The Public Arts: Teaching Guide for "Twelfth Night"

Author(s): Frederick S. Kiley

Source: The English Journal, Vol. 46, No. 9 (Dec., 1957), pp. 582-585
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/809667
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E d i t e d
b y
P A T R I C K D . HA ZA R D t s
E d i t e d
b y
P A T R I C K D . HA ZA R D
Bulle t i n Board
Sun. ,
D e c.
1, 4-5:30 p. m. (NBC -T V).
Omni b us: P e t e r Ust i nov fi nd s a fai t h-
ful
b i ographe r
i n
E mly n
Wi lli ams i n
Jame s
Le e 's
Li fe of
Samue l
Johnson
b ase d
on Boswe ll. Mr. Wi lli ams i s
d oi ng
a
Broad way
t our d e force t hi s se ason i n
D y lan
T homas
re ad i ngs;
Mr. Ust i nov st ars i n
R omanoff
and
Juli e t .
Sun. ,
D e c.
8,
2-4:00
p. m. (NBC -T V).
Ope ra:
Franci s P oule nc's
D i alogue s of
t he C arme li t e s. Se e N. Y. T i me s
(Se pt .
23 and
29)
for Howard T aub man's com-
me nt s on t he U. S.
pre mi e re
i n San Franci sco.
Sun. ,
D e c.
8,
5-6:00
p. m. (C BS-T V).
T he Sound
of Jazz.
Sun. ,
D e c. 15
(C BS-T V). Holly wood
A round t he World .
T hur. ,
D e c.
19,
9:30-11:00
p. m. (C BS-T V). P lay house
90: T he
Home le ss,
st arri ng
D on
Murray
and hi s
wi fe ,
Hope Lange ,
i n Mr.
Murray 's
own
st ory
of
hi s act i vi t i e s i n
sponsori ng
home s for
E urope an re fuge e s t hrough
t he Home le ss
E urope an
Land
P rogram.
Fri . ,
D e c.
20,
7:30-9:00
p. m. (C BS-T V). D upont
Show: R ob e rt
C ummi ngs
i n
musi cal ve rsi on of
Juni or
Mi ss.
Sun. ,
D e c. 29
(C BS-T V).
E . B. Whi t e 's He re I s Ne w York.
T e achi ng
Gui d e
for T we lft h
Ni ght
Fre d e ri ck S.
K i le y
St at e T e ache rs
C olle ge , T re nt on,
Ne w
Je rse y
T he t e le vi si on
prod uct i on
of
T we lft h
Ni ght ,
st arri ng
Mauri ce E vans ove r
NBC -T V,
D e ce mb e r
15,
offe rs t e ache rs
of
E ngli sh
an e xce lle nt
approach
i n e i t he r
i nt rod uci ng
st ud e nt s t o
Shake spe are
or
i n
b road e ni ng
t he i r
und e rst and i ng
of
works wi t h whi ch
t he y
are
alre ad y
fa-
mi li ar. Be st of
all,
i t afford s t he st ud e nt s
an
opport uni t y
t o se e t he work
pe r-
forme d . I f t he
play
i s re ad b e fore t he
pe rformance ,
t he st ud e nt s wi ll b e
e qui ppe d
t o
re cogni ze
i nconsi st e nci e s,
and t he i r cri t i cal facult i e s wi ll b e
arouse d . T hi s
part i cular
ve rsi on of
T we lft h Ni ght
provi d e s
a ri ch fi e ld for
cri t i cal
i nsi ght
and
compari son,
and i f
t he st ud e nt s are
e ncourage d
t o
prob e
b e ne at h t he surface of t he
pe rformance ,
t he y
wi ll
e me rge
wi t h a
gre at e r
und e r-
st and i ng
of
Shake spe are an come d y .
Be -
fore t he
pe rformance
t he t e ache r should
gi ve
t he st ud e nt s an out li ne
gui d e
t hat
wi ll
b ri e fly sugge st
what t o look for i n
t he
play .
T he
e xt ravaganza
mot i f,
whi ch has
b e se t
many
t e le vi si on
pe rformance s
of
past
d ramat i c
mast e rpi e ce s,
i s sust ai ne d
wi t h
gre at e ne rgy
i n Wi lli am Ni chols'
ad apt at i on
of
Shake spe are 's T we lft h
Ni ght .
Und e r hi s mod e m t ouch t he I l-
582
T HE P UBLI C A R T S 583
ly ri an se t t i ng change s
i nt o a
cand y land
whe re chand e li e rs
hang among
t re e s
and b ushe s. T he
pre se nce
of
harle qui ns
and at t e nd ant s wi t h he ad s of
monke y s
and uni corns assure s us t hat we ne e d
not t ake
any
of t hi s t oo
se ri ously .
Oli vi a's
house i s a
wall-le ss, roofle ss vari at i on of
t he
fai ry grot .
T he t i nkle of
cry st al
i s
e ve ry whe re .
Flocks of
gi ggli ng
mai d s
are flushe d from wood land b owe rs and
go t ri ppi ng
off and out of
si ght ,
li ke
spri t e s.
A nd t o sanct i on t hi s
t wi li ght -
d re am
mood ,
Mr. Ni chols has cont ri ve d
t he
play
t o b e Orsi no's wi shful d re am.
I n t he fi rst sce ne of t he t e le vi si on
ad apt at i on
of
T we lft h Ni ght
Orsi no falls
asle e p
aft e r
havi ng
b e e n shown a
por-
t rai t of
Oli vi a,
and t he act i on of Shake -
spe are 's
ve rsi on of t he
play
b e come s hi s
d re am. Orsi no's sui t for Oli vi a has b e e n
carri e d on
t hrough
hi s
me sse nge r,
Val-
e nt i ne ,
and so we are le d t o b e li e ve t hat
t he
D uke ,
i ncapab le
of
asse rt i ng
hi s own
passi on,
i s le ft
only
t he re course of hi s
d re ams.
C ont rary
t o
Shake spe are 's
char-
act e ri zat i on of
Orsi no,
Mr. Ni chols
would have t he consci ous D uke com-
ple t e ly
wi t hout t he
masculi ni t y
t hat
jus-
t i fi e s Vi ola's love . I n a fashi on t hat i s
vague ly
re mi ni sce nt of "T he Se cre t Li fe
of Walt e r
Mi t t y ,"
t he Orsi no i n t he
d re am i s
comparat i ve ly
mount ai nous i n
st at ure t o t he Orsi no who i s
d re ami ng.
T he re i s a
possi b i li t y
t hat t he ri ch se nse
of li fe of t he
play
i s t oo much for t he
t e le vi si on
Orsi no,
t hat he can e nd ure i t
only t hrough
t he
sy mb oli ce xpe ri e nce
of
hi s d re am.
A s a
count e rpoi nt i ng
d e vi ce i n hi s
i nge ni ous ove ri nt e rpre t at i on,
Mr. Ni ch-
ols i nt rod uce s Malvoli o as an i nt rud e r
who has some how st umb le d out of
re ali t y
and i nt o Orsi no's d re am. Oli vi a's
st e ward wi ll not
go along
wi t h t he
mad -
ne ss t hat surround s hi m. He i s a humor-
le ss
spoi lsport ,
and he b e come s t he vi c-
t i m of a colle ct i ve , ni ght mari sh
e ffort
t o d ri ve hi m out of t he d re am and b ack
whe re he
b e longs. Howe ve r, he i s al-
lowe d t o mount t he
st e ps
of t he C hi ne se
pavi li on
i n Oli vi a's
court y ard ,
t at t e re d
b ut wi t h
gre at d i gni t y ,
t o d e li ve rhi s last
hi ssi ng
li ne ,
"I 'll have
re ve nge
on t he
whole
pack
of
y ou. "
T he n,
b y
me ans
of t he old re li ab le
puff
of smoke and
t rap
d oor,
he le ave s t he
d re am,
and a
chi lli ng
si le nce
follows,
as i f t he nat ure
of hi s e xi t has re mi nd e d t he ot he r char-
act e rs of a me nace t hat can e ffe ct
t he i r d e st ruct i on wi t h a si mi lar
puff
of
smoke or t he
awake ni ng
of Orsi no. T he
b alance t hat
Shake spe are
achi e ve d
b y
pre se nt i ng
Malvoli o as a cari cat ure of
vani t y
i s
d e st roy e d b y
t hi s d ark not e .
Mr. Ni chols se e ms t o have a d e si re t o
i nje ct
some sort of
gri m warni ng
t hrough
Malvoli o's e xi t .
T he t e le vi si on
ad apt at i on
of
T we lft h
Ni ght
has b e e n charact e ri ze d t o
re pre -
se nt t he mad -d re am
quali t y
of
e i ght e e nt h
ce nt ury
ari st ocrat i c li fe . Mr. Ni chols
has
re cogni ze d
a d e fi ni t e corre lat i on b e -
t we e n t he d re amli ke
st ory
of
T we lft h
Ni ght
and t he
purgat ory
of e nnui e x-
pe ri e nce d b y e i ght e e nt h ce nt ury pri vi -
le ge d
classe s i n we st e rn
E urope
and
E ngland .
T he i d le ne ss and lack of
pur-
pose
wi t h whi ch t he se classe s we re af-
fli ct e d -sat i ri ze d so
e ffe ct i ve ly b y
Jon-
at han Swi ft and Wi lli am
Hogart h-
t e nd e d t o cre at e a whi msi cal
t e mpe ra-
me nt . Gi ve n ove r
comple t e ly
t o t he
t y ranny
of fashi on and
d e spe rat e
i n t he i r
e ffort s t o
e scape
b ore d om,
t he i d le
classe s
purse d
d i ve rsi on wi t h such i n-
t e nsi t y
t hat
e ve nt ually
t he whole
pat -
t e rn of t he i r
urge nt que st
t ook on t he
grot e sque
d i me nsi ons of a fe ve r d re am.
Out of t hi s
spe ci al
i d e nt i fi cat i on Mr.
Ni chols has t urne d
T we lft h Ni ght
i nt o
an
e i ght e e nt h ce nt ury ple asure park.
T he
just i fi cat i on
for t hi s
re arrange me nt
ne ve r
qui t e
achi e ve s
clari t y ,
unle ss i t i s
assume d t hat we are more
apt
t o
sy m-
pat hi ze
wi t h t he cont ri ve d
e i ght e e nt h
ce nt ury approach
t han we would wi t h
Shake spe are 's pre se nt at i on.
I n
Shake spe are 's T we lft h Ni ght
we are
584 T HE E NGLI SH JOUR NA L
aware t hat t he act i on
may
b e
happe ni ng
i n an e nchant e d
re alm,
b ut i t
i s,
ne ve r-
t he le ss,
st i ll
happe ni ng.
Mr. Ni chol's
ad apt at i on sugge st s
t hat all t hi s ne ve r
re ally happe ne d , e xce pt
i n
one man's
d re am. T he d i ffe re nce b e t we e n t he se
t wo
approache s pose s
se ve ral
i mport ant
que st i ons.
I f
Malvoli o
i s an i nt rud e r
from
re ali t y , just
what i s t he nat ure of
t he me nace he
re pre se nt s?
I f he i s not
t he fulfi llme nt of t he ot he r charact e rs'
d oom,
how d oe s he se rve as an e mb le m
of t he i r ult i mat e d e st ruct i on? T he re i s
not hi ng
i n t he t e le vi si on
ad apt at i on
t o
he lp
t he vi e we r und e rst and and t he re -
b y
re solve t hi s
prob le m,
and Malvoli o
b e come s
not hi ng
more t han
Shake spe are
i nt e nd e d hi m-a
vai n,
P uri t an
spoi lsport
who i s und one
b y
a hi lari ous
d e ce pt i on
t hat i s b ase d
upon
hi s we akne sse s.
A lso,
how d oe s t he d e vi ce of t he
play
as
Orsi no's d re am
change T we lft h Ni ght
or e ffe ct i t s
d e ve lopme nt ? E xce pt
for
t he fact t hat t he came ra focuse s on
Fe st e
just
b e fore t he
play
e nd s,
t he re i s
no i nd i cat i on t hat
any t hi ng si gni fi cant
has t ake n
place
out si d e t he d re am. T he
last
fle e t i ng i mage
of Fe st e
i mpli e s
t hat
i t
mi ght
have b e e n a
joke
on Orsi no-
or us.
By e xagge rat e d
cont rast ,
i f Mac-
b e t h had d re ame d hi s
st ory ,
i t would b e
qui t e
ob vi ous t hat
b y
t he t i me he awoke
he would b e a
change d
man,
and we
would
e xpe ct
hi m t o make some
posi t i ve
ge st ure
t o show hi s re act i on. But i f
Orsi no's d re am has
t aught
hi m
any t hi ng
or
change d
hi m i n
any way
we are
ne ve r
qui t e
sure . I t se e ms re asonab le t o
conclud e t hat t he D uke i s much b e t t e r
off
asle e p
and
d re ami ng
t han he i s
awake .
T he d re am i n t hi s i nst ance i s i n t he
t rad i t i on of
T chai kovsky 's
Nut cracke r
Sui t e whe re i t i s use d as a
spe ci al
li ce nse
t o
proce e d
i nt o t he world of
pure
fan-
t asy . Shake spe are e mploy s
t he d re am as
a
re curri ng, uni fy i ng
e le me nt i n
A
Mi d -
summe r
Ni ght 's
D re am. He re i t e xi st s
organi cally
and cont ri b ut e s t oward t he
d e ve lopme nt
of charact e r and
plot .
I
t hi nk t hat our
pre fe re nce
b e t we e n t he
t wo me t hod s can b e narrowe d t o whe t he r
we
appre ci at e
anot he r
pe rson's
d re am as
a fulfi llme nt of hi s
d e si re s,
or whe t he r
we
pre fe r
t o t ake t he
i magi nat i ve junke t
of t he
play
wi t hout li t e ral crut che s and
ant i ci pat e
i nd i vi d ual fulfi llme nt s wi t hi n
t he frame of t he i r
li t e rary re ali t y .
T he
short comi ngs
of t hi s t e le vi si on
prod uct i on
of
T we lft h Ni ght
are b al-
ance d some what
b y
i t s vi rt ue s. Mr.
Ni chols has cut t he
ori gi nal d i alogue
t o
pre se rve
t he t e le vi si on
uni t y
of
spli t -
se cond
t i mi ng,
and also t o e li mi nat e
t hose li ne s whi ch
mi ght
confuse t he
me ani ng
he i nt e nd s t o e xt ract from t he
play .
St i ll,
t he
re mai ni ng d i alogue
has
not b e e n
change d .
T he love li e st sce ne of
t he
play ,
whe re Vi ola and Orsi no
spe ak
of love and t he
d e spai ri ng
he roi ne t e lls
he r
st ory alle gori cally ,
re mai ns
prac-
t i cally
i nt act ,
whi ch should
d e li ght
Shake spe are puri st s. T hrough
ski llful
came ra
t e chni que s
some sce ne s have
b e e n short e ne d and
i nt e nsi fi e d ,
and t he
spe e d
and nat uralne ss wi t h whi ch t he
vari ous
plot
li ne s
conve rge
cre at e an
e xci t e me nt t hat cause s t he vi e we r t o for-
ge t t e mporari ly
t hat t he
play
has b e e n
t ampe re d
wi t h.
A lt hough
A nd re w and
T ob y ,
i nvali d e d
b y gout ,
are
spun
ab out
i n whe e lchai rs
b y monke y -he ad e d
at -
t e nd ant s,
t he y
st i ll re t ai n t he i r
e art hy
b ounce and
joy .
Mari a's
gui le
and wi n-
some mi srule of A nd re w and
T ob y
come s
t hrough convi nci ngly .
Oli vi a and
Vi ola,
unt ouche d
b y
t he
ad apt at i on,
re -
t ai n t he i r
ori gi nal
charm.
T opi cs
for d i scussi on
1. D i scuss t he e ffe ct on t he
play
of t he
d e vi ce of Orsi no's d re am. D oe s i t ad d
anot he r d i me nsi on t o
Shake spe are ,
or
d oe s i t sub t ract from t he
ori gi nal
i n
any
way ?
I s t he re a
d e ve lopme nt
i n t he Or-
si no who d re ams? C ompare
t he t wo
Orsi nos: t he one who d re ams and t he
one i n t he d re am.
T HE P UBLI C A R T S 585
2. D oe s t he
se t t i ng
i n t he t e le vi si on
ad apt at i on
cont ri b ut e t o t he ult i mat e e f-
fe ct or
me ani ng
of t he
st ory ,
or d oe s i t
me re ly sugge st
t hat i t i s all a fant ast i c
d re am and
ought
not t o b e t ake n
se ri ously ?
3.
C ompare
A Mi d summe r
Ni ght 's
D re am t o t he t e le vi si on
ad apt at i on
of
T we lft h Ni ght .
What are t he e sse nt i al
d i ffe re nce s i n charact e r and
plot ?
What
are t he si mi lari t i e s?
4. E xami ne A nd re w and
T ob y
and
Mari a i n t e rms of t he i r funct i on as a
comi c voi ce of a chorus
comme nt i ng
on
t he act i ons of ot he rs whi le
t he y d e ve lop
t he i r own
plot .
What i s Mari a's st at us
i n t hi s comi c t ri umvi rat e ?
C ompare
A n-
d re w t o Falst aff.
5. What i s t he funct i on of
Fe st e ,
t he
clown?
Why
i sn't he t he one t o cont ri ve
t he b ri lli ant
campai gn
t o
puni sh
Mal-
voli o
for hi s
ove rb e ari ng
manne r?
6. T race some of t he folk cust oms of
T we lft h Ni ght ,
t he Fe ast of
C hri st mas,
and d i scove r how
Shake spe are i nt e grat e d
t he m i nt o hi s
play .
T he
"Le ap
Ye ar"
t rad i t i on. T he Sword D ance or Sham
C omb at .
Mummi ng.
7.
E xplai n
t he ri d d le wi t h whi ch Mari a
e nsnare s Malvoli o: M. O. A . I .
8. D i scuss t he vari ous se nt i me nt s
t re at e d i n t he
play
i n t e rms of t he
li mi t e d
range .
Not i ce t hat t he re i s no
gri m count e rpoi nt
t o t he
comparat i ve ly
li ght
e mot i ons t hat are sust ai ne d . T hi s
b ri ngs up
t he
poi nt
of
why come d y
d oe s
not
usually
allow for
t ragi c
re li e f.
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A rchi b ald MacLe i sh
re ad i ng
hi s own
poe ms
- R e cord
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Nud e ;
Wi ld We st .
- R e cord 2: Oi l
P ai nt i ng
of t he
A rt i st ;
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Bui ld e rs.
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Background
wi t h
R e volut i onari e s;
Bury i ng
Ground
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T i e s;
D ove r Be ach.
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St ock
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I f
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gi ft ,
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