Twelfth Night: Olivia

This 38-slide lesson explores the character of Olivia in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’.

With academic scrutiny, the lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s most complex female characters, beginning with an overview of her key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. This then leads to analysis of her name, key vocabulary that we might use to describe her, and how there may be more than meets the eye to Olivia’s excessive mourning.

Important historical and theatrical context is explored alongside Olivia’s character, and we consider the debates around how subversive and ‘proto-Feminist’ Shakespeare’s presentation of Olivia really is. Interesting viewpoints from a range of critics, directors, and actors are discussed.

Crucially, we also explore how Olivia’s character relates to the key themes of the play and is central to the comedy of ‘Twelfth Night’. We look at how Olivia interacts with other characters in the play and debate modern interpretations of whether homoeroticism is integral to her character. Her connection to Queen Elizabeth I is considered, and the Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play is analysed in light of Olivia’s character.

Questions, discussion points, and essay questions are featured throughout. Two exemplar paragraphs are included, too. Students are encouraged to consider Olivia’s character at a high level, so this lesson would be ideal for students aged 16+.

PowerPoint saved as PDF.