1. Disguises are common in this play, even occurring where they are not necessary--consider FesteÕs disguise when Malvolio cannot even see him (Act IV).

• Who wears disguises and when?
• What purposes do these disguises serve?
• How do they relate to each other?

2. Malvolio humiliates himself publicly long before he assumes his disguise as allegedly requested by Olivia.

• What personality trait(s) are the source of his vulnerability to this kind of joke?
• How do the other characters see themselves?
• How well do they understand their own motives?

3. What is the purpose of the clown Feste in this play?

• Why does Shakespeare use a fool?
• What does folly represent in this world?
• What is foolish about each character and how do we respond as audience members to these different types of foolishness?

4. How does Sir Toby differ from Feste?

• How does Sir Andrew differ from them both?

5. What does OrsinoÕs opening speech have to do with the play?

6. This play has several elements in common with other Shakespearean plays

• disguising
• a fool
• a disguised woman
• madness
• self-absorption

Keep track of these traits and watch for them in reading other Shakespearean plays.

• How do they appear here in a comedy, as opposed to their representations in tragedy?

Thanks to JM Massi, Ph.D. for writing these study questions.