Laughing Stock(ings) Comedy in Act 3 scene 4

• English
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)

Laughing Stock(ings)

The creation of comedy in Act 3 scene 4 of Twelfth Night

Learning Objective

Understand the creation of comedy in act 3 scene 4 of Twelfth Night.

What do you already know about comedy in literature, TV or film? How do jokes work in a linguistic way?

Watch this clip from 'Modern Family'

How is the comedy set up in this scene?

How is the comedy set up in this scene?

Now watch the scene 

In pairs, focus on a particular character and select and analyse how they contribute to the comedy. Get at least three key quotations.

Malvolio

Sir Andrew

Sir Toby

Fabian

Viola

Olivia

Interactive Element: Character Role-Play

Divide students into groups to act out the scene, emphasizing comedic expressions and dialogues.

Language and Humour

How does Shakespeare use language and wordplay to create comedic effect in the scene?

Interactive Element: Comedy Writing

In small groups, students create a modern-day version of the scene with contemporary humor.

Physical Comedy

Explore the use of physical actions and gestures to enhance the comedic elements.

Reflecting on the Scene

How do the comedic elements enhance plot and character development? 

How do they link to the theme of crossing boundaries?

Enter Antonio!

How does the appearance of Antonio change the tone of the scene? 

Why does Shakespeare have Antonio appear here?

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.