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Twelfth Night, or What You Will adaptations: books & films
Every version of Twelfth Night, or What You Will — the books & films, compared across media.
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, or What You Will turns on a simple disguise: Viola assumes her twin brother's identity and finds herself caught between a duke she loves and a woman that duke is pursuing. The gender-swap comedy has translated readily across centuries and formats. This page pairs a dual-text study edition of the original play with She's the Man, a 2006 film that sets the same scheme inside a contemporary boarding school.
Twelfth Night, or What You Will films
Twelfth Night, or What You Will books
Frequently asked
Is She's the Man based on a book or play?
She's the Man is adapted from Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, or What You Will, transposing its gender-disguise plot into a modern boarding school setting.
How many versions of Twelfth Night are on this page?
Two: the original play in a dual-text study edition paired with a modern version, and She's the Man, a 2006 film that updates the story to a contemporary boarding school.
Which version should I start with?
The study edition includes both the original text and a modern version alongside discussion questions, making it a good starting point if you want context. She's the Man works as a self-contained entry point if you prefer the story in a contemporary setting first.