Twelfth Night abbreviated

Synopsis


Dubrovnik may be the setting for this relatively short love-comedy. We know however that the play is staged as if Illyria; Illyria being an historic stretch of the world that runs along the rocky eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Illyria may have been the region that represents present day Croatia.

How the play came to be named Twelfth Night remains somewhat of a mystery. It’s been written that its name was associated with the last night of celebration of the Christmas season. The play has also been known by the title What You Will.

Early in the play we learn that Viola, a young lady from Messaline, has found herself in Illyria, the result of a shipwreck. She is seriously worried that her twin brother, Sebastian, may not have survived the shipwreck; he having been with her when the ship went down. She’s a young, attractive, confident, quick-thinking woman. As the play begins, we learn that Orsino, the duke of Illyria, has fallen for the beautiful and wealthy Lady Olivia, a local woman whose father and brother have died recently. (Infatuation, Act 1, Scene 1) The play opens with the famous line “If music be the food of love, play on,” spoken by Orsino, lovesick as he is for Olivia. How the duke, who would have known just about everybody, could not have fallen for Olivia earlier remains a mystery, but there you go. To honor the memory of her brother, Olivia has made a recent commitment to herself to forsake the company of men for seven years, a commitment she soon breaks, kind of.

Having recovered from the shipwreck, Viola asks the sea captain “who governs here” and learns that the duke is Orsino. She asks the sea captain to “Conceal me what I am. I’ll serve this duke. Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him.” With the sea captain as her reference, Orsino employs Viola as a page; she taking the name Cesario. He puts her (him) to work immediately, assigning her to woo Olivia on his behalf, Olivia having declared that she has no interest in Orsino, or at this point any other man.

Olivia has an interesting set of employees; a group that includes Toby Belch, her hard-drinking kinsman; Maria, her trick-playing gentlewoman; Malvolio, her pretentious steward; Fabian, a seemingly regular guy; and Feste, the Fool, a clever entertainer, who we’re told was a favorite in her father’s court. Toby has brought in his friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, encouraging him to see if he can win Olivia’s heart, a long-shot at best. We also learn that Malvolio has a one-sided unrealistic romantic interest in Olivia. Maria has a reasonable suggestion for Sir Toby, telling him that Sir Andrew’s chances of winning Olivia’s heart might improve if the two of them would spend less time out at night, drinking and reveling.

Meanwhile Orsino instructs Cesario to be very aggressive in his attempts to persuade Olivia to pay attention to him; he after all is the duke. The Fool lets Olivia know that he thinks she’s the fool to forsake men to honor her brother. (Counsel, Act 1, Scene 5.1) Cesario visits Olivia, but he (Viola as Cesario) is so persuasive in selling Orsino that Olivia falls for him (her), to Viola’s dismay. (Counsel, Act 1, Scene 5.2)

Meanwhile, Viola’s twin brother Sebastian, the brother she thought had been lost at sea, arrives in this city in Illyria with Antonio, the sailor who had saved his life during the shipwreck. Antonio, having in the past been in trouble with the law here in Illyria, having years ago seriously injured Orsino’s nephew, tries to remain inconspicuous. He quietly slips off anonymously to their hotel, asking Sebastian to hold his wallet for him.

As Cesario leaves Olivia’s home, Olivia, as we say, having taken a romantic interest in Viola, thinking she a he, has Malvolio chase down Cesario to give him a ring; a ring she tells him Cesario had left with her. Malvolio catches up with her and gives her the ring; Viola gets the message. (Introspection, Act 2, Scene 2) Later, Toby, Andrew and the Fool, spending the evening out on the town carousing, arrive back at Olivia’s home, disturbing some of those who’ve been asleep, the self-righteous Malvolio offering them an unwanted lecture. To get even for the lecture, Maria suggests the men play a trick on him, suggesting to them that through a letter she’ll write, Maria having a handwriting very similar to Olivia’s, that she’ll suggest to Malvolio that he dress up in a most unusual outfit; and that by doing so he’ll have a good chance of winning Olivia’s heart. The naïve Malvolio buys into the trick, buying into the letter.

Viola has now fallen for Orsino. (Love, Act 2, Scene 4) Oblivious to her interest in him, Orsino sends her (still believing she’s Cesario) back to Olivia to continue to pursue her on his behalf. (Chauvinism, Act 2, Scene 4) During this second meeting, Olivia lets Cesario know how much she cares for him. Olivia asks “Stay. I prithee, tell me what thou think’st of me.” Viola replies “That you do think you are not what you are.” Olivia says “If I think so, I think the same of you.” And Viola says “Then think you right. I am not what I am.” Cesario lets her know that it will never work, and that besides she’s loyal to her employer. Meanwhile, Sir Andrew begins to accept that he is most unlikely to win Olivia’s hand. Toby convinces him that he still has a chance, but that perhaps he should be more gallant and valiant, suggesting he challenge Cesario to a duel. He does.

At about this point Malvolio greets Olivia, dressed outlandishly in his “yellow stockings and cross-gartered” and doing “nothing but smile,” all of which Olivia really dislikes; all of which was suggested by Maria in her forged letter. (Tease, Act 2, Scene 5) Olivia considers him mad, and has him imprisoned. Separately, Sir Toby arranges an appropriate time and place for Andrew to challenge Cesario to a duel. Viola does her best to get out of it, but at a certain point she is forced to draw her sword. As she does, Antonio, out for an innocent and anonymous walk sees a vulnerable Viola-as-Cesario, and thinking she Sebastian, comes to her defense. Officers enter, recognize Antonio, and arrest him. Antonio, realizing he’ll need bail, looks to Viola to return his wallet. Unaware that he is her brother’s very good friend, Viola offers to lend him some money, but that’s the best she says she can do. A bewildered Antonio shouts at her saying “Will you deny me now? Is ‘t possible with those kindnesses that I have done for you?” Viola calmly replies “I know of none. I hate ingratitude more in a man than lying, vainness or babbling drunkenness.” As the police converge on him, Antonio says “Let me speak a little. This youth that you see here I snatched one half out of the jaws of death.” The Officer says “What’s that to us?” Antonio is taken away. Viola starts to tie the pieces and events together.

Andrew soon sees Sebastian, who is just out for a stroll, and attacks him, thinking he is Cesario. They start to fight. Sebastian cries “Are all the people mad?” Sebastian draws his sword and then so does Toby. Olivia enters yelling “Hold, Toby! On my life I charge thee, hold!” Her male entourage exits. Olivia’s presence calms things. Thinking Sebastian is Cesario, as the others did, Lady Olivia persuasively suggests that he come home with her. He accepts her offer, she having a number of attractive characteristics.

Meanwhile, the Fool disguises himself as a priest and visits Malvolio in prison. At first the Fool teases him with little mercy; then helps him as a loyal friend. Meanwhile, Sebastian doesn’t quite believe his good fortune, tying up as he has with the beautiful and rich Olivia. She has asked him to marry her. They marry. (Acceptance, Act 4, Scene 3)

Meanwhile, as Orsino and Cesario are talking, Antonio is led onto the stage by officers. It’s then when Orsino recognizes him for who he is, having been the one who crippled his nephew years ago. (Contrition, Act 5, Scene 1) Olivia soon enters. Orsino lets Olivia know how angry he is that she has fallen for his aide, Cesario. Viola then lets all know that she’s a she and that she loves Orsino. A confused Olivia believes that her husband, Sebastian, is Cesario. Andrew enters, telling all how Cesario has just beaten him up. Viola lets them know something’s amiss. Sebastian enters. Viola and Sebastian warmly greet each other, each not knowing that the other had survived the shipwreck. Olivia learns that Maria, who has now run off and married Sir Toby, was the one who with the forged letter led the dirty-trick played on Malvolio. Malvolio backs off his earlier declared need for revenge. (Resentment, Act 5, Scene 1) Orsino announces that he and Viola will be married, she becoming his queen. This is another happy ending to yet one more of Shakespeare’s cleverly woven love-comedies.


Principal Characters


Feste the Fool
The Fool is a member of Olivia’s court, a hold-over from her father’s time, offering wisdom and insight through his quick wit, as do all of Shakespeare’s Fools.

Malvolio
Malvolio is Olivia’s pompous steward, who gets under the skin of Toby, Toby’s friend Andrew, Maria and Fabian, all of whom are members of Olivia’s household entourage.  Malvolio (as does Andrew Aguecheek, Toby’s friend) has a one-sided, misguided romantic interest in Olivia.  Maria misleads him badly, causing him to be embarrassed and imprisoned through a dreadful but funny trick. 

Olivia
Lady Olivia is the single, wealthy heiress who recently has taken a vow to forsake the company of men for seven years, a tribute, she claims, to her brother who just died.  Her brother had accepted his father’s request to look after his sister, their father having died within the past year.  Her credibility is a little suspect, she falling for Viola at first sight, she disguised as Cesario, and then marrying Sebastian, thinking he Cesario. 

Orsino
Orsino is the duke of Illyria, who as the play begins has fallen head-over-heels for Olivia, only recently having seen her.  He employs Viola as Cesario and quickly sends him on the important mission to woo Olivia on his behalf.  Cesario quickly becomes his confidant, he wishing Cesario were a she.  As with Viola, Shakespeare provides him with some good lines.

Sebastian
Sebastian is Viola’s twin brother, endowed and bred with the same appealing qualities.  He arrives in Illyria mid-way though the play.  Shakespeare plays up the similarities beautifully, both being new to Illyria, both having strong family traits.

Viola
Viola is the gracious, loyal, talented young woman who pretends to be Cesario, masquerading as a eunuch, employed by Orsino and charged by Orsino to woo Olivia on his behalf.  She arrives in Illyria fearing she has lost her twin brother, Sebastian, when their ship wrecked.  She’s the heroine, having one of Shakespeare’s great roles for women, he giving her real good lines.  Shakespeare’s insights in this play are often passed on through Viola. 

 A portrait of William Shakespeare