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Twelfth Night Summary

 Study Guides
Twelfth Night Summary Hamlet
Julius Caesar
provides a quick review of King Henry IV
the play's plot including King Lear
Macbeth
every important action in Merchant of Venice
Othello
the play. Twelfth Night Romeo and Juliet
Summary is divided by the The Tempest
Twelfth Night
five acts of the play and is
an ideal introduction before Trivia
reading the original text. Authorship
Bard Facts
Bibliography
Act I. Biography
FAQ
Films
Globe Theatre
Orsino, The Duke of Illyria Pictures
reveals his great love for the Quiz
Timeline
rich Countess Olivia who we
learn has decided to veil
herself for seven years to
honor her recently deceased
brother's memory. Profoundly
impressed by this, the Duke
continues his pursuit of Olivia
undeterred...

Viola is introduced to us as a
survivor of a shipwreck. Her
brother was lost at sea but
may not be dead. Viola learns
from the Sea Captain of their
doomed ship that they are
now in Illyria, which is ruled
by Orsino. The Sea Captain
explains to Viola that The
Duke of Illyria is pursuing the
fair Olivia, a woman who like
Viola has lost a brother.

Identifying with Olivia's grief,

Viola wishes to serve Olivia
but when she learns this will
be impossible, Viola instead
has the Sea Captain disguise
her as a boy so she can serve
Orsino, The Duke of Illyria.

Sir Toby, Olivia's cousin is

introduced. We quickly

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Twelfth Night Characters en 1

 Study Guides
Twelfth Night Characters guide Hamlet
Julius Caesar
studies each character's role King Henry IV
and motivation in this play. King Lear
Macbeth
Merchant of Venice
Othello
Orsino, Duke of Illyria: The Romeo and Juliet
ruler of Illyria. Powerful and a The Tempest
Twelfth Night
gentleman, he is obsessed with
gaining the hand in marriage of Trivia
the fair Lady Olivia, unaware that Authorship
Bard Facts
he himself has a secret admirer. Bibliography
Biography
FAQ
Viola and disguised as a man, Films
Globe Theatre
Cesario: The secret admirer of Pictures
Orsino, Viola comes to work for Quiz
Timeline
Orsino when having been
shipwrecked, she disguises
herself as a man, and works for
the Duke. Much favored by the
Duke, Viola is entrusted to
convey the Duke's love to
Countess Olivia. This later causes
problems for Viola, who serves
her master faithfully, despite
desiring Orsino for herself and
being the unwitting (and
unwilling!) target of Countess
Olivia's affections. Viola has a
brother, called Sebastian who is
identical to her male appearance
as Cesario; she fears that he died
when their ship broke up at the
beginning of the play.

(Note: Cesario will be described

in the third person as the man he
appears to be to the other
characters in this play, though
Cesario is of course a women in
disguise).

A Sea Captain: A friend to

Viola, he helps her to disguise
herself as Cesario. He initially
reports Sebastian dead.

Lady Olivia: A countess of high

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Twelfth Night Characters Analysis en 1
 Study Guides
Twelfth Night characters Hamlet
Julius Caesar
analysis features noted King Henry IV
Shakespeare scholar King Lear
Macbeth
William Hazlitt's famous Merchant of Venice
Othello
critical essay about Romeo and Juliet
Twelfth Night's The Tempest
Twelfth Night
characters.
Trivia
THIS is justly considered Authorship
Bard Facts
as one of the most Bibliography
delightful of Shakespear's Biography
FAQ
comedies. It is full of Films
Globe Theatre
sweetness and pleasantry. Pictures
It is perhaps too good- Quiz
Timeline
natured for comedy. It has
little satire, and no spleen.
It aims at the ludicrous
rather than the ridiculous. It
makes us laugh at the
follies of mankind, not
despise them, and still less
bear any ill-will towards
them. Shakespear's comic
genius resembles the bee
rather in its power of
extracting sweets from
weeds or poisons, than in
leaving a sting behind it.
He gives the most amusing
exaggeration of the
prevailing foibles of his
characters, but in a way
that they themselves,
instead of being offended
at, would almost join in to
humour; he rather contrives
opportunities for them to
shew themselves off in the
happiest lights, than
renders them contemptible
in the perverse construction
of the wit or malice of
others.-There is a certain
stage of society in which
people become conscious
of their peculiarities and

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