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Twelfth Night - William Shakespeare, scene-by-scene summary
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this is a scene-by-scene summary of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
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Twelfth Night 1Twelfth Night
Lecture Notes
Reading a play is like looking at the score of a symphony without hearing it. Without seeing a play, it
is difficult to keep track of who is who, who is on stage at which moment etc. Plays are meant to be
seen, not read, just as symphonies are meant to be heard.
popular
Twelfth Night only survives in one manuscript, the great folio containing all Shakespeare plays. It is a
play that has been fascinating people for a long time. Just like for Twelfth Night, we have a note
describing the play from a law student. The play maintained its popularity. It has inspired several
artworks, many different stagings and movies.
gender
In the 1600s, the average people’s eyesight was not 20/20. Many people did not have glasses. So two
people on stage would very quickly look similar. Plays would always have been performed in daylight,
though there were some exceptions of plays performed inside, by candlelight.
In Shakespeare’s period, only guys were allowed to act. So boy actors would play female characters,
and many of those female characters dress up as boys. So you have boy actors playing girl characters
disguised as male characters. It is convenient to have your female characters dress up as boys since it
would be very convincing: it’s a boy playing a boy instead of a boy playing a girl.
Sir Toby Belch is the biggest role. Viola comes second, which is interesting. For a woman’s role to be
so dominant is very rare. Of course, she dresses up as a man, as does As You Like It’s Rosalind,
another female Shakespeare character who has a dominant role. Does this mean that the boy actors
in Shakespeare’s time were just not good at playing women? Because the moment a female role gets
big, the woman in question dresses up as a guy for the majority of the play.
status
Malvolio is often portrayed as a Puritan character, who dislikes fun, laughter and music. TO get that
person to fall in love with his mistress, to reach above his station and hope to have a chance with her
is, in itself, funny. It’s quite a popular role.
The fact that Olivia, as Countess, refuses the Duke is very surprising and rude. He has a higher rank
than her, so him wanting to marry her is a huge honour.
genre
The play is considered a Comedy since it ends in marriage. However, the overall mood of the play is
very negative. It is a mood of loss, misery. It already starts negatively. Viola is also mourning the loss
of her brother. Much of the music is sad, even the very final song. Malvolio is not reconciled with the
rest of the cast, instead, there is a promise of revenge. Additionally, not everyone gets a happy
ending. What happens with Sir Andrew? With Antonio?
, Twelfth Night 2
Summary
Please, for the love of everything, read this.
characters
Viola
o A young woman, shipwrecked, who disguises herself as a boy name Cesario
Sebastian
o Viola’s twin brother, also shipwrecked
Duke Orsino
o Duke of Illyria, in love with Olivia
Olivia
o A wealthy countess, decidedly not in love with the Duke
Malvolio
o Steward of Olivia’s household
Maria
o Olivia’s gentlewoman
Sir Toby Belch
o Olivia’s uncle
Sir Andrew Aguecheeck
o Friend of Sir Toby, he’s trying to woo Olivia
Feste
o Olivia’s servant, a jester
Fabian
o A servant in Olivia’s household
Antonio
o Sea captain who saves Sebastian’s life
Valentine & Curio
o Gentlemen attending on Orsino
A Servant of Olivia
A Sea Captain
o Friend to Viola
quick plot overview
Viola and Sebastian’s ship perishes in a storm, and both think the other is death. Sebastian is nursed
back to health by Antonio, whilst Viola disguises herself as Cesario and gets a job in the Duke’s
household, where she has to help the Duke woo Olivia, who is Not Amused since she is still
mourning the recent death of her father and brother. Olivia falls in love with Viola, who she thinks is
a guy, but Viola has fallen in love with the Duke. Meanwhile, Sir Tony Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek,
Maria, Fabian and Feste prank the strict Malvolio by making him believe Olivia is in love with him
and beguiling him into dressing & behaving ridiculously.
Sebastian finds his way back to Illyria, where everyone consistently assumes he is Viola. Olivia asks
him to marry her and he, confused, agrees. He also gets into several fights with another one of
Viola’s suitors.
In the end, all is revealed. Sebastian and Viola have a tearful reunion, Viola marries the Duke, Sir
Toby marries Maria and Malvolio swears revenge.
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