Twelfth Night (play)

Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a comedy by William Shakespeare.

The play is so named after the Twelfth Night holiday. Since it is difficult to see any allusion to Epiphany in the play, many suspect the play was written to be performed during Twelfth Night celebrations.

Shakespeare's play, like so many of his comedies, centres on mistaken identity. The leading character, Viola, is shipwrecked in a hostile country during the opening scenes. She loses contact with her twin brother, Sebastian, whom she believes dead. Masquerading as a castrated boy under the name Cesario, she enters the service of Duke Orsino. Orsino is in love with the bereaved Lady Olivia, and uses Viola as an intermediary.

Olivia, believing Viola to be male, falls in love with her. Viola, in turn, falls in love with the Duke. When Sebastian arrives on the scene, confusion ensues. Befitting a comedy, the play ends in marriage with the Duke marrying Viola and Olivia marrying Sebastian.

Much of the play is taken up with the comic sub-plot, in which several characters conspire to make Olivia's pompous head steward Malvolio believe that the lady Olivia wishes to marry him. It involves Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch, her would-be suitor, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, her handmaiden, Maria, and her father's favorite fool, Feste. Sir Toby and and Sir Andrew disturb the peace of their lady's house by keeping late hours and perpetually singing catches as the very top of their voices. Sir Toby even attempts to provoke Sir Andrew (whose hair "hangs like flax upon a distaff") to make a sexual overture towards the prickly Maria.

Although this is one of Shakespeare's most popular and funniest comedies, it has a dark side, as the behaviour of Sir Toby and Feste towards Malvolio becomes increasingly cruel towards the end. Malvolio is locked in a dungeon and forced to swear his submission to the heretical doctrines of Pythagoras. Malvolio departs in a bad humor, vowing revenge "on the whole pack of you."

Film and television adaptions

There have been a number of notable adaptions of the play, including two recent versions, both of which modernise the setting. The first, made in 1996 was set in the 1920s and starred Helena Bonham-Carter as Olivia, and featured Mel Smith as Sir Toby, Richard E. Grant as Sir Andrew and Ben Kingsley as Feste. The second, made in 2003 was set in the present day. It featured David Troughton as Sir Toby, and was notable for its multi-ethnic cast. Amongst other interesting touches, its portrayal of Viola and Sebastian's arrival in Illyria is reminiscent of news footage of asylum seekers.