Twelfth Night (Barnes and Noble Shakespeare)

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It's a hit!

Twelfth Night is not my absolute favorite Shakespeare. As a comedy, I think The Taming of the Shrew was stronger and at times funnier, but Twelfth ... (show more)

Twelfth Night is not my absolute favorite Shakespeare. As a comedy, I think The Taming of the Shrew was stronger and at times funnier, but Twelfth Night is still pretty awesome. There is clever wordplay throughout, but when isn't there with Billy Shakespeare? Even in the play, (thanks to my Shakespeare professor for pointing this out to me), there is a (forgive my language or don't) cunt joke. That is pretty hilarious if you ask me. The greatest writer of all time isn't afraid to insert a dirty joke here and there. The character of Feste intrigued me, and was a high point of the play. Also, it is disturbing what Feste and Sir Toby et al do to Malvolio. Is the treatment of Malvolio funny? Well, it depends on one’s sense of humor. It certainly is black humor, which Shakespeare is also a master of. That is really the thing to hang your coat on with Twelfth Night, and its greatest strength. It is a diverse comedy, with slapstick, clever wordplay, disturbing “funny,” and big themes. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook-användare

No, it's a flop!

This play from Shakespeare is a lot less accessible than others that I have read. I actually had to watch the movie to understand fully what was ha... (show more)

This play from Shakespeare is a lot less accessible than others that I have read. I actually had to watch the movie to understand fully what was happening. The character of Malvolio, especially, is very complex and confusing, as he goes through several persona changes; Shakespeare uses him to represent several levels of love. (show less)

 

 

by Kirby Lund

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  It's pretty good. Not as intrinsically good as the similar Midsummer Night's Dream and Comedy of Errors, but close: the main plot of the siblings being confused with each other is neatly done (though interestingly with a much stronger role for the sister than the brother); the subplot of Malvolio's fall needs more careful treatment, as it is basically the humour of cruelty, and one needs to make Malvolio monstrous enough not to engage too much of the audience's sympathy.
  Arkangel have done on... (show more)

  It's pretty good. Not as intrinsically good as the similar Midsummer Night's Dream and Comedy of Errors, but close: the main plot of the siblings being confused with each other is neatly done (though interestingly with a much stronger role for the sister than the brother); the subplot of Malvolio's fall needs more careful treatment, as it is basically the humour of cruelty, and one needs to make Malvolio monstrous enough not to engage too much of the audience's sympathy.
  Arkangel have done one of their best productions here. Niamh Cusack is Viola; Julian Glover, doing a Scottish accent, is Malvolio; Dinsdale Landen is a suitably disgusting Sir Tony Belch; Arkangel stalwart Amanda Root is Olivia; and most gloriously, Paterson Joseph is Feste, playing it as if it was the role he was born to play (as of course he does with everything) - particularly when he is playing Feste playing the clergyman Sir Topas. Somehow the chemistry seems to have worked between the big name stars, and the result is fantastic. (show less)

   

   

  by Nicholas Whyte on Apr 19, 2009 at 02:06PM

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  A father dead, beloved brother lost at sea, stranded in a foreign land far away from home...Our heroine Viola finds herself in a most difficult situation. She must learn the true fate of her brother, dead or alive. And the only way she can do this is to...become a man.

  Searching for clues regarding her brother and looking for whatever she may find, Viola happens upon something most unexpected: Love. A noble Duke that pines for another steals her heart away, but Viola does not even have the a... (show more)

  A father dead, beloved brother lost at sea, stranded in a foreign land far away from home...Our heroine Viola finds herself in a most difficult situation. She must learn the true fate of her brother, dead or alive. And the only way she can do this is to...become a man.

  Searching for clues regarding her brother and looking for whatever she may find, Viola happens upon something most unexpected: Love. A noble Duke that pines for another steals her heart away, but Viola does not even have the ability to confess her feelings-- lest he discover her secret and destroy all hopes of finding her brother! And, only to make matters worse, the Duke bades her to win the heart of his lady fair on his behalf. And so, she must try to woo another for the one she most wishes to love herself!

  Oh, what is a girl to do? (show less)

   

   

  by Victoria Osborne on Jan 30, 2009 at 06:33AM

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