Grade 10 – “Twelfth Night”

Formal Assessment Task

Visual Analysis - Analyse a Scene Template[20 marks]
Choose one of the comedic scenes from any of the short clips of adaptations of “Twelfth Night” that
you have watched in class. Complete the analysis of the scene by filling in the table below. You may
use screenshots from the video to aid in your analysis – remember to refer specifically to the visual
aspects of the production.

Element Observations Analysis

Staging / • Malvolio and Olivia are in the
layout o centre of the stage, but Malvolio
moves around a lot in the scene
f the scene • Maria is also in the scene but
she stands in the background
watching Malvolio and Olivia
• There is a bench in the scene, a
blanket and pillow for Olivia to
lay on too
Use of Props • In the scene the bench is used
for Malvolio to prop his leg up.
• The reason for Malvolio moving around
a lot is because he wants to show off
his stockings to Olivia, as he thinks that
she wanted him to wear those.
• This is an example of dramatic irony as
we as an audience know that its not
true that Olivia wanted him to wear
yellow stockings, but neither Malvolio &
Olivia know this making it funny.
• The reason Maria is placed in the
background is because she she is not
participating in the discussion.
Furthermore, Maria wrote the letter that
Malvolio thought was from Olivia and
she may feel satisfaction from seeing
him make a fool of himself which is a
form of humour called schadenfreude
• He does this again to show off his
stockings making it funny since he
thinks that Olivia like it but she is
confused, this would be dramatic irony
and a form of humour called
misconception.

Costume • The rest of the characters in the • Olivia and Maria are dressed normally
Design scene (Olivia & Maria) are while Malvolio is wearing yellow
stockings which is very odd and adding
 wearing clothes that were
normal back then
• However, Malvolio is wearing
his normal attire but with yellow
stockings
Makeup • The make up in the scene was
Design normal, it’s the kind of makeup
that fits the age in which the
play was set in.
Music / Sound • Although there is no music
Effects playing during this scene, there
are sound effects coming from
thre audience watching.
• For example, the laughter,
whistling from the audience
Actor • Malvolio and Olivia have a
Interaction confusing conversation as
Malvolio keeps acting strangely
and quoting the letter he
thought Olivia wrote to her, but
she just sits there befuddled at
what is happening.
• Maria just stands there watching
the scene unfold in front of her.
Actor Body • Malvolio posture is in scene
Language and makes him seem like he is
arrogant, as he keeps leaning
Expression over things like the pillar, and
propping his leg on the bench.
• In this scene Malvolio keeps
smiling and laughing and its
onto the fact he would never wear
something like the normally makes it
even more shocking
• 2 of the actors are playing roles that
were originally played by women and
instead of having the same kind of
make up as the actor who plays
Malvolio, the make up they have helps
them portray themselves as women.
• The audience laughs when the
characters onstage do or say
something funny which tells us as
viewrs that something funny has
happened.
• The whistling that came from the
audience happens when Malvolio first
enters the scene. It was teasing cat
calling.
• There is a very thick ambiguous air
around this scene because Malvolio
doesn’t outright confront her about the
letter he thought she wrote to him, he
just keeps hinting about it further
confusing Olivia.
• The reason Malvolio’s body language
and expressions are like this is because
he is trying to act cool and is trying woo
Olivia by showing her his yellow
stockings proving to her that he did
what he thought she wanted him to do
• Olivia called Malvolio in to help comfort
her since he always a stern and
somewhat sad figure so seeing him act
this way makes her question what is
happening to him.
 strange because he isn’t usually
like this.
• Olivia’s body language in this
scene suggests that she is
shocked, as she quickly sits up
when she realizes what Malvolio
is wearing.
• Furthermore, her expressions
show that she is confused and
stunned.
Comic Timing • There are a lot of comic pauses • The reason for this is because Malvolio
during this scene the silence is the joke itself, just him wearing the
adds to humour of the scene. yellow stockings and trying to woo
Olivia is already funny in it of itself. The
joke writes itself.
• Theres no need for punch lines.
Comic • In the beginning of the scene • We find Malvolio’s attempts to impress
Physicality Olivia exaggerates her funny as the audience funny because
movements by throwing herself he really thinks that Olivia is head over
onto the floor to show that she heels for him but we know this not true
is in bad spirits. and his attempts are futile. This is an
example of dramatic irony.

• Malvolio tries to do sublte things

to get Oliva’s attention and woo
her.
Comic Vocal • The way Olivia delivers her lines
Delivery shows how shocked and
confused she is, when she first
sees Malvolio there is a short
pause before she says “oh”
Overall • Does scene relies on a dramatic
Interpretation irony and ambiguity and does a
good jod at showing the
of the Script confusion of the other
characters, and making the
• Because of the short pause she
pronounced Malvolio’s name as
“Malvoli…oh” which is an example of
malapropism
• Because the characters are on different
wavelengths it makes it funnier for us as
the audience watch them get lost in
translation.

Refer to the rubric provided to see how your teacher will be marking your observations and analysis.