Twelfth Night, or What You Will, written around 1600–1601, is one of Shakespeare's most loved comedies. Shipwrecked in Illyria, Viola disguises herself as a young man, serves Duke Orsino, and is caught in a triangle of love that only her lost twin brother can untangle.
The story
Viola, believing her twin Sebastian drowned, enters the service of Orsino as the page Cesario. Orsino sends her to woo the countess Olivia, who falls in love with the messenger, while Viola falls in love with Orsino.
When Sebastian turns up alive, Olivia marries him by mistake for Cesario, and the twins' reunion resolves the confusion.
Malvolio
The subplot follows Olivia's pompous steward Malvolio, tricked by a forged letter into believing his mistress loves him. He appears in yellow stockings, cross-gartered, and is locked up as a madman.
His final cry of revenge gives a bitter edge to the comedy, and the role has attracted great actors.
Festivity and melancholy
The title refers to the twelfth night after Christmas, a feast of misrule and disguise. The play was performed at Middle Temple Hall in London on 2 February 1602, as a law student recorded in his diary.
The songs of the clown Feste, who closes the play alone in the rain, give it a mood of melancholy among the laughter.
Anecdotes
A diary entry
The law student John Manningham noted in his diary a performance at Middle Temple in February 1602, and especially enjoyed the trick played on the steward.
Boys playing girls
In Shakespeare's time Viola was played by a boy actor, playing a girl disguised as a boy, a double game the audience enjoyed.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Twelfth Night set?
In Illyria, on the Adriatic coast.
Who is Malvolio?
Olivia's pompous steward, tricked into thinking she loves him.
What does the title mean?
It refers to the twelfth night after Christmas, a time of festivity and disguise.