thought him to be. He was mistreated by many people, including Maria, Sir Toby, and Fabian. This led to him being thrown into a prison. The mistreatment also lead to him being accused of being mad.

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1551 Words | 7 Pages

It was important because at the time the play was written there were strong class divisions, meaning that people were treated based on their class. For example, if you came from a lower class, then society would treat you badly. If you came from a higher class, then you were treated as though you were a

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Twelfth Night is a story of loss, tragedy, and love that is masquerading as a romantic comedy of sorts a perfect example of Shakespeare’s true talents of expressing deep metaphor in very interesting ways. This is a play about the ocean deep, salty, unpredictable, rough and difficult to navigate but after enough time and understanding, you can see the beauty in the deep blue water. The salty water seems very basic and easy to understand but upon closer inspection, you can see the true depth and complexity of the briny water. The play has a similar effect when first starting it one could come to the conclusion that things are simple and exactly what they seem but within a few lines things get progressively more and more complicated just as the water does. The shape of twelfth night is that of the ocean blue vast, unpredictable and extremely deep but with the right understanding and experience you can navigate it rough waters to reach your destination safe and sound.

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1010 Words | 5 Pages

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, while guarding the castle, waiting in anticipation of the ghost’s appearance, Hamlet, Horatio and Marcellus hear trumpets flourish from within, proclaiming the King’s late night partying (1.4). Horatio asks about the nature of the commotion, however, Hamlet remains nonplussed, crestfallen by the evening’s affairs. In his lengthy, 26-line response to Horatio’s simple question, “Is it a custom,” Hamlet experiences an internal struggle between fated traditions and logic, elaborates upon the country’s damaged reputation, the immediate yield of the King’s drinking, and argues that even the most picayune evils can eradicate a man’s fame (14). Hamlet, despite his devotion to kin and country, through sardonic diction, repetition,

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864 Words | 4 Pages

Shakespeare once said “All the world’s a stage, and all the man and women rarely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his tim plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” Therefore, many of Shakespeare’s characters In this play mimic the real types of people in society; specifically the wealthy and poor. Shakespeare has many low class characters that always in a conflict with the higher class. Shakespeare expresses the forcefulness of love and the marxian heroism by using ironies and tones. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare demonstrates Marxian heroism by characterizing the groundling characters in a caring tone in act 2, situational irony in act 4, and verbal irony in Act 5.

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514 Words | 3 Pages

Our world and Shakespeare's world are really different from each other. In his time color showed how rich you were, controlling sickness was hard, and being fat and wearing lots of clothes was bragging. That is completely opposite of our world today and just shows how different times are for us now. But what exactly has changed?

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699 Words | 3 Pages

In one scene that takes place late at night, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Festes dance and sing, creating a disturbance. This results in Malvolio coming and criticizing them, “Have you no wit, manners, nor honesty, but to gabble like tinkers at this time of night?” (2.3. 88-89). This again reflects his hostility towards those that act unruly. Then upon reprimanding them Malvolio then directly threatens Sir Toby, declaring that if he does not improve his excessive drunkenness, then “[Olivia] is very willing to bid [him] farewell” (2.3. 101).

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(Hobgood, p.5) The author also points out that even though Maria is the one who wants to shame Malvolio for him wanting to be of a higher social stature, she is seemingly doing the same thing herself by writing the letters and impersonating the Countess. The cruel treatment that Malvolio endured by the characters and audience as well made this a compelling play to have watched. The audience almost enjoyed the treatment of Malvolio due to his actions during the play as their reactions or non-reactions

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At that time in history, the status quo and social norm was simple. Patriarchy was the predominant force as men were regarded as superior to women, both in society as well as the relationship scene. Shakespeare attempted to change this perception through his multiple works of literature. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare uses the theme of gender roles to express the idea that the status quo and social norm in the Elizabethan era can be challenged through courtship, father-daughter relationships, and wedlock. The play commences with the courtship of multiple individuals.

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William Shakespeare’s works, written primarily from the late eighteen hundreds to the very early sixteen hundreds, have long been the subject of academic debates and analysis. Potent with double entendres, metaphors, and social commentary, it is easy to apply queer theory to Shakespeare’s plays, notably Twelfth Night, written in 1601. Though Twelfth Night’s ending pushes its characters into traditional heterosexual romances and binary gender roles to satisfy the genre and placate conservative Elizabethan audiences, the characters in the comedy defy tradition by exploring homosexual love and expression of gender. The most apparent homosexual themes are present in the relationship between Antonio and Sebastian.

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955 Words | 4 Pages

In a society centered around money and status, the group of people labeled as the lower class have the

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984 Words | 4 Pages

Class Division is a Major Theme in Twelfth Night Shakespeare’s twelfth night is famous for its gender-bending theme making it easy for the audience to forget class and social ranking is a reoccurring theme as well. In Shakespeare’s time social ranking was very important. During the Elizabethan Era people were starting to gain hope that they could maybe change their social class, just as Malvolio and Feste. While others such as Sir Andrew believed that they could do anything, just because of their social status. Overall, social status played a key role in the development of the characters, while some tried to increase their ranking in society others took advantage of theirs.

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1205 Words | 5 Pages

Today, men and women have equal rights, but that does not mean life has always been simple for both genders. When Shakespeare writes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are roles, behaviors, and expectations for the dominant men and submissive women. This literature portrays the major changes in the lives of both sexes throughout the years, which shows the advances women gain with time. The gender issue of men being dominant and women being submissive used in the drama, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, shows the differences in the roles, behaviors, and expectations appropriate for each gender and is an example of an outdated stereotype.

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738 Words | 3 Pages

In the twenty-first century, the plays of William Shakespeare may at first appear dated and irrelevant: they use archaic language, are set in the age of Kings and Queens, and the Kingdom of England. However, it would be plainly mistaken to construe that Shakespeare’s works do not still remain integral to a twenty-first century society. Shakespeare’s plays gave the words and expressions one uses every day, revolutionized the art of theater as it was known, and forewarned about issues that would unknowingly still apply centuries later. Therefore, Shakespeare has had a profound effect on our lives by enriching our language and culture, as well as providing ideas that would still apply five centuries later, and it would thus behoove us to learn from his works and life.

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Classism is similar in many ways to racism, sexism, heterosexism and other forms of oppression. It can appear individually through attitudes and behavior.” It also rears its ugly head institutionally through

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