Twelfth Night Act IV

12/12/2012

36 Comments

 
Through the first four acts of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare has managed to place almost every one of his characters in a difficult or precarious situation. Now that you're nearing the end of the play, speculate as to how you think the play will end.

Write a response that addresses the following questions:

How do you think the play will end, and why?
Who do you think will be the happiest character in the end, and why?
Who do you think will be the unhappiest character in the end, and why?

If you've already read ahead and finished the play, please do your best to recreate the initial reactions or predictions you had when you finished Act 4.  Make sure to support your answers with specific evidence from the first four acts. 

Finally, respond to a classmate’s post.

36 Comments
Megan Wall
12/11/2012 12:36:56 pm

I think the play will end with Viola's lies being exposed, and Orsino falling in love with her. I think this mainly because Viola can not keep up with her fake identity while loving Orsino for too much longer.

I believe if Viola and Orsino end up together Viola will be the happiest character because her longing for Orsino has been hidden for so long.

Antonio will be the least happy, in my opinion, because Sebastian seems to not be returning Antonio with the same feelings.

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Celeste Yahr
12/11/2012 03:25:25 pm

Megan I agree I think that Viola will be exposed.I agree with what you say about Antonio as well, I hadn't really thought about that before.I think that Viola and Orsino will be happy too.Good job!

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Kendall
12/12/2012 07:58:42 am

Megan i completely agree with you, i think your predictions are very realistic. Great job!

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Celeste Yahr
12/11/2012 03:22:48 pm

I think that at the end of the play Malvolio will either go insane from everyone saying he is or he will break free of the dark room he is in. I think that Viola will crack when she sees her brother and when her love for Orsino becomes too much to keep inside. I think this because for Malvolio knows he is not, but sometimes the more people hear things they start to believe it and if he doesn't get out soon he might. For Viola woman are emotional people and tell others when they love them it will eat her up inside. Or with her brother she may become so excited that she forget momentarily that she is in disguise (also he won't recognize her if she is a man still.)

I think that a few people will be quite happy. For one i think the fool will be happy because he thrives on other people looking dumb and he isn't as romantically involved as everyone else is in the plot. Also I think that Viola and Orsino will be happy if they end up together. They will be happy because love conquers all and they love each other.

I think that the saddest people will be Malvolio and Olivia. Malvolio because I don't really see him ending up with Olivia, which is who he loves. Olivia, I think may be sorry at first but get over it quickly. She may be sad because she will find out that the one she fell in love with was actually a woman and the one she asked to marry her was not the original one she loved.

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Mary Sine
12/11/2012 03:28:52 pm

I agree with what you said. You make a good point about Olivia maybe being sad at first. I agree that Malvolio will probably be a sad character, and maybe he will actually go crazy.

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Mary Sine
12/11/2012 03:25:46 pm

I think that everyone will find out that Viola is a girl, and that she and Orsino will end up together. I also think that Toby and Maria may end up together at the end of the play. Malvolio will probably end up being humiliated, but they will probably let him out of the dark room by then.
I think that Viola will be the happiest character because she will find out that Sebastian is alive, and she will probably have her love returned by Orsino.
I think the character that will be the least happy will be Antonio because Sebastian doesn't share the same feelings as he does. And he is currently still arrested so, Antonio isn't really having an easy time of it in this play.

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Megan Wall
12/12/2012 03:34:43 am

I, also, believe that Malvolio will continue to be the center of practical jokes, and I agree that he will be let out of the dark room soon...I at least hope so. I like your prediction about Viola finding out her brother is still alive and I think that will happen too because it was alluded to when Antonio was arrested.

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Mackenzie
12/12/2012 04:02:44 am

I didn't think about it, but I think you may be right about Toby and Maria ending up together! Also, I believe that the return of Sebastian will also play a big role in Viola's happiness.

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Trevor
12/12/2012 03:36:56 pm

Nice response. I like your reasoning behind Antonio being the most unhappy, however I think that Malvolio will be pretty ticked off because they locked him in a dark room for so long.

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Mackenzie
12/12/2012 04:01:01 am

I think the play will end with Viola coming out of her disguise, surprising everyone. I think Sebastion will end up with Olivia and Duke will end up falling in love with Viola.
I think the happiest character will end up being Viola because she has had to keep all her feelings in the most and for the longest. Plus she will end up with the one she loves.
I think the unhappiest character will be Malvolio because he will "lose" Olivia and she will never fall in love with him.

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Kelti Lorence
12/12/2012 04:21:27 am

I agree with this. Viola seems to be the one with the highest prospect of ending up happy; she's never been rejected by Orsino, and has actually created a friendship with him, while the others, such as Orsino trying for Olivia, have been told off many times. Also, Malvolio seems to think Olivia likes him now, which will make the realization that she doesn't, even more devastating to him.

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Kelti Lorence
12/12/2012 04:17:30 am

I believe all the knots being tied will unravel at the end. Viola's secret disguise will be discovered, and then she will have to explain to Orsino why she became a eunich in the first place. Orsino will have to choose between Olivia and Viola, whom he has now entrusted with many secrets while believing she was a boy. Olivia will have to choose someone else to love or be single, since Viola is no longer an option. Malvolio and Andrew may have the final fight over Olivia's heart. Sebastian will have to explain to Antonio once and for all that they will never be a couple. Perhaps Malvolio and Antonio will find a love for each other, seeing how Malvolio is fairly girly himself and obviously isn't going to get Olivia.

Because of the bond Orsino and Viola have created by this point, I believe he will end up choosing her over Olivia, especially seeing her disgust of him. In this case, I believe they will be the happiest, finally having found true love.

I think Antonio or Malvolio will be the most unhappy, unless of course they decide to be together. If not, both will have been humiliated and rejected from whom they both believed were the love of their lives.

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Hannah Cox link
12/12/2012 09:42:59 am

You are most likely right in your predictions. I liked your reference to the "knots" that have been tied throughout the development of the play and your reasoning for Orsino's possible attraction to Viola. I hadn't thought of it that way.

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Kendall
12/12/2012 07:57:12 am

I think the play will end with a happily ever after. Although the characters will have to over come some struggles to get to happily ever after, i think it will end with the happiness of most all the characters. I predict that Viola will reveal herself to Orsino because she can't continue loving him while in disguise, and expect him to love her in return.

I don't think that there will be any unhappy characters because i believe they will all end up with someone they love in the end. I originally thought that Malvolio and Antonio would be the most unhappy by the end of the play because they both "lose" the person they love to another character, (Antonio loses Sebastian to Olivia and Malvolio loses Olivia to Sebastian). After giving it some thought i now think that Antonio and Malvolio will end up together, because they have no one else to love but each other.

I think Viola will end up being the happiest character in the end because she will discover that her brother is alive and Duke will return her love, in which she gets what she was after since the beginning of the play.

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Emily
12/12/2012 09:20:30 am

I liked your idea about Malvolio and Antonio. I didn't think about that. That would be the best option for them.

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Tristan
12/12/2012 01:11:13 pm

I like how you thought of Antonio and Malvolio getting together. I never would have thought of that. I also agree with you about Viola being the happiest.

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Brady
12/12/2012 01:26:58 pm

I can definitely see Antonio and Malvolio ending up together. Maybe Malvolio is such a killjoy cause he is struggling with his sexuality and Antonio will finally let him be who he is.

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Ariana
12/12/2012 01:37:47 pm

Kendall, I like your idea. I never thought of that and it seems as if it would end up working nicely.

Emily
12/12/2012 09:19:22 am


I believe the play will end by Viola getting with Viola revealing that she is a girl so that she can finally get Duke Orsino, and the rest of the characters will act accordingly around it to get what they get.
I think that the happiest charcater will be Sebastian, because he doesn't have any lies to explain, he just found out his sister is not dead, and he might get Olivia because he is basically Viola but a real guy.

I believe the unhappiest character will be Malvolio, because not only will he have lost Olivia, he will probably also lose his job, and may believe that he is insane.

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Jonathan D.
12/12/2012 11:34:23 pm

I agree with Malvolio possibly being the unhappiest person. Especially because he thinks he is insane.

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Lacayah
12/15/2012 04:44:16 am

Although I hadn't thought of it that way at first, I agree with what you said about who will be the happiest and unhappiest. You also had good reasons for those conclusions.

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Hannah Cox link
12/12/2012 09:39:20 am

The play will most likely end happily, with the majority of the characters' wishes being fulfilled (Viola will most likely find her lost brother and will be able to leave behind her disguise, Sebastian will find his lost sister and marry Olivia, Olivia will have the love that she wishes for from Sebastian, Orsino may find love in Viola, etc.). This seems evident because it does not appear that the play is being built up to become a tragedy, as with some of Shakespeare's other works. In addition, the continuous twisting and complicating of the plot seems to be done more for comedic purposes than for the purpose of setting up a tragedy. The appearance of Sebastian also suggests a happy ending, as he will add to Viola's and more recently Olivia's happiness.

It is not apparent whether any character in particular will be happier than another. However, it is very likely that Viola will be the happiest of the characters at the end, as she has seemingly "suffered" more. She has lost her brother and pretended to be a man to achieve a position in Orsino's court, only to fall in love with Orsino, who thinks of nothing but Olivia. At the same time she finds herself unexpectedly loved by Olivia, which only serves to further complicate her life, placing her into conflict with Sir Andrew (whom she does not know is a terrible example of a knight) and having the ability to drive a wedge between herself and Orsino. As a result, having this "knot" come untangled, as well as seeing her brother again, will most likely result in a good deal of happiness on her part. In addition, the appearance of Sebastian will most likely allow her to drop her disguise, thus releasing her from her predicament with Olivia and opening up the possibility of Orsino being attracted to her. If either or both of these result she will be even happier.

Of the characters, it seems apparent that Malvolio will be the least happy. He has little of regaining the full favor of his lady, and his dignity has been badly hurt. It is also unlikely that he will receive any justice for his treatment at the hands of Sir Toby and Maria. As a result, he will most likely be the unhappiest of the group.

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Tristan Rude
12/12/2012 01:08:05 pm

I think that the play will end with Viola falling in love with Antonio, Olivia remaining married to Sebastian, and Orsino being "hung out to dry." I think Viola will probably be the happiest of all the characters, but I also think that the others will be happy too. Malvolio will probably be the least happy character due to the prank that he was subjected to. Orsino will probably fairly unhappy as well, his love for Olivia is being completely disregarded by everyone. Sir Andrew I think will be content one way or another in the end, but Maria will probably begin to "like" him at the end. That's what I think is gong to happen.

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Brady
12/12/2012 01:24:04 pm

I think they play has to end with Viola being exposed and people finding out who she is. I think Olivia will be heartbroken but will see Sebastian and turn to him cause he is just like the Cesario she knew. I think that Orsino will be shocked at first but will realize that Viola was just trying to get close to him and he will finally accept her.

Antonio will be the worst off because he loses everything and gains nothing.

I think Viola will be the happiest because her elaborate plan blew up in her face but she still gets Orsino.

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Hannah H
12/12/2012 01:37:46 pm

I like your prediction of Viola.. its quite hilarious.

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Carley
12/13/2012 04:19:22 am

I also like your prediction for Viola, because it seems quite possible.

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HannahH
12/12/2012 01:35:21 pm


I predict that the play will rather dramatically. I believe Viola will not be able to keep up her disguise and will be forced to reveal herself as Cisario. I think that because Olivia liked Cisario, that she will fall for Sebastian, and likewise Sebastian will fall for Olivia. I think this among other things will allow for Orsino to fall in love with Viola. For the other characters I believe some will have a happy ending (both expected and unexpected) while others won't.
I think Viola will be the happiest character in the end. Because her love for Orsino has been forced to stay hidden and the fact that she has had to watch him love other women, when he finally recognizes her it will just make her the happiest women in the world.
I believe Antonio will be the most unhappy, or maybe Malvolio. Maybe the two of them will get together... we‘ll see. I say Antonio because he seems like a fairly emotional person who could be torn up about Sebastian’s love for Olivia and his own loneliness.

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Mika
12/12/2012 04:14:34 pm

I agree with your idea that Malvolio and Antonio get together- then everyone would have someone to love.

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Jacob Jones
12/12/2012 05:15:12 pm

I agree that Orsino to fall in love with Viola and that Viola will be the happiest character in the end.

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Ariana
12/12/2012 01:37:00 pm

I think the play will end with Viola's disguise being exposed and then Orsino falling in love with her. Malvolio will probably be humiliated and sad because he lost Olivia.
I think Viola will be the happiest person because she will find true love.
I think Malvolio will be the unhappiest because he will loose Olivia and people already don't like him.

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Trevor
12/12/2012 03:33:16 pm

I think that the next act of the play will be full of drama between the characters because Viola will reveal herself. I think she will be forced to reveal herself because of her brother’s return, plus she will need to show the Duke that she is really a girl and has a huge crush on him. I think that Viola and the Duke will end up together because a story like this just has to have a happy ending. However, I think the Duke will be very angry at Viola because she disguised herself as a man and he had a lot of talks with her that he would not normally have with a girl.

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Mika
12/12/2012 04:08:46 pm

Thinking not about the ending of "She's The Man"...

I think Viola, unable to keep hiding her love from Orsino, will reveal that she's a woman and in love with Orsino. But I think Sebastian will lighlty attempt to convince her for them to switch places so Sebastian can stay with Olivia. Viola will be rejected by Orsino, since Orsino has known Viola as a man this entire time and never loved Viola. Olivia will reject both Sebastian and Viola and turn to Orsino.

The happiest character will be the fool because he is not affected by this love triangle and gets a big laugh out of Olivia having fell in love with a woman, since he does not like her, and everything falling apart.

The unhappiest character will be Malvolio. He was made a joke of throughout the play and his love, Olivia, does not love him. I also think Antonio will fall in love with him, making him very unhappy, as I can imagine Antonio falling in love with those yellow socks.

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Jacob Jones
12/12/2012 05:11:36 pm

I think that the play will end with Orsino and Viola getting together. Even though he thought that she was a man, she will show everyone who she really is, and he will find that he loves her.

I think that the happiest character in the paly will be Viola because she will get to be with Orsino if they get together.

I think that the most unhappy character will be Malvolio because a prank was played on him that made him think that Olivia is in love with him.

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Jonathon D.
12/12/2012 11:33:38 pm

I think the play is going to end with everyone falling in love with someone they didn't expect. We know already that Sebastian and Olivia got married which could later arouse some trouble between the other characters. I also think that Viola might possibly get married to Orsino if Viola reveals herself as being a girl.

I think that Olivia is going to be the happiest character because she is the only one so far that has gotten what she wanted, Sebastian or also known as Cessario.

I think that Antonio is going to be the odd man left out because he is the only character left that doesn't have anybody to love. Antonio did love Sebastian but we know that this doesn't happen because Sebastian is already married to Olivia.

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Carley
12/13/2012 04:18:18 am

I think Viola will get tangled up the web of lies and she will confess (one way or another) to Orsino her love for him and they will most likely end up together. Since Olivia and Sebastian get married, you might think that they will stay together but I believe that once Olivia finds out that she fell in love with Viola, not Sebastian, she will be very upset and there will be some fall out. It's also possible that Sir Toby and Maria end up together because he expressed interest in her, however, I think the fool might get in the middle of things which might result in Maria and the Fool being together.
I think the happiest character will be Orsino. Although he was madly in love with Olivia and she showed him her feelings about him, I think he will realize how it feels to have someone love him back (Viola) and I think that will make him feel complete and happy.
I believe Malvolio or Andrew will be the unhappiest character. Malvolio because he was made fun of mercilessly by the Fool, Maria, Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew AND he will find out that Olivia did not love him. Sir Andrew will also be upset because he likes Olivia but he loses her to Sebastian.

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Lacayah
12/15/2012 04:41:02 am

I think that it will end with Viola being exposed and reveal her love to Orsino. Orsino will then fall in love with Viola because he sees that she attempted to woo Olivia for him inspite of her own strong love for him, which shows that she was the one who really cared for him all along. Then both Sebastian and Viola being overjoyed by seeing each other and realizing that the other is alive.

I believe that Viola will end up the happiest character because she will both get the man of her dreams and be reunited with her brother.

The most unhappy character will be either Antonio, whose love is not returned by Sebastian, or Olivia, who realizes that the man that she was so in love with was not a man or in love with her.

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