William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/shakespeare-twelfth-night-comedy-community-applied

Introduction

### Course Review: William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community If you're passionate about literature and theater or curious about the intricacies of human relationships and societal norms through Shakespeare's lens, the course **"William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community"** on Coursera is a must-take. Offered by the University of Colorado Boulder, this course provides a rich exploration of one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, presenting it from multiple angles that enhance your understanding of the text and its relevance. #### Course Overview This course is designed not only to delve deep into *Twelfth Night* but also to contextualize Shakespeare’s artistic works through engaging discussions and interviews. Students benefit from insights from actors from the 2019 Colorado Shakespeare Festival production and notable scholars, creating a vibrant learning environment. The blend of scholarship and practical theater experience enriches the narrative of the play, allowing students to appreciate Shakespeare's language, humor, and societal commentary. #### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Twelfth Night and the World of the Play:** - The course kicks off with an overview of the play, setting the stage for its carnivalesque nature. This module adeptly engages students with interviews and lectures that provide a textured exploration of the humor, language, and historical contexts that frame *Twelfth Night*. You’ll appreciate the layers of meaning present in the narrative universe Shakespeare created. 2. **Desire, Identity, and Chaos in Twelfth Night:** - Understanding human psychology is at the forefront here, as the course delves into the folly of love and the chaos it brings. Shakespeare’s portrayal of desire as a catalyst for conflict resonates well with contemporary experiences of love, making this exploration relatable and compelling. 3. **Class, Comedy, and Conflict in Twelfth Night:** - This module confronts the dynamics of social order within the play. By examining the darker aspects of desire and the conflicts arising among characters, particularly between the dignified Malvolio and the raucous Sir Toby and Maria, students gain perspective on the play’s social commentary and the intricate dance of class and comedy. 4. **Twelfth Night and the Limits of Comedy:** - This part challenges traditional comedic conventions, engaging students with an analysis of how the play both meets and subverts audience expectations. While endings typically bring resolution, *Twelfth Night* also foregrounds characters who remain on the fringes of happiness, provoking reflection on the complexities of human relationships. 5. **Applied Shakespeare in the Community: A Case Study:** - This practical module examines how *Twelfth Night* has been adapted in contemporary settings. The exploration of Malvolio's character within community dialogues about violence and social interaction propels the play into modern relevance, making Shakespeare accessible and impactful in 21st-century discussions. 6. **Optional Bonus Module: Full-Length Actor Interviews:** - For those wanting to further immerse themselves in the play, this optional bonus module features full interviews with actors. While not mandatory, it provides a greater depth of understanding through the perspectives of those who have brought the characters to life. #### Recommendation The **William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community** course is highly recommended for anyone interested in deepening their appreciation for Shakespeare’s work. It caters to a range of learners, from students and educators to casual theater enthusiasts. The combination of theoretical insights, practical applications, and engaging multimedia content presents a holistic approach to understanding *Twelfth Night* and Shakespeare's broader themes. Engaging with this course will not only enhance your interpretation of *Twelfth Night* but also foster critical thinking about human relationships, societal roles, and the universal themes that Shakespeare continues to resonate with today. Dive into this enriching experience, and you'll find yourself appreciating Shakespeare's genius like never before.

Syllabus

Twelfth Night and the World of the Play

This module provides an overview of Twelfth Night and introduces the play by exploring key aspects of the world it imagines. The interviews, lectures, and faculty roundtable explore the carnivalesque quality of the play, its humor, its language, and significant historical contexts. Dialogues with scholars and theater practitioners provide multiple perspectives on the nature of this narrative universe.

This module focuses on Shakespeare’s understanding of human psychology, especially the experience of desire. Twelfth Night dramatizes the folly associated with love, and also—as with all of Shakespeare’s comedies—revels in the tumult love creates. The world depicted in this play is characterized by a kind of collective madness that grows ever more chaotic as it progresses.

Module Three emphasizes how assumptions about social order fuel conflict in the play. The previous module emphasized the humor that derives from desire, but also the awareness of grimmer aspects of desire. The lectures, interviews and roundtables in this unit focus on desires that are not allowed. Desire creates conflict. This aspect of Twelfth Night is most obviously evident in the interactions among a number of the play’s minor characters, especially the conflict between Malvolio, on the one hand, and Sir Toby and Maria, on the other.

This module focuses on how Shakespeare’s play both conforms to the expectations of the comedic genre and challenges the genre’s conventions. Such tensions are especially evident in the play’s resolution. Even as the play provides the marriages expected at the end of a comedy, the play also draws attention to characters excluded from such happy endings. Twelfth Night derives great humor from the chaos prompted by love; but the conflicts unleashed in the course of the play’s action cannot all be resolved by the marriage of some members of the community.

In this module we will briefly explore a case study of how Twelfth Night has been re-interpreted and repurposed by the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare in the Schools project. Module five examines how Malvolio's story offers a platform for conversations relevant to our own day about communities and violence.

In this optional bonus module, we include for you the full-length Twelfth Night actor interviews in case you are interested in digging deeper into these discussions. Reviewing these videos isn't a course requirement, but we wanted to include them for your benefit.