What is the summary of Twelfth Night?
Twelfth Night Summary. Viola, separated from her twin Sebastian, dresses as a boy and works for the Duke Orsino, whom she falls in love with. Orsino is in love with the Countess Olivia, and sends Viola to court her for him, but Olivia falls for Viola instead.
What type of story is Twelfth Night?
Shakespearean comedy
Twelfth Night can be considered a model Shakespearean comedy in that it employs nearly every feature of the genre: a wedding, mistaken identities, misunderstandings, physical comedy, and a happy ending.
What are the three plots in Twelfth Night?
The main plot follows the love triangle of Olivia, Orsino, and Viola, while the subplot follows the hilarious Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria in addition to their misadventures with Malvolio, Sebastian, and eventually the love triangle of the main plot.
How does 12th night end?
The play ends in a declaration of marriage between Duke Orsino and Viola, and it is learned that Sir Toby has married Maria. Malvolio swears revenge on his tormentors and stalks off, but Orsino sends Fabian to placate him.
What is the first line of Twelfth Night?
The opening lines of Twelfth Night, in which a moping Orsino, attended by his servants and musicians, says, “If music be the food of love, play on,” establish how love has conquered Orsino (I.i. 1 ). His speech on this subject is rather complicated, as he employs a metaphor to try to establish some control over love.
Is Twelfth Night a happy ending?
There is a certain degree of expectation with the genre of comedy that despite whatever difficulties appear within the play, by the end these will be resolved and the play will have a traditional happy-ending with a marriage or a celebration in the final scene. The “Twelfth Night” is no exception to this rule.
How is Twelfth Night a satire?
Love is the central concern of Twelfth Night, and most of the characters indulge in sentimentality at one time or another. Another satirical aspect is presented by the plot in which Malvolio is fooled into believing that he is the object of Olivia’s love.
Why is Twelfth Night important?
”Twelfth Night” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and important comedies and has inspired adaptations and reimaginings for centuries. And its focus on complicated issues of gender, class, and same-sex attraction make it relevant to our current cultural moment.
What is the main love triangle in Twelfth Night?
The love triangle is complete: Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Cesario—and everyone is miserable.
Why does Olivia give Malvolio a ring to give to Cesario?
Olivia sends Cesario back to Orsino to tell him that Olivia still does not love him and never will. Then, after Cesario leaves, she sends Malvolio after him with a ring—a token of her attraction to Cesario—that she pretends Cesario left with her.
What happens to Malvolio?
When he finds the forged letter from Olivia (actually penned by Maria) that seems to offer hope to his ambitions, Malvolio undergoes his first transformation—from a stiff and wooden embodiment of priggish propriety into an personification of the power of self–delusion.
Is Viola de Lesseps a real person?
Was there really a woman named Viola De Lesseps and might Shakespeare have had an affair with her? No way. In truth, Rosaline is one of Shakespeare’s fictional characters, the unseen woman in “Romeo and Juliet” who gilts the young man before the play begins and thus, in some ways, sets the story in motion.
What is the tragedy in Twelfth Night?
The greatest tragedy of all in Twelfth Night is this sacrifice of freedom in the name of adhering to societal obligation. Olivia sacrifices her freedom to marry a man she barely knows. Viola forsakes her identity as the clever and intelligent woman seen in Act One, Scene Two for the facade of “Cesario” to fit in with society.
What happens in Twelfth Night?
A belief has arisen in modern times, in some English-speaking countries, that it is unlucky to leave Christmas decorations hanging after Twelfth Night, a tradition originally attached to the festival of Candlemas (2 February), which celebrates the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. A popular Twelfth Night tradition was to have a bean and pea hidden inside a Twelfth-night cake; the “man who finds the bean in his slice of cake becomes King for the night while the lady who finds a pea in her slice of cake becomes Queen for the night.”.
What are the archetypes in Twelfth Night?
Twelfth Night. Reliant as it is on cross-dressing, identical twins and plenty of fast-moving wordplay, *Twelfth Night* looks like the archetypal Shakespeare comedy – but one which begins with two characters mourning for their lost brothers and ends with another swearing revenge “on the whole pack of you”.
Who are the characters in Twelfth Night?
See below for a full list of all the characters in Twelfth Night: ORSINO, Duke of Illyria. OLIVIA, a rich Countess. VIOLA, in love with the Duke. SIR TOBY BELCH , Uncle to Olivia. SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK. MALVOLIO, Steward to Olivia. MARIA, Olivia’s Woman.