CHARACTER CARDS Get into groups of 3. Each person should take two cards and answer the questions on them. They should then discuss their ideas with the rest of their group before feeding back to the rest of the class. ORSINO 1) On line 15, Orsino boasts that he is the model of all true lovers. What does this reveal about Orsino s character? 2) What advice does Orsino give to Viola about marriage? 3) Orsino is sad in this scene. How can you tell? 4) Read lines 89-91. What does Orsino say about his capacity for love on these lines? 5) What does Orsino ask Viola to do at the end of this scene? 6) Do you think that Orsino is really in love with Olivia? Give reasons for your answer. VIOLA 1) How can you tell that Viola loves Orsino in this scene? 2) Viola tells Orsino that she is in love. What does her lover supposedly look like? Read lines 24-26 to help you. 3) Viola attempts to disagree with Orsino about women s capacity to love. Why do you think that she does this? 4) Viola uses dramatic irony in this scene. What is dramatic irony? Give three examples of when Viola uses it in this scene. FESTE 1) How does Feste address Orsino in this scene? 2) Feste accepts the money that Orsino gives him on line 65. What does this tell you about Feste? 3) Feste comments on Orsino s mood. What does he say? Page 1 of 7
CHARACTER CARDS - FESTE 1) Feste says that he is not a fool but a corrupter of words. Why do you think that he calls himself this? Give an example of when he corrupts words at the beginning of this scene. 2) Feste says that Olivia will not keep a fool until she is married. Who will be her fool then? 3) How does Feste trick Viola into giving him money? VIOLA 1) What comment does Viola make about Feste on lines 50-58? 2) What does Sir Andrew say about Olivia s use of language in this scene? 3) Viola calls herself Olivia s servant on line 82. Why do you think that she calls herself this? 4) What is Viola s reaction when Olivia declares her love to Viola? 5) How do you think Viola feels at the end of this scene? 6) Viola calls herself Olivia s fool. How does this link to Feste s comments at the start of the scene? OLIVIA 1) Olivia asks Maria, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby to leave when she speaks to Viola. Why? 2) When Viola begins to speak about Orsino, what does Olivia say? 3) Olivia admits that she sent Viola a ring earlier on in the play. Why does she do this? 4) How does Olivia react when Viola attempts to reject her? Page 2 of 7
LANGUAGE 1) The majority of both scenes are written using the iambic pentameter. What is an iambic pentameter and when did Shakespeare usually use it? 2) Sometimes Shakespeare wrote using prose and at other times he wrote using poetry. Why did he do this? 3) There is a lot of dramatic irony in both scenes. Dramatic irony is when we know something that the characters on stage don t know about. Give an example of dramatic irony in both and. 4) What does the language that Orsino uses in tell us about his attitude towards love? 5) Feste calls himself a corrupter of words. What do you think he means? Find some examples in of when Feste corrupts words. 6) At the end of, Olivia speaks her thoughts out loud. Why does she do this? 7) Look at the end of and at the end of. Underline any phrases that Viola uses that have a double meaning. What are they? Why do you think that Shakespeare has made Viola speak in this way? Page 3 of 7
DRAMATIC IRONY Fill in the chart below, writing down what you think Orsino, Viola and Olivia are really thinking in both and. WHAT ARE THEY REALLY THINKING? ORSINO:Whatkindofwomanis t? VIOLA: Of your complexion. (line 24) VIOLA: Say that some lady, as perhaps there is, Hathforyourloveasgreatapangof heart As you have for Olivia. You cannot love her. You tell her so. Must she not then be answered? ORSINO: There is no woman s sides Can bide the beating of so strong a passion As love doth give my heart. (lines 85-90) VIOLA: I am all the daughters of my father s house, And all the brothers, too. (lines 116-118) WHAT ARE THEY REALLY THINKING? VIOLA: Madam, I come to whet your gentle thoughts On his behalf. OLIVIA: O by your leave, I pray you! I bade you never speak again of him. (lines 90-92) OLIVIA: I prithee tell me what thou think st of me. VIOLA: That you do think you are not what you are. OLIVIA: If I think so, I think the same of you. VIOLA: Then think you right: I am not what I am. OLVIA: I would you were as I would have you be. VIOLA: Would it be better, madam, than I am? I wish it might, for now I am your fool. (lines 122-129) Page 4 of 7
SAMPLE EXAM QUESTION WRITING SECTION Time Allowed in Exam: 30 minutes Love Triangles! There is a new show about to be broadcast on television, called Love Triangles. The show is about people who are with somebody but have actually been in love with somebody else at the same time! You are one of my star writers! I need you to write a summary of one episode of the new show. If you re lucky, I ll choose your episode to broadcast on air. To write your summary, you need to think about couples, real or made-up, serious or funny, who have been involved in a love triangle. Who was the third person in their relationship? Choose just one couple and use them to write your summary of your episode of the TV show. Make sure that your episode will be exciting! From The Producer - Love Triangles Write a short summary for the producer about your episode of Love Triangles. Audience Purpose Type of Writing Level of Formality The Producer Inform Explain Describe Summarise an episode of the programme. Quite formal. Page 5 of 7
SAMPLE EXAM QUESTION READING SECTION TimeAllowedinExam:45minutes Describe Viola s thoughts and feelings during and of the play. YOUR IDEAS QUOTATIONS Give a general summary of what happens in both of these scenes. How does Viola feel at the beginning of Act 2, Scene4,whensheis talkingtoorsinoabout the mystery woman that she loves? What is she thinking? How does Viola feel at the end of Act 2, Scene4,whensheis talkingtoorsinoabout males and females and their attitudes towards love? What is she thinking? Page 6 of 7
SAMPLE EXAM QUESTION READING SECTION...continued How does Viola feel at the end of Act 2, Scene4,whenOrsino tells Viola to go to Olivia? How does Viola feel about Feste at the beginning of Act 3, Scene 1? What is Viola s reaction to Olivia at the end of this scene? What is Viola thinking? Summarise the way that Viola s feelings change during these scenes. Also comment on the way that Viola uses language to both hideandhintather true feelings towards Orsino and Olivia. Page 7 of 7