Dramatic Techniques in Twelfth Night

Dramatic techniques are used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night to encompass the

main themes surrounding human desire in the play. Ambition, identity – and the
struggles that come with it – and relationships are all themes which the audience
can resonate with, making the play relatable yet entertaining in its ambiguity and
comedic factors.
Dialogue- Shakespeare uses dialogue – both through his prose and verse – to invite
the audience into the thoughts and feelings of the characters’ status and how they
strive for a position higher than what they have. For example, at the beginning of
the play, Malvolio speaks in prose which shows his intelligence, however towards
the conclusion of the play, he speaks in verse

“Lady, you have. Pray you, pursue that letter.

You must not now deny that it is in your hand:

Write from it, if you can, in hand or phrase,

Or say ‘tis not your seal, not your invention” (Act 5, Scene 1).
Diction- Shakespeare gives his characters plays an integral role in their
characterisation. To show characters have more intelligence, he gives them a large
vocabulary, as opposed to a more limited vocabulary to characters who have a
lower status. Shakespeare employs language characteristics such as metaphors,
syntax, vocabulary and imagery used by Malvolio with those used by the Clown.
Despite both characters being erudite, the language choice for each varies to quite
a degree. The clown, Feste, frequently uses puns, aphorisms and plays on words to
show intelligence through both wit and wisdom. This is evident in Act 1, Scene 5,
where he says

‘Wit, and’t be thy will, put me into good fooling! Those wits that think they have
thee do very oft prove fools; and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise
man. For what says Quinapalus? “Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.” God bless
thee lady!’

However, Malvolio uses language which is less witty, though more well-spoken,
however he is also more arrogant. This is encompassed in his final line in Act 5,
Scene 1 ‘I’ll be reveng’d on the whole pack of you!’ which makes the audience
feel pity for him. The imagery in the metaphor of ‘the whole pack of you’
describes how he feels like the fool as a result of the rest the characters’ actions
and how he is singled out, isolated from the rest of the cast in Twelfth Night. This
is evident in how the rest of the characters have ended the play with love or
companionship with another character, though Malvolio’s character and story is a
loose end.

Irony is a literary device in which the reality is opposite of what we expect. The
key here is "opposite," not just different. This incompatibility can be found in
language (what we say vs. what we mean) or circumstances (what we expect to
happen vs. what actually happens).
DIFFERENT TYPES OF IRONY:

Verbal irony is when someone says something, but means the opposite.

Ex. When you get an "F" on your term paper and say, "Wow, I did a really
good job on my term paper!"

Or a student response to a question is incorrect but the teacher replied

“that is a brilliant answer”

Situational irony is when we expect one thing, but get the opposite.

Ex. To avoid rain on your wedding day, you choose a desert that hasn't seen
rain in 100 years...and then it starts raining.

Ex. A fire station burnt down

A policeman is arrested for stealing

A marriage counsellor files for divorce

Dramatic irony is when we have more information about the

circumstances than a character. This type of irony is called "dramatic" not
because it has any exaggerated or tragic qualities, but because it
originated in ancient Greek drama.

Ex. When you know there's a killer shark in the ocean but the carefree
beach goers have no idea they're being hunted.

That is dramatic irony.

SPOILER ALERT for The Matrix.

Neo and his crew are betrayed by one of their own. If we had learned of this
at the moment of betrayal, we certainly would have been shocked.

Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to develop the comedic effect in the

characters relationships. The use of dramatic irony produces most of the comedic
effect by revealing situations and relationships to the audience, but not the cast.
Developing the plot with this literary device provides comedic and ironic situations
while engaging the audience.
Including situations and relationships that are not fully revealed to the cast
but are obvious to the audience permits them to feel included or “in on it”.

Dramatic irony encompasses the love triangle between Cesario (Viola), Orsino
and Olivia to involve the audience and create humor. After Orsino sees how
young and attractive Cesario is, he sends her to win over Olivia without knowing
the reality of the situation. In this scene, Cesario feels this task is of “a barful
strife” for “whoe'er [she] woo, [she]would be his wife.” (1.4.43) Revealing her true
feelings for the Duke and Olivia proves her situation to be awkward and ironic
because of her disguise. Providing her confession before Cesario actually talks to
Olivia produces suspense and strengthens the dramatic irony towards the trio.
Aside from the fact that Cesario is falling for a man who is already infatuated,
Olivia begins to reveal her true feelings as well. Establishing dramatic irony
towards Cesario's disguise and feelings towards Olivia and Orsino add to the
comedic effect while developing the plot and engaging the audience.
The proper use of dramatic irony allows an audience to have a furthered
understanding of characters, by allowing the audience to know things that the
characters in the literature do not know. When used properly, this knowledge
is used to create feelings of humour and suspense for an audience.
He uses elements such as mistaken identity, separated twins, and gender
crossing disguise.
This dramatic irony contributes to the comedic effect of the play. The first example
of dramatic irony is the disguise of Viola, who is saved after being shipwrecked
by a captain who puts in to shore on Illyria. After learning that the captain knows
the Duke of Illyria, Viola asks him to disguise her as a eunuch so that she may
work for the Duke. In this disguise, that only the audience is aware of Viola is
better able to perceive the true nature of the characters as they confide in Cesario,
her male disguise. While working for the Duke, she is sent as a messenger to
express Orsino’s love for Olivia. However, Viola who is actually in love with the
Duke, says in an aside after telling the Duke;
“I’ll do my best to woo your lady,
Yet a barful strife!
Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife. “(1.5.41-42)
Another example of dramatic irony in the play is seen when Viola believes that her
brother Sebastien is dead, and Sebastien believes that Viola is dead. The audience
however, knows that both of them are alive. This situation becomes even funnier,
when Viola decides to take on the image of her twin brother, by disguising herself
as Cesario. It is proven by this in the play, that the characters are capable of getting
themselves in sticky situations without noticing or understanding it.
The final example of dramatic irony is not seen amongst the major characters,
but amongst the minor characters, who also play an important role in the
play, by having dramatic irony mixed into their side story, which makes the
play all the more interesting. Malvolio, who is the head servant of Olivia, has
the meanest of pranks played on him, and the prank is made even funnier due
the presence of dramatic irony. The dramatic irony is created when Malvolio
receives a note written in handwriting that appears to be Olivia’s. The
audience, however, knows that the note was instead written by Olivia’s
servant, but Malvolio believes it to be written by Olivia herself. The note gives
Malvolio specific instructions to earn Olivia’s love, and is full of things that
are out of character for Malvolio. He wears ridiculous clothes and acts like
someone that he isn’t, all in the hopes that Olivia will fall in love with him. His
actions instead have the opposite effect, because she is concerned by his
actions and has him treated like he’s insane instead. The audience knows
what’s up, and every one of Malvolio’s missteps is funnier than the last,
therefore also adding to the comedic element of the play.

The use of dramatic irony therefore helps to create one of the major central
themes of the play, the foolishness of mortals. Dramatic irony is essential in
the creation of this theme, because it allows an audience to experience what
it’s like to be omnipotent.

When discussing dramatic irony:

● Cite the examples from the text that best captures the thematic concern
or issue explored in the essay
● Explain each of the example by highlighting how it adds comedic effect
and suspense. Also, explain what is ironic about each situation and how
these add to the development of the plot