challenger being a fool. Out of Viola's resemblance to her brother and
her disguise grows the absurd situation of Olivia's claiming her as a
husband, and that of Sir Andrew taking for his unwilling duellist the
all-too-willing Sebastian.

To these situations which naturally result from the story, Shakespeare
has added in Olivia's household a set of characters whose personality
is such that amusing situations are multiplied. Thus we may say that
the play is one of situation rather than of action, since whatever of
action there is in it leads to situation, and whatever of character
there is in it leads also to situation.

QUERIES FOR DISCUSSION

1. If attention is constantly given to creating humorous situations,
will character-development necessarily suffer? 2. Do you agree with
the Shakespearian critic Verplanck that this play bears no indication
either of an original groundwork of incident, afterwards enriched by
the additions of a fuller mind, or of thoughts, situations, and
characters accidentally suggested, or growing unexpectedly out of the
story, as the author proceeded?


II

THE WHIMSICAL AND OTHER ALLUSIONS IN THE PLAY

Pick out and explain the curious allusions in the play, noticing that
these may be classed as geographical, mythological, astrological, or
referable to persons or customs of the time, or books of the day. For