Twelfth Night: Act 5, Scene 1 (part 4)

THE END IS IN SIGHT. Let's clear up this whole "twin" mess first...

A couple of notes:

  1. Olivia's "Most wonderful!" line is one of the best lines ever. I use it all the time, even when not confronted with doppelgangers of my beloved.

  2. You have to feel for Olivia. Yes, part of her attraction to Cesario is purely physical, but a great deal of it is to "his" intellect, eloquence, and sensitivity. I always feel like marrying Sebastian after being in love with Cesario must be like getting a fortune cookie with no fortune in it.

  3. Is anyone more relieved than Orsino?

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3|2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3, part 1 | 2.3, part 2 | 2.4, part 1 | 2.4, part 2 | 2.5, part 1 | 2.5, part 2 | 3.1, part 1 | 3.1, part 2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4, part 1 | 3.4, part 2 | 3.4, part 3 | 3.4, part 4 | 3.4, part 5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.1, part 1 | 5.1, part 2 | 5.1, part 3 | 5.1, part 4

I'm Hunchbacked (a Hamilton parody)

I had a lot of fun putting together a Hamlet-themed  Hamilton parody of "Wait for It" a month ago, and, as one cannot desire too much of a good thing, I've gone ahead and done another one. From one English king to another...

(Here's the song it's based on, if you haven't heard it yet, sung by King George III to the American colonies.)

Thanks again to Dan Beaulieu of the Seven Stages Shakespeare Company and No Holds Bard Podcast for being my sounding board on this comic. 

If you like Shakespeare/musical theatre mash-ups, be sure to also check out The Sound of Hamlet and Into the (Shakespearean) Woods!

Shakespeare Flowchart Poster News!

Twelfth Night: Act 5, Scene 1 (part 3)

We're halfway through the last scene of Twelfth Night and the revelations are coming fast!

Spare a thought for Sir Andrew, who is totally shot down by his erstwhile friend here. He's got one of the more melancholy resolutions of the play. He needs a hug.

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3|2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3, part 1 | 2.3, part 2 | 2.4, part 1 | 2.4, part 2 | 2.5, part 1 | 2.5, part 2 | 3.1, part 1 | 3.1, part 2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4, part 1 | 3.4, part 2 | 3.4, part 3 | 3.4, part 4 | 3.4, part 5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.1, part 1 | 5.1, part 2 | 5.1, part 3

Twelfth Night: Act 5, Scene 1 (part 2)

Let's continue wrapping up those plot threads!

It'd be nice to think that Orsino is just being melodramatic when he threatens to kill Cesario (or, depending on how you read it, Olivia). But the guy has not shown himself to be particularly steady and rational up to now, so... yeah... 

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3|2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3, part 1 | 2.3, part 2 | 2.4, part 1 | 2.4, part 2 | 2.5, part 1 | 2.5, part 2 | 3.1, part 1 | 3.1, part 2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4, part 1 | 3.4, part 2 | 3.4, part 3 | 3.4, part 4 | 3.4, part 5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.1, part 1 | 5.1, part 2

Twelfth Night: Act 5, Scene 1 (part 1)

All right, we've made it to Act 5 and you know what that means! Yes, it's Wrapping Up All The Disparate Plot Threads time! Let's do this!

Viola here misses another opportunity to ask "HEY can you tell me more about this person whom you saved from drowning who happens to look just like me when I'm dressing up like my twin brother whom I lost at sea?"

Also, I love the phrase "notable pirate". Try using it in your everyday conversation. It's a lot of fun.

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3|2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3, part 1 | 2.3, part 2 | 2.4, part 1 | 2.4, part 2 | 2.5, part 1 | 2.5, part 2 | 3.1, part 1 | 3.1, part 2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4, part 1 | 3.4, part 2 | 3.4, part 3 | 3.4, part 4 | 3.4, part 5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3

Twelfth Night: Act 4, Scene 3

SO. When we last left Sebastian, he had just been assaulted FOR NO DISCERNIBLE REASON by Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, and had just been whisked away to a loving tryst FOR NO DISCERNIBLE REASON by Olivia.

He's having a surreal day.

What do you do when you find yourself swept up in a loving embrace by a wealth, landed noblewoman who calls you by the wrong name and wants to marry you? Obviously, you marry her. That's not dodgy at all. 

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3|2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3, part 1 | 2.3, part 2 | 2.4, part 1 | 2.4, part 2 | 2.5, part 1 | 2.5, part 2 | 3.1, part 1 | 3.1, part 2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4, part 1 | 3.4, part 2 | 3.4, part 3 | 3.4, part 4 | 3.4, part 5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3

Twelfth Night: Act 4, Scene 2

THE STORY SO FAR: Sir Toby and his crew have contrived to get Malvolio locked up for acting strangely due to the forged letter Maria wrote to him. Everyone acts like a jerk.

This is one of the least funny "funny" scenes ever and generally succeeds in making everyone feel sorry for Malvolio.

Did I mention that I think Sir Toby is a jerk?

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3|2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3, part 1 | 2.3, part 2 | 2.4, part 1 | 2.4, part 2 | 2.5, part 1 | 2.5, part 2 | 3.1, part 1 | 3.1, part 2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4, part 1 | 3.4, part 2 | 3.4, part 3 | 3.4, part 4 | 3.4, part 5 | 4.1 | 4.2

Twelfth Night: Act 4, Scene 1

OK. Back to Twelfth Night. Are you ready for this?

THE STORY SO FAR: ...oh gosh, do I really have to do this? OK, fine... Viola, disguised as Cesario, with whom the lady Olivia is infatuated, is challenged to a duel by Sir Andrew, who has been egged on to do so by Sir Toby, who is a jerk. However, the duel is never fought because Antonio, the rugged seaman who is besotted with Viola's missing twin brother, Sebastian, mistakes Cesario for Sebastian and intervenes. He's then arrested and Viola goes back to Orsino's court. Unbeknownst to anyone, Sebastian is happily wandering around Elyria, totally ignorant of all these goings-on.

GOT IT? I hope so, because I'm not repeating it. 

"Are all the people mad here?" is probably one of my favorite underrated comedic lines from this play. It pretty much sums up what a lot of the audience is thinking at this point as well.

I'm not sure how I feel about Sebastian. Surely a true gentleman would have said something like "I'll go with you, but you may or may not be mistaking me for somebody else and I've never seen you before" before accepting a strange woman's clearly romantic invitation. 

But then, all the people are mad here. 

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3|2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3, part 1 | 2.3, part 2 | 2.4, part 1 | 2.4, part 2 | 2.5, part 1 | 2.5, part 2 | 3.1, part 1 | 3.1, part 2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4, part 1 | 3.4, part 2 | 3.4, part 3 | 3.4, part 4 | 3.4, part 5 | 4.1