Twelfth Night: Sir Toby Belch

This 30-slide lesson explores the character of Sir Toby Belch in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’.

With academic scrutiny, this lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s most iconic and riotous characters, beginning with an overview of Sir Toby’s key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. We consider Sir Toby’s role as a quintessential comic creation: his Falstaffian parallels, his festive spirit, and his role as the ‘Lord of Misrule’.

Important historical and theatrical context is explored alongside Sir Toby’s character. We consider how self-aware Sir Toby is, thinking about his relationship with the audience and how he relates to Shakespeare’s stagecraft.

Crucially, Sir Toby’s function as a comic character (and how he relates to other characters, including Malvolio, Sir Andrew, and Maria) is discussed. We scrutinise Sir Toby’s role in view of the Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play.

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

PowerPoint saved as PDF.