Satire in Twelfth Night

Satire Examples in Twelfth Night:

Act I - Scene V

"you are now out of your text: but we will draw the curtain and show you the picture...." See in text (Act I - Scene V)

Much of this scene has involved performances on the parts of all characters present. Olivia’s lifting the veil is yet another love performance, a part of Orsino’s courtship ritual. Notice how she jokes that she is lifting her veil because they are out of “text,” suggesting that her actions are not scripted. This is, however, a highly theatrical, clichéd moment. It’s as if Shakespeare were using these traditional clichés to simultaneously talk about love while satirizing them.

Wesley, Owl Eyes Editor

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