Twelfth Night, or What You Will (1734)
Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a 1734 drama book written by William Shakespeare.
Shipwreck separates the twins Viola and Sebastian on the coast of Illyria, each believing the other drowned. Viola disguises herself as a boy, takes service with Duke Orsino, and carries his love notes to the Countess Olivia, who promptly falls for the messenger. Around this tangle Shakespeare sets a household of drunkards and schemers, chief among them the puffed-up steward Malvolio, whom they gull with a forged letter. The comedy runs on mistaken identity, unrequited longing, and the fool's clear-eyed songs. Written around 1601 for the Christmas season, it balances giddy farce against a real ache underneath.
Quick answers
What is Twelfth Night, or What You Will about?
Shipwreck separates the twins Viola and Sebastian on the coast of Illyria, each believing the other drowned. Viola disguises herself as a boy, takes service with Duke Orsino, and carries his love notes to the Countess Olivia, who promptly falls for the messenger. Around this tangle Shakespeare sets a household of drunkards and schemers, chief among them the puffed-up steward Malvolio, whom they gull with a forged letter. The comedy runs on mistaken identity, unrequited longing, and the fool's clear-eyed songs. Written around 1601 for the Christmas season, it balances giddy farce against a real ache underneath.
When was Twelfth Night, or What You Will published?
Twelfth Night, or What You Will was published in 1734.
Who made Twelfth Night, or What You Will?
Twelfth Night, or What You Will was written by William Shakespeare.
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A few thoughts on Twelfth Night, or What You Will
She's the Man drags the plot to an American high school, with Amanda Bynes taking Viola's disguise onto the soccer field. For the theatre itself, Trevor Nunn's 1996 film keeps the language and lets the melancholy show. Shakespeare in Love catches the same era's stagecraft and cross-dressed romance, a good companion to the mood.
Shakespearean disguise, mistaken identity, and elaborate deception
Twelfth Night runs on Viola's disguise as a boy and the romantic tangle it causes. Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare's own cousin plot, tricking two sharp-tongued rivals into confessing a love neither meant to admit, She's the Man and Shakespeare in Love carry that same cross-dressing premise into a soccer field and a London stage, and The Rose of Versailles and Liar Game push disguise and deception even further.