Category: A2 Shakespeares

‘Twelfth Night’ opens on Duke Orsino listening to music, pining away for the love of Lady Olivia. He cannot have her because she is in mourning for her dead brother and refuses to entertain any proposals of marriage. Meanwhile, off the coast, a storm has caused a terrible shipwreck, resulting in a young woman named Viola being swept ashore. Finding herself alone in a strange land, she assumes that her twin brother – Sebastian – has been drowned in the wreck, and tries to figure out what she should do in order to survive in this new, unfamiliar place. A friendly sea captain tells her about Orsino’s courtship of Olivia, and Viola says that she wishes she could go to work in Olivia’s home. But since Lady Olivia refuses to talk with any strangers, Viola decides that she cannot look for work with her, instead deciding to disguise herself as a man, taking on the name of Cesario, and going to work in the household of Duke Orsino. Viola – disguised as Cesario – quickly becomes a favourite of Orsino, who makes Cesario his page. Viola finds herself falling in love with Orsino, but when Orsino sends Cesario to deliver a love messages to the disdainful Olivia, Olivia herself falls for the beautiful young Cesario, believing her to be a man. Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Cesario; and everyone is miserable.

Meanwhile, Olivia’s rowdy drunkard of an uncle, Sir Toby, is trying to assist his idiot of a friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, with his attempts to court Olivia. They are helped in their endeavour by Olivia’s gentlewoman, Maria, and Feste, the fool of the house. However, Malvolio – Olivia’s steward – seeks to quash their fun at every turn, leading to Maria engineering a practical joke to make Malvolio think that Olivia is in love with him. She forges a letter, supposedly from Olivia, addressed to ‘her beloved’ (whose name is signified by the letters M.O.A.I.), telling him that if he wants to earn her favour he should dress in cross gartered yellow stockings, smile constantly, and refuse to explain himself to anyone. Malvolio finds the letter, assumes that it is addressed to him, and – filled with dreams of marrying Olivia and becoming noble himself – happily follows its commands. He behaves so strangely that Olivia comes to think that he is mad.

INTERVAL

On top of all this, Sebastian – who is still alive after all but believes his sister Viola to be dead – arrives in Illyria along with his friend and protector, Antonio. Antonio has cared for Sebastian since the shipwreck and is attached to the young man, so much so that he follows him to Orsino’s domain, in spite of the fact that he and Orsino are old enemies. Sir Andrew, observing Olivia’s attraction to Cesario (Viola in disguise), challenges Cesario to a duel. Sir Toby, who sees the prospective duel as entertaining fun, eggs Sir Andrew on. However, when Sebastian—who looks just like the disguised Viola—appears on the scene, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby end up coming to blows with Sebastian, thinking that he is Cesario. Olivia enters amid the confusion. Encountering Sebastian and thinking that he is Cesario, she asks him to marry her. He is baffled, since he has never seen her before, though sees that she is wealthy and beautiful, and is therefore more than willing to go along with her. Meanwhile, Antonio has been arrested by Orsino’s officers and now begs Cesario for help, mistaking him for Sebastian. Viola denies knowing Antonio, and Antonio is dragged off, crying out that Sebastian has betrayed him. Suddenly, Viola has newfound hope that her brother may be alive.

Malvolio’s supposed madness has given Maria, Toby, and Feste cause to lock him in a mad house for treatment, tormenting him at will. Feste dresses up as ‘Sir Topas’, a priest, and pretends to examine Malvolio, declaring him insane in spite of his protests. However, Sir Toby begins to think better of the joke, and they allow Malvolio to send a letter to Olivia, in which he asks to be released.

Eventually, Viola (still disguised as Cesario) and Orsino make their way to Olivia’s house, where Olivia welcomes Cesario as her new husband, thinking him to be Sebastian, whom she has just married. Orsino is furious, but then Sebastian himself appears and all is revealed. The siblings are joyfully reunited, and Orsino realizes that he loves Viola, now that he knows she is a woman, and asks her to marry him. We discover that Sir Toby and Maria have also been married privately. Finally, someone remembers Malvolio and lets him out of the dark room. The trick is revealed in full, and the embittered Malvolio storms off, leaving the happy couples to their celebration.

(Adapted from http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/twelfthnight/, 05/02/2018)

‘Julius Caesar’ opens with the titular character returning to Rome after defeating a rival army in battle. Flanked by political figures Brutus, Cassius, and Mark Antony, a Soothsayer calls out to Caesar to “beware the Ides of March,” but Caesar ignores him and proceeds with his victory celebration. Cassius and Brutus, both longtime political allies of Caesar, stay behind as the parade passes and begin to discuss their fears about the direction Rome is headed. Brutus says that he fears that the people want Caesar to become king, which would overturn the democratically elected republic. Cassius concurs that Caesar is treated like a god but she [artistic choice for this production] blames her and Brutus’s lack of will for allowing Caesar’s rise to power. Another politician, Casca, returns and tells Brutus and Cassius that – during the celebration – Antony offered the crown to Caesar three times and the people cheered, but Caesar refused it each time. Upon hearing this, Brutus retreats home leaving Cassius to hatch a plot to draw him into a conspiracy against Caesar. Later that night, Brutus finds letters in his house apparently written by Roman citizens worried that Caesar has become too powerful. The letters have, in fact, been forged by Cassius who knows that if Brutus believes it is the people’s will, he will support a plot to remove Caesar from power. A committed supporter of the republic, Brutus fears the possibility of a dictator-led empire, worrying that the people would lose their voice. Cassius arrives at Brutus’s home with her conspirators and Brutus, who has already been won over by the letters, takes control of the meeting. The politicians agree to lure Caesar from his house and kill him. Cassius wants to kill Antony too, removing any obstacle or ally of Caesar that may remain, but Brutus disagrees, believing that too many deaths will render their plot too bloody and dishonor them. Having agreed to spare Antony, the conspirators depart. Portia, Brutus’s wife, observes that Brutus appears conflicted. She pleads with him to talk to her, but he shrugs her off and leaves.

The next day, Caesar prepares to go to the Senate. His wife – Calpurnia – begs him not to go, describing recent nightmares she has had in which a statue of Caesar streamed with blood which smiling men bathed their hands in. But Decius, one of the conspirators, then arrives and convinces Caesar that Calpurnia has misinterpreted her dreams and the recent omens. Caesar departs for the Senate in the company of the conspirators. At the Senate, the conspirators speak to Caesar, bowing at his feet and encircling him. One by one, they stab him to death. When Caesar sees his dear friend Brutus among his murderers, he gives up his struggle and dies. As Cesar finally succumbs to his wounds, Antony returns and pledges allegiance to Brutus; but weeps over Caesar’s body. When Antony asks why they killed Caesar, Brutus replies that he will explain all at his funeral. Antony asks to be allowed to speak at Caesar’s funeral and, though Brutus grants his permission, Cassius remains suspicious of Antony. The conspirators depart, and Antony – alone now – swears that Caesar’s death shall be avenged.

Brutus and Cassius go to the Forum to speak to the public. Brutus declares to the masses that, though he loved Caesar, he loves Rome more and Caesar’s ambition posed a danger to Roman liberty. Antony appears with Caesar’s body and Brutus departs after turning the pulpit over to Antony. Repeatedly referring to Brutus as ‘an honorable man’, Antony’s speech becomes increasingly sarcastic; questioning the claims that Brutus made in his speech that Caesar acted only out of ambition. Antony then produces Caesar’s will but announces that he will not read it for it would only upset the people who heard it. The crowd nevertheless begs him to read the will, so he descends from the pulpit to stand next to Caesar’s body. He describes Caesar’s horrible death and shows Caesar’s wounded body to the crowd. He then reads Caesar’s will, which bequeaths a sum of money to every citizen and orders that his private gardens be made public. The crowd becomes enraged, calling Brutus and Cassius traitors, and setting off to drive them from the city. In their rage, however, they come across a grieving Calpurnia and – mistaking her for a conspirator against Caesar – kill her out of anger.

INTERVAL

Act two begins at a conspirators’ camp – Brutus and Cassius now leading a rival faction against the one headed by Anthony and Caesar’s adopted son, Octavius, who seek retribution for the conspirators’ actions against Caesar. Brutus and Cassius have a heated argument regarding matters of money and honour, but they ultimately reconcile. Brutus reveals that he is sick with grief, for in his absence Portia has killed herself. The two continue to prepare for battle with Antony and Octavius. That night, the Ghost of Caesar appears to Brutus, announcing that Brutus will meet him again on the battlefield. Octavius and Antony march their army toward Brutus and Cassius, with the opposing generals meeting on the battlefield and exchanging insults before beginning combat.Cassius witnesses her own men fleeing and hears that Brutus’ men are also not performing well. Cassius sends one of her men, Pindarus, to see how the battle is progressing. From afar, Pindarus sees one of their leaders, Titinius, being surrounded by cheering troops and concludes that he has been captured. Cassius despairs and orders Pindarus to kill her with her own sword. She dies proclaiming that Caesar is avenged. Titinius – in fact not dead – then arrives to find Cassius’ corpse and, mourning the death of his friend, kills himself.

Brutus learns of the deaths of Cassius and Titinius with a heavy heart, and prepares to take on the Romans again. When his army loses, Brutus asks one of his men to hold his sword while he impales himself on it. Finally, Octavius and Antony arrive. Antony speaks over Brutus’s body, calling him the noblest Roman of all. While the other conspirators acted out of envy and ambition, Brutus genuinely believed that he acted for the benefit of Rome. Octavius orders that Brutus be buried in the most honorable way. The men then depart to celebrate their victory. Simple. Right?

(Adapted from http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/juliuscaesar/, 05/02/2018)