Act I - Comprehension Questions & Answers

1. Orsino, Duke of Illyria, sits in his palace listening to music and reflecting on the many emotions experienced by people who are in love. Write three adjectives to describe Orsino’s opening speech. List two images or metaphors Orsino uses to describe his ‘love-sick’ state.

Possible adjectives

fanciful, sentimental, romantic, extreme, over the top, metaphorical, poetic, obsessed, infatuated, love-struck, etc…

Images or metaphors

There were many – you could have chosen any of the five below…

1. Love is associated with food, hunger, appetite, etc (music is presented as the food of love, Orsino is tormented by his hunger for love, he wants an abundance or excess of music to feed and over-satisfy, and obliterate his appetite for love).

2. Love is like the sea – limitless, all-encompassing.

3. Love is like a sweet sound that gives and steals the scent of flowers.

4. ‘Of what validity and pitch so e’er, / But falls into abatement and low price / Even in a minute!– Orsino reflects on the fickleness of love (love as a kind of economy – that inflates, values and depreciates) – it doesn’t matter of how much the lover is worth or how much the love shared is valued, love can just as quickly depreciate.

5. ‘So full of shapes is fancy / That it alone is highly fantastical’– because Love manifests itself in so many different forms, Love itself is a highly imaginative and creative force.

2. Who is the object of Orsino’s ‘love’ pursuit?

Olivia

3. What sad event has recently happened to Olivia? What has she decided to do as a consequence of this sad event?

Olivia’s brother has died. She has decided to mourn his death for seven years. She will cry in her room every day, wear a veil and not see any men or suitors.

4. Who has been washed up on the shore of Illyria after a shipwreck? Who doesn’t survive?

Viola, Captain and some sailors have washed ashore. Sebastian, Viola’s twin brother, does not survive.

5. What contemporary phenomenon do you think the line ‘And the ‘twas fresh in murmur – as you know, / What great ones do the less will prattle of’ (I.ii.32-33) is referring to? (CLUE: great ones = well known or famous people, the less = ordinary people).

Ordinary people who talk about or who are fascinated by celebrities and popular icons (pop-stars, royalty, etc) – the phenomena of gossip magazines, celebrity TV shows, etc.

6. What does Viola ask the Captain to help her do?

Help her dress up as a boy and present her to the Duke. Viola wants to work for the Duke (initially she wants to go to Olivia’s court – but the Captain reiterates what Valentine tells Orsino in scene one – that Olivia is in mourning and won’t see anyone). (NB. This is a device Shakespeare uses to give the audience expository and background information).

7. Who is Sir Toby related to? Use three adjectives to describe Sir Toby’s character.

He is Olivia’s uncle. (NB. ‘Cousin’ was used to refer to kin/family in general in Elizabethan times).

Possible adjectives

Loud, boisterous, speaks his mind, rowdy, drunk, stays up late, parties, persuasive (he really wants Sir Andrew to stay so he can use his money for gambling – Sir Toby probably knows that Sir Andrew doesn’t have a chance with Olivia).

8. Who is Olivia’s new suitor? List three positives attributes Sir Toby thinks he has, and list three negative attributes Maria thinks he has.

Positive Attributes	Rich, wealthy (three thousand ducats.	Talented – plays a musical instrument	Speaks three or four different languages
Negative Attributes	Foolish, idiotic and prodigal (wasteful)	Argumentative (quarreler)	Cowardly – if he didn’t back out of all the fights he started he’d probably be dead by now.

9. Who is Cesario?

Viola dressed up as a male servant – her disguise and other, false identity.

10. What mission does Orsino send Cesario on?

Orsino sends Cesario to ‘woo’ Olivia (woo – to charm or seek someone’s favour/affection). Orsino wants Cesario to be really persistent and not to come back ‘empty-handed’ like Valentine did – Orsino does not want Cesario to leave Olivia’s court until she has passed on his love message.

11. What does Viola’s aside at the end of scene four reveal about her feelings? (‘Yet a barful strife / Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife’ I.iv.41-42)

It reveals that Viola in fact loves the Duke. She is saying that it will be really difficult to ‘woo’ anyone for Orsino or on his behalf because she herself wants to be his wife.

12. What does the Clown/Feste mock Olivia about?

For mourning her brother’s death – Clown thinks that because Olivia believes that her brother is in heaven there’s no point in mourning his death (it would be a foolish thing to do so).

13. How does Olivia describe Malvolio?

Malvolio is Olivia’s steward – Olivia describes him as egotistical, bad tempered and intolerant, and she thinks he blows things out of proportion (‘things things for bird-bolts you deem as cannon bullets’ – you make mountains out of molehills).

14. At the end of Act I we learn that Olivia has fallen in love with Viola – what does Olivia do to get Viola to visit her again?

Olivia pretends that Cesario (Viola) left a ring behind and sends Malvolio after Cesario (Viola). Malvolio has to pass on a message that Olivia is not interested in Orsino but would be happy to see Cesario (Viola) again if he (she) wanted to stop by and tell her how Orsino took the news (Olivia is making an excuse to see Cesario (Viola) again).