What do yellow stockings represent?
What do yellow stockings represent?
In Twelfth Night, yellow stockings are a recurring theme, as are references to being “cross-gartered.” In “Malvolio’s Yellow Stockings: Coding Illicit Sexuality in Early Modem London,” Loreen L.
Who wears yellow stockings?
The wearing of yellow stockings may be most commonly associated with two contexts: the children at Christ’s Hospital, which opened in 21 November 1552 and was officially founded on 26 June 1553, and the dramatic figure Malvolio in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the first performance of which was 6 January 1601/2.
Why is Malvolio asked to wear yellow stockings?
Twelfth Night fans will recall that Malvolio, pompous puritanical steward to the lady Olivia, is tricked by Olivia’s gentlewoman Maria into believing that Olivia is in love with him – and in the forged letter that Maria drops in his way, she asks him to wear yellow stockings and cross-gartering as proof of his love for …
What does cross-gartered mean?
Definition of cross-gartered : wearing garters crossed along the leg (as in some ancient or medieval costumes)
Who said she did commend my yellow stockings of late she did praise my leg being cross-gartered and in this she manifests herself to my love?
I will be strange, stout, in yellow stockings, and cross-gartered, even with the swiftness of putting on. Jove and my stars be praised. Malvolio speaks these words after he finds the letter written by Maria that seems to reveal that Olivia is in love with him.
What does cross gartered mean?
Why has Sir Andrew decided to leave?
Sir Andrew decides to leave because Olivia won’t see him. Sir Toby persuades him that Olivia’s interest in Cesario is to make Sir Andrew prove his valor, so they plan to challenge Cesario to a duel. Sir Andrew goes off to write the challenge.
What does Malvolio symbolize?
The Darkness of Malvolio’s Prison Darkness becomes a symbol of his supposed insanity, as they tell him that the room is filled with light and his inability to see is a sign of his madness. Malvolio reverses the symbolism.
Why does Viola disguise herself as a man?
In Twelfth Night, Viola dresses as the male Cesario in order to gain entry into Orsino’s court. In Elizabethan England, women were not allowed to act professionally, and female parts were all performed by men, so Viola would have actually been played by a male actor, dressing as a woman dressing as a man.
Why does Andrew punch Sebastian?
What happens when Sir Andrew “catches up” with Sebastian? Sir Andrew thinks Sebastian is Cesario so he throws the first punch. Audience knows Cesario wouldn’t fight back, but since it is not Cesario, and is sebastian, he ends up beating him up.
Who invented the garter?
Paris, Dec, 29. – Immanuel Kant, the great and recondite German philosopher, was the inventor of garters, according to the Paris newspaper, Le Petit Journal.
How old is Malvolio in Twelfth Night?
Malvolio’s exact age is never revealed in William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night. However, it is likely that he is in his 20s or 30s.
What is the soliloquy in Twelfth Night?
[reads] “Thou canst not choose but know who I am. If thou entertainest my love, let it appear in thy smiling. Thy smiles become thee well. Therefore in my presence still smile, dear my sweet, I prithee.”
What happens to Malvolio after he meets Olivia in his yellow stockings?
Delighted by the turn the events have taken, they decide together to lock Malvolio into a dark room—a frequent treatment for people thought to be possessed by devils or madmen. Sir Toby realizes that since Olivia already thinks Malvolio is crazy, he can do whatever he wants to the unfortunate steward.
Why is Sir Toby staying in Olivia’s house?
Sir Andrew is wealthy, and Toby wants to set himself up so he can stay on at Olivia’s house indefinitely. Unfortunately, Olivia has been quite taken with the young page Cesario, who is actually Viola in disguise.
Is Malvolio a man?
Malvolio is the steward (chief of staff) of a wealthy lady, Olivia. She has a large household with a score of servants, frequent guests, a jester, and a live-in uncle, Sir Toby Belch. Malvolio appears in most scenes and is characterised throughout as a puritanical, fun-spoiling, pompous, humourless man.
What does Twelfth Night say about gender?
At the heart of Twelfth Night lies an exploration of gender that suggests that it is performative and fluid, rather than preordained and fixed. The audience only hears Viola’s name on stage in Act 5 when her twin brother, Sebastian, uses evidence other than her clothes (she is dressed identically to him) to know her.