She's the Man Essay Questions

In what way does the movie stay true to its Shakespearean inspiration? In what ways does it differ?

The movie is mostly loyal to the basic story of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The story follows the same trajectory: a girl decides to disguise herself as a boy, then the girl falls in love with a boy while dressed as a boy; meanwhile, that boy is in love with another girl and confides in the girl in drag about it, and the object of the boy's affection falls in love with the girl in drag. Even many of the names in the film are identical to those used in the play. Viola, Sebastian, Olivia, Toby, Andrew, and Duke Orsino are all names from the Shakespeare play.

The main differences come in the basic elements of an updated version: most obviously, the fact that the film takes place at a boarding school in the early 2000s, rather than in Renaissance Europe. The filmmakers ingeniously transpose many of the details from the original play into the contemporary world: for instance, Illyria (the area of Europe now known as the Balkans) becomes Illyria the high school. Cesario, the drag alias for Viola in Shakespeare's play, becomes a pizza parlor in the teen movie version.

What makes the movie a romantic comedy?

In addition to being an adaptation of a Shakespeare play, the film is a classic romantic comedy, as its plot centers around a romantic narrative between high schoolers. The central premise of the film is rather unconventional, as it follows a girl falling in love with a boy while dressed as a boy. Thus, the traditional "boy meets girl" plot is a little more like "boy meets boy" until Duke meets Viola dressed as a girl for the first time at the carnival. Over the course of their friendship, Viola develops feelings, but Duke has no idea, thinking that she is just one of his bros. When it comes out that she was in disguise the whole time, Duke feels betrayed, and a "girl loses boy" section of the plot takes place. However, this does not last long, and they are reunited by the end of the film.

In what ways does the film employ dramatic irony to enhance the humor?

Most of the comedic premises of the film are based in dramatic irony, the fact that the viewer knows that Viola is a girl pretending to be a boy, while the other characters do not. Throughout Viola must come up with absurd excuses for some of her more feminine eccentricities; when the soccer coach says one of the scrimmage teams will be shirtless, she tells him she is allergic to the sun, and when Duke sees tampons with her stuff, she sticks one up her nose and tells him she gets nosebleeds.

What does Viola mean when she says, "Just so you know, everything you told me when I was a guy, just made me like you so much more as a girl"?

Viola says this to Duke after he has decided to forgive her and come to the debutante ball. With this quote, she is communicating to him that she was grateful for how honest he was with her when he thought she was just "one of the guys." He showed her his sensitivity, in a way that he might not have had he known she was a girl. Viola is assuring Duke that his sensitivity and vulnerability were welcome and attractive to her.

What attracts Olivia to Sebastian?

Olivia is the most beautiful, popular girl in school, and could date any guy at Illyria that she wants. Because of her appeal, however, she is pickier about who she gives her heart to and wants to be with someone who is sensitive and conscientious. Viola's "Sebastian" fits the bill, because he seems to care what she thinks and have a genuine curiosity about her. Luckily enough, the real Sebastian is also thoughtful and sensitive, an emotional lyricist and musician, so when Olivia realizes that the "Sebastian" she knows is actually Viola, it is not too much of a stretch for her to fall in love with the actual male Sebastian, who shares many qualities with his sister.