Teaching Resources

The following assignments can be used in conjunction with the Dictionary:

Assignment 1: Fashion and our Ever-changing Moods

We often use fashion to convey how we’re feeling. We can learn about the inner world of Shakespeare’s characters if we pay attention to what they’re wearing and the fashion-related wordplay. To begin this assignment, click on the “Changeable taffeta” panel. Changeable taffeta, otherwise known as “shot silk,” is a key fabric in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Feste tells Orsino that he hopes a tailor will make him a doublet (a two-piece outfit) out of changeable taffeta, fabric that changes color constantly, because Orsino’s mind is changeable—he is fickle and moody, among other things.

Read more about the characteristics of changeable taffeta and further analyze Orsino’s state of mind. What is Feste trying to convey to Orsino? Is his comment an insult, or simply an observation? What should Orsino take away from this interaction?

To take this assignment one step further, scroll down to the bottom of the page and look at other instances where characters invoked “taffeta” in other plays. What do you think they are trying to convey? It’s okay if you aren’t familiar with the play—give it your best guess based on the context. For example, in Love’s Labour’s Lost, we encounter “taffeta phrases.” How is a “taffeta” phrase different than a regular phrase? Reflect.

Assignment 2: Gender as a Performed Role in Twelfth Night

Bruce R. Smith writes that gender “is more like a suit of clothes that can be put on and taken off at will than a matter of biological destiny…However temporary such cross-dressing may be, it serves to remind audiences that masculinity is a matter of appearances.” This quote reminds us of the ways in which gender is a performed role, and fashion can play a critical role in this performance. For this assignment, read the “doublet” panel and learn about the history of the doublet (or a two-pieced suit). Then read this interview with queer fashion designer Thúy H. Nguyen.

Suits are a particularly important clothing item in terms of queer fashion. Suits that were “traditionally designed for (and in some cases, by) cisgender, masculine men have been co-opted, subverted, and transformed by queer designers and dressers, all in the name of looking good and changing a heteronormative industry while doing it” (Nguyen). Nguyen says that for many queer people, the process of getting a suit fitted and custom-made is therapeutic. It’s all about presenting yourself in a way that sets up how others perceive you.

For this creative assignment, write a short piece (a poem, flash fiction, or a creative nonfiction piece) about an outfit that perfectly conveys who you are at this moment in time. Use Mark Doty’s poem, “Couture” for inspiration; feel free to pull in elements that are not directly related to fashion. What would you tell the world through this “outfit?”

Assignment 3: Disguise

"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible," wrote Oscar Wilde. Is the use of disguise a form of self-deception? Include examples from the use of disguises in the Twelfth Night and in our own culture. What characteristics are Shakespeare’s characters trying to accentuate or hide? Compare/contrast this to society now—what are we trying to hide with the clothes we wear? Finally, what do you think the term “disguise” means to queer people? Write a 1-2 page double-spaced reflection.

Assignment 4: Societal Pressure and Masculinity

In Shakespeare’s time, women weren’t allowed on stage, so all of the characters in his plays were acted by men. On stage, it was acceptable for men to dress and act as women. The theater made it permissable for two men to perform flirtation and intimacy, and to embrace feminine qualities and attributes.

Look at the “Stocking” panel and read about the social context and history of stockings in Shakespeare’s work and time. What stands out to you? Then, analyze Malvolio’s character in relation to stockings, answering the following questions: How were men supposed to look in the Elizabethan era? What societal pressures did they face, and are they comparable to pressures that people face today? How is this reflected in Malvolio’s humiliation with the yellow stockings? What would be an equivalent modern day humiliation? Write a 1-2 page double-spaced reflection.

Assignment 5: Keeping the Memory Alive (Twelfth Night)

When Viola dresses as Cesario, she says, ‘I am all the daughters of my father’s house, / And all the brothers too’ (2.4.120–21). Thinking that her brother has died, Viola keeps him alive by dressing in drag and assuming his identity.

In this creative exercise, think of an item of clothing you associate with someone you love very much. What memories are associated with this person and their clothing? This can be an entire outfit, or something as simple as a glove. Write a list poem naming all of the things you associate with this clothing item and this person’s presence or absence in your life.

To take this assignment a step further, pick a character in Twelfth Night and write a short fictional piece about wearing their outfit. What would it be like? Include concrete details about the fabric or fashion item itself using the Dictionary.