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Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Key Examples in Twelfth Night
Act 1, scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—Classical Allusions:
Although Twelfth Night takes its title from a Chistian holiday, the play contains numerous allusions to Greek and Roman mythology. At multiple points throughout the play, for example, characters make references to Jove, which is another name for the Roman god Jupiter.
In Act 1, Scene 1, Orsino fantasizes that his love for Olivia will one day be requited:
Orsino: How will she love when the rich golden shaft
Hath killed the flock of all affections else
That live in her
Related Themes:
Act 1, scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Classical Allusions:
Although Twelfth Night takes its title from a Chistian holiday, the play contains numerous allusions to Greek and Roman mythology. At multiple points throughout the play, for example, characters make references to Jove, which is another name for the Roman god Jupiter.
In Act 1, Scene 1, Orsino fantasizes that his love for Olivia will one day be requited:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Orsino: How will she love when the rich golden shaft
Hath killed the flock of all affections else
That live in her
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Afterlife:
For a play that on its surface seems all about the joys of living, Twelfth Night contains a substantial number of references to the afterlife.
In Act 1, Scene 2, Viola alludes to Greek mythology when she speaks about her brother's supposed death:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Viola: My brother he is in Elysium.
Act 1, scene 4
Explanation and Analysis—Classical Allusions:
Although Twelfth Night takes its title from a Chistian holiday, the play contains numerous allusions to Greek and Roman mythology. At multiple points throughout the play, for example, characters make references to Jove, which is another name for the Roman god Jupiter.
In Act 1, Scene 1, Orsino fantasizes that his love for Olivia will one day be requited:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Orsino: How will she love when the rich golden shaft
Hath killed the flock of all affections else
That live in her
Related Themes:
Act 1, scene 5
Explanation and Analysis—Classical Allusions:
Although Twelfth Night takes its title from a Chistian holiday, the play contains numerous allusions to Greek and Roman mythology. At multiple points throughout the play, for example, characters make references to Jove, which is another name for the Roman god Jupiter.
In Act 1, Scene 1, Orsino fantasizes that his love for Olivia will one day be requited:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Orsino: How will she love when the rich golden shaft
Hath killed the flock of all affections else
That live in her
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Afterlife:
For a play that on its surface seems all about the joys of living, Twelfth Night contains a substantial number of references to the afterlife.
In Act 1, Scene 2, Viola alludes to Greek mythology when she speaks about her brother's supposed death:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Viola: My brother he is in Elysium.
Explanation and Analysis—Trees and Flowers:
Throughout Twelfth Night, several different characters make use of natural imagery. The twin motifs of trees and flowers are used at different points throughout the play to symbolize beauty, love, and death.
In Act 2, Scene 4, Orsino introduces flowers as a symbol of inconstant love:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Orsino: For women are as roses, whose fair flower,
Being once displayed, doth fall that very hour.
Related Themes:
Act 2, scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—I Am the Man:
In Act 2, Scene 2, Viola realizes that Olivia has fallen in love with her masculine disguise and delivers a soliloquy lamenting the absurdity of her situation. This complicated soliloquy is rich with literary devices, including allusion, personification, and metaphor.
Having understood the meaning of Olivia's ring, Viola bemoans the impossibility of Olivia's love for her, which can be read as a lament about the impossibility of same-sex attraction as a whole:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Viola: Poor lady, she were better love a dream.
Related Themes:
Act 2, scene 3
Explanation and Analysis—The Trojan War:
Although Twelfth Night is a comedy all about romance and merriment, it contains numerous allusions to the Trojan War—a long and bloody conflict from Greek myth that came about as a result of the doomed love story between Paris and Helen.
In Act 2, Scene 3, Feste uses a classical allusion to imply that he has expensive taste in alcohol and therefore requires additional payment from Sir Toby and Sir Andrew:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Feste: [A]nd the
Myrmidons are no bottle-ale houses.
Act 2, scene 4
Explanation and Analysis—Trees and Flowers:
Throughout Twelfth Night, several different characters make use of natural imagery. The twin motifs of trees and flowers are used at different points throughout the play to symbolize beauty, love, and death.
In Act 2, Scene 4, Orsino introduces flowers as a symbol of inconstant love:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Orsino: For women are as roses, whose fair flower,
Being once displayed, doth fall that very hour.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Queen Elizabeth:
Twelfth Night contains numerous allusions to early 17th century English politics, and the play can be interpreted as either an homage to or a parody of the Elizabethan court.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
Act 2, scene 5
Explanation and Analysis—Christianity:
The title of Twelfth Night is a reference to a Christian holiday—the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany—and the play is accordingly filled with Biblical allusions.
In Act 2, Scene 5, Sir Andrew Aguecheek compares Malvolio to a villain from the Hebrew Bible:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Andrew: [aside] Fie on him, Jezebel!
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Afterlife:
For a play that on its surface seems all about the joys of living, Twelfth Night contains a substantial number of references to the afterlife.
In Act 1, Scene 2, Viola alludes to Greek mythology when she speaks about her brother's supposed death:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Viola: My brother he is in Elysium.
Act 3, scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—The Trojan War:
Although Twelfth Night is a comedy all about romance and merriment, it contains numerous allusions to the Trojan War—a long and bloody conflict from Greek myth that came about as a result of the doomed love story between Paris and Helen.
In Act 2, Scene 3, Feste uses a classical allusion to imply that he has expensive taste in alcohol and therefore requires additional payment from Sir Toby and Sir Andrew:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Feste: [A]nd the
Myrmidons are no bottle-ale houses.
Explanation and Analysis—Contemporary England:
Twelfth Night, although ostensibly set in the fictional, Italian-inspired nation of Illyria, contains numerous references to 17th century England.
In Act 3, Scene 1, Viola uses slang that would have been familiar to audiences in Shakespeare's London:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Viola: Then westward ho!
Act 3, scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Contemporary England:
Twelfth Night, although ostensibly set in the fictional, Italian-inspired nation of Illyria, contains numerous references to 17th century England.
In Act 3, Scene 1, Viola uses slang that would have been familiar to audiences in Shakespeare's London:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Viola: Then westward ho!
Act 3, scene 4
Explanation and Analysis—Christianity:
The title of Twelfth Night is a reference to a Christian holiday—the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany—and the play is accordingly filled with Biblical allusions.
In Act 2, Scene 5, Sir Andrew Aguecheek compares Malvolio to a villain from the Hebrew Bible:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Andrew: [aside] Fie on him, Jezebel!
Related Themes:
Act 4, scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—The Afterlife:
For a play that on its surface seems all about the joys of living, Twelfth Night contains a substantial number of references to the afterlife.
In Act 1, Scene 2, Viola alludes to Greek mythology when she speaks about her brother's supposed death:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Viola: My brother he is in Elysium.
Act 5, scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—Classical Allusions:
Although Twelfth Night takes its title from a Chistian holiday, the play contains numerous allusions to Greek and Roman mythology. At multiple points throughout the play, for example, characters make references to Jove, which is another name for the Roman god Jupiter.
In Act 1, Scene 1, Orsino fantasizes that his love for Olivia will one day be requited:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Orsino: How will she love when the rich golden shaft
Hath killed the flock of all affections else
That live in her
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Christianity:
The title of Twelfth Night is a reference to a Christian holiday—the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany—and the play is accordingly filled with Biblical allusions.
In Act 2, Scene 5, Sir Andrew Aguecheek compares Malvolio to a villain from the Hebrew Bible:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Andrew: [aside] Fie on him, Jezebel!
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Contemporary England:
Twelfth Night, although ostensibly set in the fictional, Italian-inspired nation of Illyria, contains numerous references to 17th century England.
In Act 3, Scene 1, Viola uses slang that would have been familiar to audiences in Shakespeare's London:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Viola: Then westward ho!
