Explore Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. Read a summary of the play, understand its characters and plot, find the analysis, and learn about its various adaptations.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare | Summary & Analysis
Table of Contents
- What is Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare?
- Twelfth Night Summary
- Understanding Twelfth Night: Detailed Plot Analysis
- Twelfth Night Characters Unraveled
- What is Twelfth Night About?
- Adaptations of Twelfth Night
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main message of Twelfth Night?
Shakespeare plays are often open to a variety of interpretations and readings. Many scholars have interpreted Twelfth Night as conveying the need to reevaluate societal norms which may be harmful to the happiness of every citizen, particularly surrounding gender norms.
What is the climax of Twelfth Night?
The climax is when Viola says to Sebastian in Act 5 Scene 1, ''I am Viola.'' This realization that each twin is alive and well is the play's climax.
Table of Contents
- What is Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare?
- Twelfth Night Summary
- Understanding Twelfth Night: Detailed Plot Analysis
- Twelfth Night Characters Unraveled
- What is Twelfth Night About?
- Adaptations of Twelfth Night
- Lesson Summary
Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy play written by English playwright William Shakespeare in the 17th century. First printed in 1623, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night has a five-act structure and is considered one of the master playwright's greatest comedic efforts.
The plot of Twelfth Night deals with twins Viola and Sebastien, who become separated from one another in a shipwreck. As is common with the works of Shakespeare, many themes relevant to modern audiences—in this case, gender identity and sexuality—are present in Twelfth Night. The play has remained popular over centuries and in modern times has seen several stage, film, and television adaptations.
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It is difficult to provide a concise summary of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, as there are subplots, many characters, and extensive conflict within the play. Despite this, the Twelfth Night plot can be simplified to a few crucial moments. Broken down to its basic elements, the Twelfth Night synopsis is as follows:
- Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria
- Viola, disguised as Cesario, works as the page of Duke Orsino
- Orsino has Viola attempt to woo Olivia for him
- Sebastian is saved by Antonio
- Olivia falls in love with Viola
- Viola falls in love with Olivia
- Malvolio is tricked by Olivia's household into believing Olivia loves him
- Sebastian and Viola get involved in issues involving mistaken identity
- Everyone finds out Viola is a girl and Sebastian is her twin
- Viola and Orsino become a couple, Sebastian and Olivia are married
- Malvolio leaves sad and alone
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With the basic Twelfth Night plot synopsis in mind, a more thorough summary can help illuminate what Twelfth Night is about in more detail. The following sections describe the plot by Act.
Act 1
The Duke Orsino of Illyria is crying over his love for the emotionally unavailable Lady Olivia, who is in mourning for her father and brother. Viola and Sebastian are involved in a shipwreck off the coast of Illyria, which Viola survives, assuming her twin brother is dead. Sir Toby is involved in various drunken misbehaviors with Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Maria, and everyone hates Malvolio. Disguised as Cesario, Viola goes to work for Orsino and falls in love with him, accidentally making Olivia fall for herself.
Act 2
Sebastian is not dead, as Viola believed him to be, rather, he was saved and befriended by Antonio. Olivia sends Viola a ring via Malvolio, and Viola realizes she is involved in a strange love triangle, deciding to live out the predicament rather than try and fix it. Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Maria, and Feste devise a plan to trick Malvolio into thinking Olivia is in love with him. Viola (Cesario) and Orsino share a seemingly intimate moment to a song Feste sings for them, and Malvolio reads the letter Maria wrote in her lady's handwriting and left in the garden for him to find.
Act 3
Viola (Cesario) and Feste have a scene wherein they talk about love, wit, and money, and Olivia messily professes her love for Cesario, telling Viola she would rather hear her voice than "music from the spheres". Everyone seems to love Olivia except Viola. Malvolio, believing Olivia loves him, makes a fool of himself in front of Olivia and plenty of others. Antonio reveals to Sebastian that he is involved in an old feud with Orsino and is not supposed to be in Illyria.
Sir Toby and company lock Malvolio in a dark cell and play tricks on him. Sir Andrew and Sir Toby start a silly quarrel with Viola (Cesario) over Olivia's affections, but neither Viola nor Sir Andrew wishes to fight, even when an actual sword fight is started between the two. Antonio saves Viola and, thinking she is Sebastian, asks for help when he is arrested by Orsino's men. Confused, Viola refuses to help but gives him money, and he is carried away by the officers.
Act 4
Act 4 begins a slew of messy misidentifications between Viola and Sebastian beginning with Feste mistaking Sebastian for Viola and sending Sebastian to Olivia's house. Olivia, believing Sebastian is Cesario (the identity created by Viola), marries Sebastian, who accepts the marriage to a stranger as a happy surprise. Sir Toby and his group are still playing mean tricks on the snobby Malvolio.
Act 5
Orsino still loves Olivia and hates Antonio. In a conglomeration of all three plot lines, all characters are on stage except Sebastian. Orsino believes that Viola (Cesario) has betrayed him by marrying Olivia. Olivia believes she is married to Cesario, and Viola (Cesario) has been accused of hurting Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. Sebastian enters, causing both twins to realize the other is alive, and all the confusion caused by Cesario's disguise is resolved.
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ends with Orsino declaring he will marry Viola, Sir Toby deciding to marry Maria, Olivia married to Sebastian, and Malvolio abused and alone.
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Except for smaller characters such as musicians, lords, officers, sailors, and attendants, twelve primary characters play an important role in the Twelfth Night plot. These are:
- Duke Orsino: Sometimes called ''Count of Illyria''
- Viola: Spends much of the play disguised as ''Cesario''
- Sebastian: Viola's twin brother
- Captain: saves Viola from the shipwreck
- Antonio: Sebastian's friend
- Lady Olivia: Lady of Illyria; courted by Orsino
- Maria: Olivia's lady-in-waiting
- Sir Toby Belch: Olivia's uncle
- Sir Andrew Aguecheek: Sir Toby's friend
- Malvolio: Olivia's servant
- Fabian: a household member and prankster
- Clown: also called ''Feste''; works for Olivia's family
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Twelfth Night is a play that has been performed for nearly four centuries, and it is widely regarded as one of William Shakespeare's greatest comedies. Over the centuries, there has been a great deal of analysis focused on the deeper themes and meanings in the play, and there are likely to be many more in the years to come.
Social Relationships Within the Play
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From the bond of twins to the courtship of Olivia and Orsino, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night offers a deep study of human relationships and how they work within a society bound by rigid rules on such connections. Viola's monologue in Act 2, Scene 2, often referred to as the ''ring monologue,'' sums up the complexities of these interactions. In the monologue, Viola realizes that Olivia has fallen in love with her manly persona Cesario, while she has fallen for Orsino, who is in love with Olivia.
Viola says, ''As I am man, my state is desperate for my master's love.'' This hints at the impossibility of love between two men; not just because of Orsino's sexuality, but also because of the societal rules placed on interactions between men. Immediately following, she says, ''As I am woman (now alas the day) what thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe?'' This line also points to the societal restrictions on sexuality and same-sex interaction while also extending society's beliefs to Viola, who believes she would be better off as a man.
Through Viola's relationships with others, while disguised as a man, Shakespeare was able to explore topics such as gender identity, sexuality, honesty, family, and more. These are themes that have remained relevant throughout human history and are likely to continue to be so in the future.
Themes in Twelfth Night
There are two major themes in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night that stand out throughout the play: love and sexuality. Many minor themes are often intertwined with these, and, when the play is performed on stage, may be emphasized or deemphasized depending on the production.
- Love and Deception: During the play, Viola unwittingly makes two characters fall in love with her while disguised as the opposite gender. Viola's ability to deceive those around her into perceiving her as a man goes hand-in-hand with her ability to woo ladies in love. Orsino asks Viola (as Cesario) to woo Olivia for him, and he mentions his reason for asking this is Cesario's innate ability to speak poetically.
- Sexuality and Disguise: Many scholars suggest Orsino faces a sexuality crisis in the play. In Act 5, when Orsino finds out Cesario is actually noblewoman Viola, he instantaneously forgets his love for Olivia and professes he will marry Viola. Seeing past the comedy in such a quick change of heart shows a deep bond between Orsino and Cesario, one that only gender separates. Many directors include intimacy in a scene between Orsino and Cesario (Viola) somewhere in the middle of the play.
Symbolism in Twelfth Night
Of the many important symbols in Twelfth Night, two stand out: the written word and clothing. These are not just symbols used in Twelfth Night, but two of the most common symbols in all of Shakespeare's plays.
- The Written Word: In Europe in the 1600s, society saw a huge flourish of writing, which led to love letters, contracts, and more. Shakespeare, a man of his time, would have been heavily influenced by the appeal and possible mishaps of letter writing, and he shows this many times throughout the course of his play. For example, the letter written to snobby steward Malvolio to look like Olivia's handwriting is a symbol of the deception possible with written letters.
- Clothing: At the beginning of the play, Olivia is in mourning and wears a black veil to symbolize her coldness and emotional unavailability. Also, at the beginning of the play, Viola changes into a man's garb to survive in Illyria. In this case, her clothing could represent her new independence and/or loneliness brought about by the loss of her brother.
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Twelfth Night has been popular since its first publication in 1623 and has seen many adaptations. Originally written for stage, in the modern age it has frequently been adapted for film and television.
Film
Twelfth Night (1996), directed by Trevor Nunn, is one of today's most recognized film adaptations of Twelfth Night. Starring Helena Bonham Carter as Olivia and Imogen Stubbs as Viola, the film is a close adaptation of the original Shakespeare play.
Television
The 1980 television adaptation of Twelfth Night, while not as popular as the 1996 film, is one of the most well-known productions of the play specifically for television. The 1980 Twelfth Night aired during the BBC Television Shakespeare series and was directed by John Gorrie.
Stage
Adaptations for the stage are more rare than in film or television, but plays are often adapted into musicals. The 1996 musical Play On! sets the plot of Twelfth Night in Harlem during the 1940s. The musical was first directed by Sheldon Epps and premiered at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego.
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Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy play written by English playwright William Shakespeare. First printed in 1623, it is regarded as one of Shakespeare's greatest comedic plays and deals with a variety of themes, such as gender identity and sexuality, that have remained relevant for centuries. In summary, Twelfth Night begins with twins Viola and Sebastian arriving in Illyria via shipwreck. Viola is rescued by a captain and Sebastian by a wealthy man named Antonio. Viola disguises herself as a man, Cesario, and goes to work for Duke Orsino, who commissions her to woo Lady Olivia for him. Viola falls for Orsino, Olivia falls for Viola, and Orsino is clueless.
In the two subplots of Twelfth Night, Olivia's kinsmen and servants pull a prank on insufferable Malvolio, Olivia's snobby steward, who is wrecked at the end of the play when Olivia marries Sebastian. By the end, Sebastian and Olivia are married, Viola is discovered and betrothed to Orsino, and the other characters resolve their personal lives. Shakespeare's play is considered a classic not only for its humor, but also because of the playwright's expert use of theme, poetry, and symbols throughout.
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Video Transcript
Twelfth Night Introduction
Let's imagine for a second that a new guy comes to your school. He is witty, charming, and hilarious, and not to mention exceptionally good looking. He makes a great addition to your group of guy friends, and he listens to everything you say. Another cool thing about this guy is that he's great with the girls, too. That's great for you, since the girl you've had a crush on forever seems to think your new friend is really cool, and he can put in a good word for you. But, how would you feel to find out that your crush is in love with your new friend? To make matters worse, you then find out that your new homeboy is not a boy at all, but a girl, and she's in love with you. While this story sounds like a soap opera, it's actually the premise of William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, and that crazy story was what happens to Duke Orsino, when he hires a page named Cesario, who is actually noblewoman Viola in disguise. At the end of the play, like in most of Shakespeare's famous comedies, everything is revealed and there is a happy ending, and maybe even a wedding.
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Twelfth Night Plot and Summary
At the beginning of Twelfth Night, we encounter Viola, who has been shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria. She can't find her brother, Sebastian, and is afraid he drowned. Viola is a noblewoman, but since she's all alone in the world, she needs a way to make a living. The sea captain that helped to save her from the shipwreck tells her all about the Lady Olivia, and Viola would like to work for her, but the Lady Olivia is in mourning for her father and brother and refuses to see anyone new. Viola then disguises herself as a man named Cesario, and the captain helps her find work at Duke Orsino's house. Orsino takes a liking to Cesario/Viola, and makes her his page.
Orsino is in love with Lady Olivia, but since she's in mourning, she refuses his advances. Orsino sends Cesario/Viola to Olivia's home to plead his case, and Olivia again rejects the pleas of Orsino. However, despite being sad, she is attracted to Cesario/Viola and falls in love with the page. This creates a love triangle among Orsino, Olivia, and Viola, who's falling in love with Orsino as she spends time with him.
While Cesario/Viola is accidentally making Olivia fall in love with her, the members of Olivia's household are up to some serious hijinks. Her snotty steward, Malvolio, is in love with Olivia, and her uncle Sir Toby, his friend Sir Andrew (who is also trying to woo Olivia), Feste the clown, and Olivia's lady in waiting Maria are playing a joke on him. They convince him to act crazily and wear his garters crossed, and perform all sorts of other outlandish behavior by dropping a note that's supposedly written by Olivia. Malvolio harbors a desire to be married to Olivia and does what the note requests, much to the amusement of the pranksters, who are happy to deliver some payback for his rude behavior towards them.
Meanwhile, Sebastian is alive and is staying with Antonio, who rescued him after the shipwreck. Sebastian decides to go to Orsino's court, and Antonio, who appears to be obsessed with Sebastian, decides to go with him, despite the fact that he and Orsino do not get along at all.
Sir Andrew is still trying to win Olivia's hand, and gets jealous when he perceives Cesario/Viola as having the upper hand. He challenges Cesario to a duel. However, it's Sebastian who shows up accidentally, and Sir Andrew begins to fight with him instead. Olivia bursts onto the scene, and thinking that Sebastian is Cesario, asks him to marry her. While Sebastian is confused, he is attracted to Olivia's wealth and beauty and accepts.
At the same time, Antonio has showed up to Orsino's household, and he's taken away by the guards. When he sees Viola dressed as Cesario, Antonio asks her for help, thinking she is Sebastian. Viola is understandably confused and denies knowing Antonio, who is upset when she denies him. However, this leads Viola to believe that Sebastian may not be dead after all. While all of this confusion is happening, Malvolio has been confined to a room by Maria and Feste the clown. Everyone thinks he is crazy, and the pranksters are loving their joke on Malvolio. Sir Toby allows Malvolio to write a letter to Olivia, asking to be released from the room, since he's feeling a little guilty about his part in the joke.
Orsino and Cesario/Viola head to Olivia's house, where Olivia is excited to see Cesario/Viola, thinking that she is Olivia's new husband. Orsino gets angry at Cesario/Viola, thinking that she has double-crossed him. Sebastian walks in, and he and Viola are overjoyed to see each other, and to know that the other is actually alive. Orsino finds out that Viola is actually a girl, and realizes that he is in love with her. Maria and Sir Toby join the party, and it becomes revealed that they are married as well. The play ends with everyone happy and together, except for Malvolio, who runs off bitter and alone.
Lesson Summary
Let's take a few moments to review what we've learned about Twelfth Night's plot. William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is a comedy about a brother and sister pair that are shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria and are separated. Viola, the sister, must assume the identity of a man to earn a living in the home of Duke Orsino, who is in love with the Lady Olivia. Olivia falls in love with Viola's alter ego, and Viola herself falls in love with Orsino. During all of this, the members of Olivia's household are playing an elaborate prank on her snooty steward, Malvolio. When Sebastian comes back into the picture, all is revealed, and he and Olivia marry, and Viola reveals herself to Orsino, who realizes he is in love with her.
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Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare | Summary & Analysis
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