This Resource on Basic Notes in the play ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare is for Year 12 Students studying in the Victorian VCE Curriculum.
Background
Twelfth Night is the only one of Shakespeare’s plays published at the time with an alternate title, What You Will. Widely regarded as one of his greatest comedies. The first known reference to the play in performance dates back to 1602 when the lawyer and diarist John Manningham noted that he had witnessed a performance of the play.
Twelfth Night corresponds with the Feast of the Epiphany, when the three wise men of the East visited the newly born Jesus. It falls, naturally enough, on the twelfth day after Christmas. In the Elizabethan world, it was celebrated as a holiday that was characterised by revelry and high jinks as it signalled the end of the Christmas season.
Shakespeare appears to have based his work on the 1537 Italian play called Gl’ingannati (The Deceived) which contains a plot involving the twins and other recognisable elements of the play such as the girl disguising herself as a page.
Transvestite Comedy
Twelfth Night, is often referred to as one of his transvestite comedies since his female protagonist, Viola, disguises herself as a young man. As was the custom and the law at the time, all of the female roles were played by men on the Elizabethan stage since women were not allowed to act. To this end then, a man pretending to be a woman, pretending to be a man, would have played Viola.
Genre
Twelfth Night is a comedy. Specifically, it falls into the category of Shakespearean romantic comedies, which typically involve:
- Light-heartedness: Although the characters are sometimes melancholic, the overall tone of the play and their interactions with others is comedic. The playful banter and witty dialogue add to the humorous situations in which the characters find themselves.
- Sophisticated plotting: The mistaken identities and romantic entanglements require a high degree of skilful plotting so that the audience can easily follow the storyline.
- Joyful conclusions: Despite the misfortunes that they encounter, by the end of the play, resolutions to the plot ensure that the characters end up with happy marriages, or with order being restored.
- Love: Various aspects of love are explored in the text. These include romantic love and unrequited love.
- Satire: Social norms and conventions, as well as individual characters are knowingly mocked or critiqued in the play.
Setting
The fictional kingdom of Illyria is the setting for the play. Although a real place called Illyria existed in Roman times (which is now found on the coast of modern-day Albania and Montenegro), its purpose in the text is to provide a fantasy kingdom for the Elizabethans. The coastal location provides the backdrop for the opening scenes when Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked on the shores. It is home to people from a diverse range of classes though the actions mostly take place in the household of the wealthy Duke Orsino, and in Olivia’s palace. Illyria is depicted as a place where festivities, revelry, and entertainment are common, as seen in the various celebrations and the presence of Feste the clown who entertains the characters.
Message and Moral of Twelfth Night
Written as entertainment for the Christmas season, this play celebrates the fun and foolishness of people in love. The main message and moral of the play revolve around the themes of love, identity, and the folly of ambition. The play suggests that love can lead to both joy and heartache, identity is fluid and can be mistaken, and excessive ambition or self-deception can lead to one’s downfall. Ultimately, it promotes self-awareness and the acceptance of life’s complexities.
Complex Gender Roles and Identity
More than 500 years after it was first written and performed, Twelfth Night still has much to say about representations of female strength and gender construction. The complex plotlines and characters wilfully subvert contemporary notions of gender roles and identity. In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare presents a complex exploration of gender and female strength. Viola’s cross-dressing and Olivia’s assertiveness challenge conventional gender roles, while Maria, although a secondary character, contributes to the play’s subversion of norms through her pragmatic involvement in the comedic and critical elements of the narrative. Through these characters, Shakespeare not only questions the rigid boundaries of gender identity but also celebrates the strength and resilience of women within a restrictive society.
In a feminist reading of the text, the play explores gender as a fluid and constructed concept rather than a fixed binary. This is most apparent in the character of Viola who disguises herself as Cesario. This transformation challenges gender roles. In particular, through Viola/ Cesario, we can see the ways in which identity is both performed and perceived depending on the situation. Viola successfully adopts a male disguise and is able to gain political influence. This suggests that gender identity is not necessarily tied to one’s biological sex.
| STRUCTURE & PLOT OF PLAY | |
| ACT 1 | Scene 1 = In Duke Orsino’s palace, Orsino expresses his deep infatuation with Lady Olivia, who is mourning her brother’s death and has sworn off men for seven years. Orsino indulges in melancholy music, hoping it will cure his lovesickness. Scene 2 = On the seacoast of Illyria, Viola, who has been shipwrecked and separated from her twin brother Sebastian, believes he has drowned. Alone in a strange land she decides to disguise herself as a young man named Cesario and to seek employment with Duke Orsino. Scene 3 = At Olivia’s house, her uncle Sir Toby Belch and her maid Maria discuss Olivia’s prolonged mourning. Sir Toby introduces his foolish friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who is trying to court Olivia. Maria warns Sir Toby about Sir Andrew’s foolishness and wastefulness. Despite this, Sir Toby encourages Sir Andrew to pursue Olivia, hoping to continue benefiting from Sir Andrew’s wealth. Scene 4 = Viola, disguised as Cesario, has quickly become a favourite of Duke Orsino. Orsino sends Cesario to woo Olivia on his behalf, unaware of Viola’s own blossoming love for him. Viola reluctantly agrees to deliver Orsino’s message of love to Olivia. Scene 5 = At Olivia’s house, Feste, the clown, makes light of Olivia’s mourning, and Malvolio scolds him. Viola (as Cesario) arrives to deliver Orsino’s message and Olivia becomes infatuated with Cesario instead of Orsino. She sends Malvolio after Cesario with a ring as a token of her affection. |
| ACT 2 | Scene 1 = On the seacoast, it is revealed that Sebastian, Viola’s twin brother, is alive. Antonio, a sea captain, who becomes devoted to him, rescued him. Sebastian plans to go to Orsino’s court, and Antonio decides to follow him despite having enemies there. Scene 2 = Malvolio catches up with Cesario to return the ring that was left behind. Viola realises Olivia has fallen in love with Cesario, creating a messy love triangle between them. Scene 3 = Late at night in Olivia’s house, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Feste are drinking and partying. Maria joins them briefly and warns them to be quiet. Malvolio arrives to scold them, but Sir Toby mocks him. Maria devises a plan to humiliate Malvolio by forging a letter that will make him think Olivia is in love with him. Scene 4 = In the Duke’s palace, Orsino and Cesario discuss love and women. Orsino insists women cannot love as deeply as men, and Cesario (Viola) hints at her own unspoken love for Orsino through a story about a sister. Scene 5 = In Olivia’s garden, Malvolio finds the fake letter supposedly from Olivia, which makes him believe Olivia loves him. The letter instructs him to behave oddly (smile constantly, wear yellow stockings, and be cross-gartered) to show his love for her. Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Fabian watch with delight as Malvolio falls for the trick. |
| ACT 3 | Scene 1 = Cesario visits Olivia again. Olivia declares her love for Cesario, and Viola tries to let her down gently while maintaining her disguise. Olivia’s directness catches Viola off guard, and she struggles to navigate the situation without revealing her true identity. Scene 2 = Sir Andrew, feeling discouraged by Olivia’s affection for Cesario, decides to leave. Sir Toby and Fabian persuade him to stay and challenge Cesario to a duel to prove his bravery and win Olivia’s favour. They convince him to write a letter of challenge, which they plan to deliver to Cesario. Scene 3 = Antonio and Sebastian arrive in Illyria. Antonio gives Sebastian his purse for safekeeping, revealing his loyalty and affection. They agree to meet later at an inn. Antonio’s concern for Sebastian’s safety underscores his deep feelings for him. Scene 4 = In Olivia’s house, Malvolio, dressed and behaving absurdly, appears before Olivia. She thinks he is mad and asks Sir Toby to look after him. Meanwhile, Sir Toby, Fabian, and Maria enjoy their trick on Malvolio. Cesario arrives, and Sir Andrew attempts to duel him, but Antonio intervenes, mistaking Cesario for Sebastian. Antonio is arrested by officers and asks Cesario for his purse, which confuses Viola. |
| ACT 4 | Scene 1 = Outside Olivia’s house, Sebastian is mistaken for Cesario by Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, leading to a scuffle. Olivia intervenes, inviting the bewildered Sebastian into her house, thinking he is Cesario. Sebastian, though confused, goes along with her. Scene 2 = Feste, disguised as a priest named Sir Topas, visits Malvolio in his dark cell and torments him by pretending to exorcise his madness. Malvolio begs for help, realising he has been tricked, but Feste continues to mock him. Scene 3 = Olivia finds Sebastian and, thinking he is Cesario, proposes marriage. Bewildered but agreeable, Sebastian accepts, and they go off to be married secretly. Sebastian is astonished by the sudden turn of events but is charmed by Olivia’s beauty and wealth. |
| ACT 5 | Scene 1 = In front of Olivia’s house, the Duke arrives with Cesario (Viola), and a series of revelations occurs. Antonio accuses Cesario of betrayal, but Sebastian appears, and the twins are reunited. Viola reveals her true identity. Olivia learns she married Sebastian, not Cesario. The Duke realises his love for Viola and proposes. Malvolio is released and vows revenge on everyone who wronged him. The play ends with plans for multiple marriages and a festive conclusion, despite Malvolio’s unresolved bitterness. |
| THEMES | ||
| love and desire | love as pain | love as complex |
| gender& uncertainty & fluidity | sexual identity | melancholy |
| madness | fools & foolishness & clowning | rules and order |
| role of music | folly of ambition | appearance & reality |
| deception | loss | disguise |
| joy & sorrow of festivities | social class & mobility | language & communication |
| CHARACTERS | |
| Viola (Cesario) | Protagonist & comic heroine. Twin sister to Sebastian. Aristocratic woman tossed up in a shipwreck on the coast of Illyria at start of play. Needing a refuge, she disguises herself as the pageboy Cesario at Count Orsino’s court. She falls in love with Orsino who sends her to woo Olivia for him but Olivia falls in love with Cesario. Patient and fair she admits her disguise when Sebastian returns and she can marry Orsino. |
| Olivia (wealthy Countess) | Beautiful and intelligent, Olivia is a noblewoman of Illyria. Mourning the loss of her brother she rejects the unwanted advances of both Orsino and Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Yet impulsive declares her love for Cesario. Then transfers her affections to Sebastian readily, when the truth of the twins’ identities is revealed. |
| Orsino (Duke of Illyria) | As duke and ruler of Illyria, Orsino’s aristocratic nature makes him – like Olivia – somewhat susceptible to being indulged. His pining for Olivia and his melancholic and brooding nature suggests that he is more in love with the idea of love than in genuinely loving Olivia and he appears to enjoy the role of the brooding, spurned lover. Declares his love for Viola shifting affections from Olivia suddenly at the end of the play. |
| Sebastian (Viola’s twin brother) | In looks and in personality, Sebastian is like his sister Viola. He is the only character in the play who does not act to deceive others. He is mistaken for his sister (Cesario) which culminates in Olivia’s marriage proposal. Sebastian’s immediate acquiescence in this continues the play’s exploration of mistaken identity and is part of the narrative device of a series of rapid marriages, which ends the play. |
| Malvolio (Olivia’s most senior servant) | Malvolio (which means ‘ill will’ in Italian) is a trusted member of Olivia’s household. Ambitious and self-righteous, he alienates the other members of the household. His desire to rise above his station and to be ‘Count Malvolio’ reveals his arrogance and sense of self-importance, thinking that he will be a suitable match for Olivia. It is this specific desire that is exploited by the other characters who will use this knowledge against him. |
| Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (a comic pair) | Sir Toby, Olivia’s uncle, and his best friend, the wealthy Sir Andrew, are in many ways opposites. Vulgar and crass, Toby lives up to his surname. A drunkard and a lover of puns and frivolity, he does bring disorder and chaos to the household, in keeping with the spirit of the Twelfth Night celebrations. |
| Maria (lady in waiting to Olivia) | Maria is clever and feisty, is attentive to Olivia and loyal. Her infatuation with Sir Toby, whom she will eventually marry, sometimes brings into conflict her desire to see order and decorum in the house, and her love for Toby. She enjoys bringing Malvolio asunder with her ‘gulling’ of him. |
| Feste (court jester Olivia’s ‘allowed fool’) | Feste is in the unusual position of moving between Orsino and Olivia’s houses. Despite his joke-making and humour, he often offers good advice and makes astute observations. As a commentator on the other characters, he uses his privilege as the ‘allowed fool’ to peep behind and convey serious wisdom with the mask of folly. |
| Antonio (sea captain) | He rescues Sebastian from drowning proves himself a loyal and devoted friend. He willingly enters enemy territory to remain with Sebastian and his generosity subsidises Sebastian during the time following the rescue. He is prepared to step in to support his friend in the duel. His fondness for Sebastian has romantic allusions. |
| Curio & Valentine (Gentlemen attending Orsino) | Curio tells us what Orsino will do and there someone is. Valentine served as Orsino’s messenger to Olivia before Viola arrived, he informs the duke of Olivia’s resolve to spend 7 years in seclusion and mourning of her brother. |
| Fabian (servant to Olivia) | Fabian is a device to advance the story than a character in his own right. He shares Sir Toby’s devotion to revelry, but serves to explain to Olivia, better than those more fully entangled could, the plot for the mocking of Malvolio. |