^^^^^^^^^^
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE:  THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES 

  It is lucky for us that William Shakespeare lived in a time
of ferment like the Renaissance.  In another time, this grandson
of tenant farmers who never went to a university might not have
had the opportunity to become a playwright.  During the
Renaissance, England was a place of change and opportunity.  The
discovery of the New World brought excitement and wealth.  The
old feudal order was passing away.  Though the structure of
society was still strictly divided into classes, some movement
between the ranks became possible. 

  Shakespeare grew up in the small town of Stratford.  His
father, John Shakespeare, was a merchant and glovemaker.  By the
time of William's birth in 1564, John was doing well.  He had
married Mary Arden, the daughter of a well-to-do landowner, and
had held several important offices in the local government.  No
records exist to prove the exact date of William's birth, but we
know he was baptized on April 26, 1564.  Because most infants
were baptized when they were three days old, April 23 is
traditionally considered Shakespeare's birthday. 

  After 1577, John apparently came upon financial hard times.
His name disappeared from the list of town councillors and was
entered on the record of those not seen attending church.  Most
likely, he was in debt. 

  Shakespeare probably attended the free grammar school in
Stratford, where he could have received a good education, and a
thorough grounding in the Latin classics.  No further official
documentation of his activities exists until his marriage
contract with Anne Hathaway, signed on November 28, 1582.  Anne
was older than William by eight years.  Their first child,
Susanna, was born in May, 1583.  In 1585, Anne gave birth to
twins--Judith and Hamnet. 

  We don't know how Shakespeare made his living in Stratford.
He may have been a schoolteacher or a private tutor.  Tradition
has it that he had to leave Stratford because he was caught
poaching.  More likely he went to London in search of
opportunity. 

  Whatever reason Shakespeare may have had for leaving his home
town, opportunity was clearly what he found in London.  The next
surviving public document to mention his name is a pamphlet
written by playwright Robert Greene in 1592.  By that time,
Shakespeare had arrived in London and become an actor.  What's
more, he had begun writing plays.  Greene condescendingly refers
to Shakespeare as an upstart actor who has the nerve to think he
can write as well as an educated gentleman.  If the venom of
Greene's attack is a measure of envy, Shakespeare must have been
doing well by then. 

  The fact that a man who had never been to a university
presumed to write plays probably offended Greene's sense of
order and propriety.  He was not the only one made uncomfortable
by the changes in the social order brought about by the
Renaissance.  Change always brings with it a certain amount of
resentment, especially among those people who were happy with
the status quo. 

  Twelfth Night was not written as a social treatise, and it
would be a serious mistake to try to make it one.  Nonetheless,
in the Illyria of the play you find a society that has much in
common with Shakespeare's London. 

  The modern idea of equality had no place in Elizabethan
thinking.  No one doubted that some people were better than
others.  There was a definite hierarchy, an order in society.
Philosophically, this reflected the order in the universe.  When
people behaved improperly, either by pretending to be better
than they were or by failing to live up to the standards
expected of them, the whole world would become disordered.  In
Twelfth Night, part of the comic disorder is caused by the
aspirations of Malvolio and Sir Andrew, and by the emotional
self-indulgence of Orsino and Olivia. 

  Orsino and Olivia are important in the world of Illyria
because they are at the top of this social ladder.  They are the
nobles, and are expected to behave nobly.  Rank definitely had
its privileges, but it had duties as well.  Those duties
included behaving suitably and sensibly. 

  Two of the other characters in Twelfth Night, Sir Andrew
Aguecheek and Sir Toby Belch, belong to the same class as Orsino
and Olivia, though they are at the bottom end of it.  Their
failures are far more extreme than those of Olivia and Orsino,
and so they are more ludicrously comic. 

  Some readers see them as representatives of knighthood in
decline.  We cannot help but notice that Sir Andrew seems
completely untrained in the skills a knight should have.
Instead, there is a great fuss about his wealth.  This provides
a bit of social satire.  In Shakespeare's day, a man with enough
money could buy a knighthood.  (Queen Elizabeth I was known to
sell even higher titles on occasion.) You can imagine that the
members of the older aristocracy were less than thrilled to have
their ranks invaded by these wealthy upstarts.  If Sir Andrew's
knighthood comes from wealth and not from birth, it is utterly
ridiculous for him to hope to marry someone as high above him as
Olivia. 

  Below these characters are the servants, the lower class.  If
they had little in the way of rights, they also had little in
the way of obligations.  Therefore, they are far freer to
indulge in foolishness of one sort or another, and these are the
characters who are likely to be involved in scenes of slapstick
comedy. 

  This class was not, however, immune to the virus of social
climbing.  In Twelfth Night, you can see this in the character
of the Puritan steward Malvolio. 

  Missing from the play, but growing in reality in
Shakespeare's time, is the middle class.  This class, to which
Shakespeare himself belonged, did not appear too much in
literature yet.  Stories tended to reflect the society of a
somewhat earlier world. 

  Moving freely among all the classes, both in the play and in
real life, was the fool.  Most royal and many noble households
kept a fool (or clown) for entertainment.  This was the court
jester, a term you may have heard.  Natural fools were actual
idiots, kept for amusement.  Wise fools, like Feste in this
play, were intelligent and witty. 

  Court fools occupied a special place in society.  They could
move back and forth from the kitchen to the king's chamber.
Some even accompanied their noble employers on state occasions.
Frequently they were allowed far more license of speech than
would be permitted anyone else. 

  Although the idea of hierarchy, of an order in nature
reflected in the social order, was generally accepted in
Shakespeare's time, society was actually far more flexible than
it had been, and change could be seen everywhere.  One change
that can be seen in Twelfth Night is in the attitude toward
romantic Courtly Love. 

  Popularized by the medieval troubadours, the point of Courtly
Love was that it was never consummated.  The lover devoted
himself to a beloved who, for some reason, could never be his.
What was important was the exquisite suffering of the lover as
he dedicated himself to the unobtainable. 

  In Twelfth Night, Orsino obviously sees himself as a courtly
lover.  Olivia as well, in her extravagant devotion to her dead
brother, is indulging herself in romantic notions.  In contrast
are Viola and Sebastian, the honest and practical brother and
sister. 

  Shakespeare was already an extremely popular playwright when
Twelfth Night was first performed about 1600, and his success
continued.  His works after Twelfth Night include the four great
tragedies--Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.  In 1603,
Shakespeare's company was chartered by Elizabeth's successor,
James I, as the King's Men.  When Shakespeare retired to
Stratford in 1611, he lived in the second biggest house in town,
called New Place.  On April 23 (possibly the same day of the
year on which he was born) in 1616, he died. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  THE PLOT 

  Orsino, the duke of Illyria, is helplessly in love with the
Countess Olivia.  She, however, refuses to return his
affections, preferring instead to mourn her dead brother.  She
will not even see the messengers he sends daily.  Rejection only
seems to increase Orsino's ardor.  He spends his days listening
to sad music and pining away for Olivia. 

  A shipwreck throws a stranger, Viola, a young woman of noble
birth, onto the shore of Illyria and into the middle of this
situation.  She believes her brother was drowned in the same
shipwreck.  Needing some time to get her bearings in this
strange country, she disguises herself as a boy, calls herself
Cesario, and presents herself to Duke Orsino.  He immediately
takes a liking to this "boy" and sends "him" as a messenger to
Olivia.  Viola/Cesario does what Orsino asks, but she has a
problem--she has fallen in love with Orsino herself! 

  Viola/Cesario proves to be an excellent messenger when she
calls on Olivia.  Her determination wins her an audience with
the lady.  She movingly pleads Orsino's case.  Olivia resists
the entreaties on Orsino's behalf.  When Viola/Cesario leaves,
however, you learn the truth.  Olivia has now fallen hopelessly
in love with Viola/Cesario!  She sends her puritanical steward
Malvolio after Viola/Cesario with a ring. 

  Malvolio rudely accosts Viola/Cesario and repeats the lie
Olivia told him--that the ring was a gift from Orsino and that
Olivia is returning it.  Viola/Cesario knows that she gave the
lady no ring.  She quickly figures out the truth.  Olivia is in
love with somebody who doesn't exist. 

  Meanwhile, Olivia has another suitor, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a
simpleton who fancies himself a ladies' man.  The wealthy
Aguecheek is being deceived by Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch,
into believing he has a chance of winning Olivia's hand.
Actually, Sir Toby is toying with Sir Andrew, milking him for
his money.  They live in Olivia's house and spend all night
drinking and carousing. 

  Sir Toby and Malvolio are natural enemies.  Toby hates
propriety, while Malvolio always assumes a solemn manner.
Actually, the self-righteous Malvolio harbors the mad hope that
his lady Olivia will one day marry him and make him her equal.
Olivia's maid Maria scolds Sir Toby for his rude ways, but she
has a touch of mischief in her, too.  It is she who invents the
plot to get revenge on Malvolio. 

  The plot works like this:  Maria forges a letter from Olivia
to her "secret love." Then, she leaves it where Malvolio will
find it.  Malvolio, in his egotism, believes the letter is meant
for him.  He follows its ridiculous instructions--to wear yellow
stockings, smile constantly and be "opposite with a kinsman,
surly with servants." When he behaves that way in front of
Olivia, she is convinced he has gone crazy and has him locked
away. 

  Sir Andrew sees Olivia trying to woo "Cesario." Egged on by
Sir Toby, he challenges Viola/Cesario to a duel.  Viola/Cesario,
who is in fact a girl, and Sir Andrew, who is really a coward,
are both manipulated by Sir Toby.  Sir Toby enjoys terrifying
both of them by convincing each that the other is a great
duelist who has killed many men. 

  Fate plays its own joke, however, when Viola/Cesario's twin
brother Sebastian arrives in Illyria.  Sebastian believes that
his sister was drowned in the shipwreck.  He's confused when
Olivia accosts him and demands that he marry her (she thinks he
is Cesario).  Olivia is surprised herself when he agrees.  She
quickly gets him to repeat his promise in front of a priest. 

  The numerous confusions all come to a head and then unravel
when Orsino calls upon Olivia.  She says that Viola/Cesario has
promised to marry her.  Viola/Cesario denies it.  The priest
confirms Olivia's story.  Both Orsino and Olivia believe they
have been betrayed.  Just then, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby come in,
beaten and bleeding.  Sir Andrew claims that they have been
fighting with Viola/Cesario.  He is surprised to see his enemy
there before him. 

  It was Sebastian, of course, who gave them their beating.
His entrance shocks Orsino, Olivia, and the others, who think
they must be going crazy.  Viola, however, is overjoyed to be
reunited with the brother she thought was dead.  She reveals
that she is a woman. 

  The confusion dispelled, things quickly fall into their
natural order.  Orsino marries Viola.  Olivia marries Sebastian.
Sir Toby marries the witty Maria.  Only Malvolio clings to his
self-love, refuses to accept the apology he is offered, and
stalks off, vowing revenge on everybody. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  VIOLA 

  In the middle of the group of outrageous characters who
inhabit the world of Twelfth Night stands one of Shakespeare's
most level-headed creations.  It may seem odd to us that
circumstances should force Viola to disguise herself as a boy,
but she reacts to people and situations in a way you can
understand and identify with. 

  Viola is young, beautiful, and nobly born.  These qualities
you hear about from the other characters.  She is also extremely
smart and deeply passionate.  These qualities can be seen in
what she does. 

  Her intelligence takes two forms.  First, see how skillfully
she chooses her words when she wants to tell Orsino she loves
him.  Her passion drives her to tell him how she feels.  Still,
she must not let him guess that she is a girl.  Therefore, her
statements have to sound plausible coming from Cesario.  Or look
at her scenes with Olivia.  In Act I, Scene v, Viola can play
any word game Olivia wishes to indulge in.  Viola displays as
much skill with words as any lawyer or scholar. 

  The other kind of intelligence Viola possesses is an
instinctive sense of how to take care of herself.  She knows the
danger she could be in as a young girl alone in a strange place.
That's why she adopts the disguise of a young boy.  She puts
herself in a position where she can rely on her own quick
wits. 

  Her passion is revealed in the way she expresses herself.
Since she cannot simply turn to Orsino and say "I love you," the
intensity of her feelings is reflected in the poetry of her
speech.  One of the best and most famous examples is the passage
in Act II, Scene iv where she tells Orsino about the love her
"sister" had to conceal.  (Of course, Viola is really talking
about her own feelings.) Another example is in Act I, Scene v.
Disguised as Cesario, Viola tells what she would do to woo
Olivia if she were Orsino.  Olivia is moved so deeply that she
falls in love with "Cesario"! 

  The love Viola feels is sincere and mature.  She puts
Orsino's happiness before her own.  He loves Olivia, so Viola
woos the lady for him. 

  Viola is patient and optimistic.  She faces her impossible
situation with relative calm.  Time, she says, must sort out
these problems.  The other characters get into trouble by trying
to provide their own answers.  In the end, Viola's patience is
rewarded. 

  Although she wears a disguise, and in that sense is
presenting a false face to the world, Viola can actually be
considered the most honest character in the play. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ORSINO 

  Like several other characters in this play, Orsino doesn't
understand himself.  He sees himself as a man smitten by a
woman--Olivia.  Of all the lovers who have ever lived, he thinks
that he is the most sincere and ardent.  In truth, he is in love
with love.  Olivia is the nominal object of his affections, but
he is obsessed with love itself. 

  Orsino's wooing of Olivia seems unreal.  Until the very end
of the play, he never tries to see the lady himself.  Instead,
he sends messengers.  Also, Olivia has clearly and repeatedly
stated that she does not love him.  He has no reason to believe
her attitude will ever change.  He seems to admire his own
emotions more than he admires Olivia. 

  The play suggests that Orsino craves the melancholy feeling
that comes from unrequited love.  His favorite song tells the
story of a man who suffered so terribly when his lady rejected
him that he killed himself! 

  As the wealthy and powerful duke of Illyria, Orsino can spend
his time any way he chooses.  What he chooses is to lie about,
listen to music, and talk about how wonderful love is.  Once
Viola (disguised as Cesario) becomes part of his household, he
talks with the "boy" about love.  Olivia rarely gets mentioned.
Love alone is "high fantastical," he says in Act I.
Accordingly, he seems never to think about anything else. 

  Some readers wonder how Viola could love such a
self-indulgent person.  Perhaps she sees that, though he is
self-deceived, he is completely sincere.  Orsino simply cannot
see beyond his own obsession.  And you know from what the sea
captain says in Act I, Scene ii, that Orsino is regarded as a
noble gentleman.  He speaks like a man of charm and
intelligence. 

  In the end, Orsino comes to his senses.  Once he discovers
that "Cesario" is actually Viola, the fact that Olivia doesn't
want him becomes unimportant.  To his credit, he immediately
realizes that Viola is the proper mate for him.  The comic
foolishness of his previous insistence on marrying Olivia is
quickly forgiven and forgotten. 

  Though Orsino's love-sick behavior is humorous, he is no
silly caricature.  In fact he is deeply human.  Those who have
ached with an intense longing for the love of some unattainable
person can empathize with him.  Have you ever nursed an
unrealistic crush or infatuation for somebody who may not have
even known you were alive?  Later, you may look back and laugh,
saying "I certainly was silly," but at the time the feeling was
both painful and wonderful.  Orsino's condition is a common one,
and books, plays, and movies are filled with similar characters.
Orsino's behavior is theatrically exaggerated, and therefore
funny.  At the same time it is recognizably human, and therefore
touching. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  OLIVIA 

  Olivia resembles Orsino in several ways.  Like the duke, she
is wealthy, attractive, and nobly born.  She rules her large
household firmly but kindly.  Olivia and Orsino would seem to be
a good match.  But the lady's resoluteness in refusing Orsino's
love equals his determination to have her. 

  Her tendency toward excess is just as strong as Orsino's.
Her wealth allows her to do whatever she wants.  At the
beginning of the play, she has announced that she intends to
mourn her dead brother for no less than seven years.  Then,
after meeting Cesario (really Viola in disguise), she cannot
think about anything but the boy and how much she wants to marry
him. 

  Some readers interpret her proposal to mourn her brother for
seven years as a ploy to get attention.  Compare her behavior
with Viola's.  Does Viola love her brother less?  The play never
says why Olivia has decided to mourn for so long.  Perhaps she
would like to think of herself as the kind of person who suffers
greatly.  It could be that the lady herself doesn't know.  As
Olivia says when she falls in love with Cesario, people
frequently are driven by feelings and desires they do not
understand.  Most of the characters in the play don't understand
themselves any better than Olivia does. 

  Unlike Orsino, Olivia pursues the one she loves directly.
She constantly tries to win the boy's heart.  His refusal
frustrates her.  At times it makes her angry.  She knows that
what she does is neither wise nor dignified.  Still, she never
gives up. 

  Olivia's nature is compassionate.  Though Sir Toby Belch's
rude ways must offend her sensibilities, she takes good care of
him.  She will not allow her steward Malvolio to make fun of
Feste.  Later, when Malvolio has been humiliated, she feels
genuinely sorry for him. 

  Olivia has a quick mind.  She can trade quips with the fool
and verbally spar with Viola.  The verbal facility of both
ladies makes their scenes (Act I, Scene v and Act III, Scene i)
especially enjoyable. 

  She is also a good judge of character.  She knows that
Malvolio is "sick of self love." She also knows that her uncle,
Sir Toby, is a drunk.  Olivia can even assess Orsino's character
accurately.  She says that he is noble, wealthy, smart, and
brave, and that his only problem is he insists that he loves a
lady who will not have him. 

  Why does such a shrewd woman make a bad mistake when she
falls in love?  From what Olivia says at the end of Act I, Scene
v, she doesn't know the reason herself.  Many readers blame it
on her impulsiveness.  Cesario makes a strong impression on her,
so she immediately gives him her heart.  Other readers feel that
Viola's passionate plea in her master's behalf wins the lady's
heart.  Whatever Olivia's motivation may be, her behavior helps
to make clear that love can make otherwise rational people act
in an irrational fashion. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  MALVOLIO 

  Malvolio belongs to the servant class.  As Olivia's steward,
he has a place near the seat of power in the household.  He
would like nothing better than to wield that power himself.  In
his heart, he firmly believes that he is better than those he
serves.  It seems to him that Olivia treats him with special
respect.  Perhaps he misunderstands her kindness because he
himself would not be kind to those below him.  His name suggests
"ill will." When his lady is not around, Malvolio takes it upon
himself to try to discipline others, even, at times, his social
superiors, like Sir Toby.  Most of the time, Olivia seems to
appreciate the solemn dignity with which he carries out his
duties.  The others, however, sense his arrogant attitude and
regard him as an enemy. 

  Malvolio is actually in disguise.  He pretends to be a
Puritan.  He dresses in black.  Nothing amuses him.  Nobody ever
sees him smile.  But this is merely a pose he assumes, one that
allows him to criticize others. 

  Under his black garments beats a heart filled with vanity.
His daydreams all have to do with the time when Olivia will make
him her equal by marrying him.  He sees himself wearing fine
clothes and jewelry.  The household would then be his to
command.  He could get revenge on those who haven't treated him
respectfully. 

  It is ironic that Malvolio is much more successful at fooling
himself than he is at deceiving others.  The other members of
the household all see that he is a prig and a hypocrite.  Even
Olivia, who seems to value him as a servant, says he is "sick of
self love" (Act I, Scene i, line 92). 

  Though others can see through him, Malvolio fools himself
completely.  As Maria says, he believes that "all that look on
him love him" (Act II, Scene iii, line 152).  He is sure that
only some accident of luck caused such a fine man as himself to
be born a servant rather than a master.  Fortune, he thinks,
will eventually correct its mistake. 

  Malvolio's self deception makes him the perfect target for
Maria and Sir Toby's joke.  Maria's letter is only able to
convince him that Olivia loves him because that's what he wants
to believe.  When the letter tells him to act proud and haughty,
it only gives him permission to show how he already feels.  His
own pride causes him to act as foolishly as he does. 

  But Malvolio's real downfall is not caused by foolishness.
Nearly everybody in this play is foolish at one time or another.
Unlike the others, however, Malvolio simply cannot laugh at
himself, cannot recognize his own faults.  Therefore, he has no
part in the healing that occurs at the end of the play.  While
the others are all laughing at themselves and forgiving each
other, Malvolio clings to his anger.  When he makes his final
exit, he vows to take revenge on everybody.  Does he have an
excuse?  Did the joke go too far?  Or were the others justified
in trying to take him down a peg or two? 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  SIR TOBY BELCH 

  Sir Toby Belch, like Malvolio, lives up to the sound of his
name.  He spends every night and most days getting drunk.  As
Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby has the run of the house.  Taking
advantage of her generosity, he concerns himself primarily with
eating and drinking, and seems completely unconcerned with what
anybody thinks of him.  Even when he tries to behave properly
around his niece, he usually fails.  He cannot conceal how drunk
he is. 

  Sir Toby has a practical side.  At least he watches out for
his own interests.  His main drinking companion is Sir Andrew
Aguecheek.  Though it's obvious Sir Andrew is a dim-witted fool,
he has a value for Sir Toby.  Sir Andrew is a rich fool, and Sir
Toby manipulates him well.  Whenever Sir Toby needs money, Sir
Andrew sends home for some. 

  In fact, Sir Toby is extremely clever.  Look at his first
scene with Maria (Act II, Scene iii).  He plays with the meaning
of everything she says in a very sophisticated manner.  What
he's doing is deflecting criticism that he does not want to
hear. 

  Sir Toby is also a shrewd judge of character.  For example,
he knows exactly how much Olivia will let him get away with.  He
can tell that Maria loves him from the way she treats him,
though she has probably never told him so.  He can predict what
Sir Andrew will do with complete accuracy. 

  All this adds up to a description of a thoroughly selfish
character.  But is that all there is to him?  What most readers
enjoy about Sir Toby is his sense of fun.  His philosophy seems
to be that life is to be lived and enjoyed.  He doesn't mind
what others do as long as they leave him alone to enjoy
himself. 

  Therefore, there is nobody Sir Toby hates more than a killjoy
like Malvolio.  His most famous line sums up his attitude.  When
Malvolio scolds Sir Toby and his friends for being up late
drinking, Sir Toby responds, "Dost thou think, because thou art
virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?" (Act II, Scene
iii, lines 117-118).  Malvolio can be as much of a prig as he
wants to be, for all Sir Toby cares.  He just should not try to
interfere with other people's pleasures. 

  By the end of the play, Sir Toby has been both punished and
rewarded.  For carrying one of his practical jokes too far, he
gets a good beating.  That humiliation is enough to make up for
his sins, however.  Fabian reports later (Act V, Scene i, line
391) that Maria and Sir Toby have been married.  Though Sir Toby
clearly has not "reformed," he is allowed to share in the happy
ending. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK 

  In Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Shakespeare creates a "natural"
fool.  Unlike Feste, who is a wise fool, Sir Andrew is
entertaining in spite of himself.  Though he is vain and often
arrogant, you cannot hate him.  Unlike Malvolio, he is not
malicious.  He causes no real harm.  If you stop laughing at his
antics for a moment, you are likely to pity him.  He never quite
catches on to what is going on around him.  He places his trust
in Sir Toby who befriends him only because he is rich.  Sir Toby
deceives him into thinking that he has a chance of winning
Olivia's hand.  In Sir Andrew, Sir Toby has a willing dupe. 

  Poor Sir Andrew spends his energy trying to live up to the
false picture he has of himself.  As a knight, he believes he
should be skilled in all the courtly virtues.  He claims to be a
good dancer, but his attempts to execute even the simplest steps
are laughable.  A courtier should speak different languages.
Sir Andrew only makes a fool of himself when he tries to use the
few phrases of French he has managed to learn. 

  Sir Andrew is easily led by others, especially by Sir Toby.
Sir Andrew adores Sir Toby, who helps him believe he really is
what he would like to be.  It's amusing to watch Sir Toby
manipulate the knight.  No resolution of Sir Andrew's is so
strong that Sir Toby cannot completely turn him around in short
order.  When Sir Andrew loses track of what's going on, he just
repeats everything that Sir Toby says.  Sir Toby has even
convinced the knight that he has a chance of marrying Olivia. 

  Skill with a sword is another courtier's ability that Sir
Andrew would like to have.  As Maria says, he loves to start a
quarrel.  Since he can't fight, he has to talk or buy his way
out of trouble.  We see evidence of this when he offers
"Cesario" his horse if the boy will agree not to fight him. 

  Sir Andrew is too much of a simpleton to be blamed for his
actions.  Most readers regard him with amused sympathy.  He
knows that others call him a fool.  He even admits that he
worries on occasion that he may be no smarter than anybody else!
Still, he cannot or will not see himself as he is.  At the end
of the play, this upstart knight has been punished for his
vanity by being beaten by Sebastian and rejected by Sir Toby.
Shakespeare never tells us whether he learns anything from his
ordeal.  Do you think he would?  Did he deserve his
punishment? 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  MARIA 

  Though she is Olivia's servant, Maria has most of her scenes
with Sir Toby.  She represents a balanced middle ground between
Malvolio's insistence on decorum and Sir Toby's total disregard
for manners. 

  We see Maria make several attempts to reform Sir Toby, or at
least keep him out of trouble.  She warns him that Olivia will
not stand for much more of his drunkenness.  Later, she tries to
quiet Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Feste before they wake
Malvolio. 

  Once Malvolio threatens her, however, Maria becomes the chief
troublemaker.  Malvolio has barely left the room before she has
invented the plan to make a fool of him.  Then she carries out
her practical joke like a veteran prankster. 

  Maria is as clever with words as Sir Toby is.  Look at Act I,
Scene iii.  She does not let Sir Toby confuse her with his word
games.  She makes sure he hears exactly what she has to say to
him.  Then, when Sir Andrew comes in, she puts him down so
skillfully that at first he doesn't even realize that she's done
it.  No wonder Sir Toby admires her. 

  Shakespeare must approve of Maria's blend of manners and
mischief.  By the play's end she has been rewarded twice.  She
has gotten her revenge on Malvolio, and Sir Toby has married
her.  She has achieved exactly the change in class by marriage
that Malvolio wanted for himself.  Do you think she deserves her
"reward"? 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  FESTE 

  Feste is Olivia's "allowed fool," or clown.  He entertains
the other characters with songs, jokes, and puns.  While he has
access to all the various groups, he belongs to none.
Therefore, he has a perspective that the others all lack.  (For
more about the role of the fool in Elizabethan society, see "The
Author and His Times" section of this book.) 

  Under the guise of making jokes, Feste accurately evaluates
the behavior of those around him.  It's interesting to observe
how the different characters react to him.  Olivia knows what
Feste is doing and appreciates his skill.  She even lets him
instruct her.  Malvolio doesn't want to hear the truth about
himself, so he is uncomfortable around Feste.  Sir Andrew makes
a big show of admiring the fool's skill, but he can't tell when
Feste is just making up nonsense.  Sir Toby and Maria both match
wits with Feste, quip for quip.  Although Orsino has no interest
in anything Feste has to say, he values the fool's ability to
sing melancholy songs.  Can you see any advantage to having the
fool be the one in the play who sees the truth? 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  SEBASTIAN 

  Viola's brother Sebastian serves an important plot function.
She looks just like him when she disguises herself as a man.
Therefore, she is taken for him and he for her.  That confusion
serves to bring several plot strands together. 

  In his nature as well as his appearance, Sebastian is like
Viola.  Brother and sister care about each other deeply.  At the
beginning, neither can rejoice at being rescued from the sea,
because each thinks the other is dead.  Because of their love
for each other, their reunion at the end of the play becomes
more than just a resolution of the plot.  It is a touching and
magical moment. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  SETTING 

  When Viola crawls out of the sea after the shipwreck, the Sea
Captain tells her they are in Illyria.  Though there was an
actual Illyria on the coast of the Adriatic, you need not bother
looking on a map.  Shakespeare made sure that his audience could
learn all it needed to know about the settings of his plays from
listening to the text. 

  Shakespeare's Illyria is a fairy-tale land populated with
dukes, ladies, knights, and jesters.  You never meet any
"average" citizens.  All the characters are either nobles or
servants, plus a few seamen (or pirates, depending on whom you
ask). 

  Illyria's coast allows Viola and Sebastian to be washed
ashore.  Since the story has elements of fantasy, that unusual
method of arrival is appropriate. 

  When the sea washes Viola ashore in Illyria, it is as if she
is newly born.  She acquires a new name, a new sex, and enters
into a whole new world of fantasy. 

  This is the world of the Twelfth Night, the twelfth day of
the Christmas season, a traditional time for masquerades and
revels.  In the play, practically everyone wears a mask or is
disguised.  Not all the characters realize this, however!  Some
of them are deceived about themselves as well as about others.
As you read the play, try to see how reality and appearance are
being confused. 

  Illyria is also an idyllic kingdom, suitable for romance.
The scenes take place in palaces and gardens, music fills the
air, and almost everyone is in love. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  THEMES 

  Here are some of the major themes in Twelfth Night.  Notice
how they interweave and affect each other, much as the different
plot lines do. 

  1.  SELF-DECEPTION 

  This theme could also be called "What we are versus what we
think we are." Several of the characters cling to false ideas
about themselves.  Much of the humor and also the pathos and
sadness in the play derive from this fact.  For example, Sir
Andrew thinks he is a courtly gentleman.  Actually, he is a
clumsy simpleton.  When he tries to live up to his self-image,
he behaves foolishly.  Malvolio has convinced himself that he is
superior to those around him.  Orsino thinks he loves Olivia,
when, in fact, he is in love with love.  Examine the characters
to determine whether they see themselves as they are or as they
would like to be. 

  Even when the characters are deceived by others, they are
really victims of self-deception.  Maria's letter only confirms
what Malvolio has been telling himself already.  Sir Toby takes
advantage of Sir Andrew by telling him what he wants to hear. 

  2.  KINDS OF LOVE 

  Most of the characters are in love, but that word means
something different to each one. 

  ROMANTIC LOVE.  Orsino's hopeless passion for Olivia is a
perfect example of Romantic, or Courtly, Love.  Obstacles are
the essence of Romantic Love.  The beloved must be unobtainable.
The lover must remain chaste and pine for the woman he cannot
have.  Olivia actually helps Orsino by refusing his suit.  She
gives him an excuse to spend all day enjoying the pangs of
unrequited love. 

  Romantic love is also sudden and inexplicable.  So it is that
Olivia falls in love with Cesario.  There is no reason for
it--it is just a sudden, blind passion. 

  MATURE LOVE.  Though Viola's love for Orsino has a romantic
obstacle (her disguise as a boy), her feeling is genuine.  In
his romantic haze, Orsino worries only about himself and his own
feelings.  Viola's mature love unselfishly puts Orsino's
feelings before her own.  If Olivia is what he wants, Viola will
try to win her for him. 

  BROTHERLY LOVE.  Sebastian and Antonio share a deep feeling
for each other, which they call love.  This love is not sexual.
Today we would probably call this feeling friendship.  It is a
feeling of trust and a concern for the other person's well-being
born out of the difficult experiences they have shared.
Sebastian also knows that Antonio risked death for his sake. 

  FAMILIAL LOVE.  Viola and Sebastian's deep sadness when each
thinks the other has drowned is evidence of their love for each
other.  They are the only surviving members of their family.  At
the end of the play, Viola is as happy about finding her brother
alive as she is about marrying Orsino. 

  3.  THE DANGER OF VANITY 

  Vanity is really yet another kind of love--self love.  The
play suggests that vanity frequently causes people to make fools
of themselves.  Malvolio, for example, loves nobody but himself.
He wants to marry Olivia only to raise his social status.  He
loves himself so blindly that he never stops to question the
content of Maria's letter.  As you read Twelfth Night, look for
the ways the characters' self love gets them into trouble. 

  4.  THE IMPORTANCE OF LAUGHTER 

  Laughter in this play has a healing effect.  Revenge is
achieved not by fighting (not by serious fighting, anyway), but
by practical jokes.  Nobody is really hurt.  Even Sir Andrew and
Sir Toby's "bloody coxcombs" aren't serious injuries.  Pride and
jealousy do not lead to bloodshed.  They provoke laughter.  When
the laughter dies down in Act V, many of the characters'
problems are resolved happily.  Olivia and Orsino forget their
mistakes and joyfully accept their appropriate mates.  Pride and
deception are forgiven.  Malvolio helps clarify this theme by
refusing to see the humor in the joke that was played on him.
Since he cannot laugh at his punishment, as one critic points
out, he is prevented from accepting his reward.  In honor of
Malvolio we could also call this theme "the danger of taking
yourself too seriously." 

  5.  APPEARANCE VS.  REALITY 

  This is one of the major themes of literature, a serious
theme even in a comedy like this.  We know from real life that
appearances are often deceiving.  In this play, deception is
everywhere.  The young boy may really be a girl.  Or he may be
her brother.  That severe Puritan may be a vain social-climber.
A letter that promises your fortune may be assuring your
destruction.  That fearsome swordsman challenging you to a duel
may actually be a cowardly dolt.  Or that coward you attack may
be a brave young man who will give you a beating!  You will
notice as you read that in practically every scene, something
(or someone) is not what it appears to be. 

  Some of the characters seem to have a better grasp of reality
than others, and the more obvious disguises are least intended
as deceptions.  Viola's clothing may disguise her sex, but not
her honest and virtuous nature.  The fool, Feste, is the one who
keeps pointing out that words can be as misleading as physical
appearances. 

  6.  THE MADNESS OF LOVE 

  Driven by love, the characters lose control.  Olivia embarks
on what any objective viewer would have to call a humiliating
pursuit of a boy who is many ranks below her in social status.
Orsino lies about all day listening to music.  These two are not
ordinary fools.  They act foolishly because love overrides their
saner judgment. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  STYLE 

  The characters in Twelfth Night speak the language of
love-poetry.  They seem less concerned with what they have to
say than with how beautifully they express it.  Even the
characters who speak in prose try to choose the most beautiful
image or the perfect metaphor.  Orsino, of course, spends all
day making up love rhymes.  But even Olivia's maid Maria has the
skill to forge a properly poetic love letter.  Let's examine
briefly how Shakespeare uses language in this play. 

  Rarely is a statement made in a simple, declarative sentence.
Instead, the characters communicate mainly through the use of
the poetic techniques of metaphor and simile.  Technically, a
metaphor is a comparison made without using "like" or "as." For
example, Orsino says in Act I, Scene i, that after seeing Olivia
he was turned into a hart (a deer).  Of course he was not
literally transformed into an animal.  He uses the image of a
hunted animal to describe how he feels.  A simile uses imagery
in the same way, except that the speaker does use "like" or
"as." When Viola says her sister "sat like Patience on a
monument," she's using a simile. 

  Orsino's excessively flowery speech lets you know that he is
in love with love.  Viola's poise is revealed in her precise
choice of words while she is carrying off her disguise.  The
poetic beauty of her speech when she talks about love
demonstrates the depth of her passion.  You know that Andrew is
a fool because he tries so hard to speak beautifully and fails
so miserably. 

  As you read each scene, ask yourself two questions.  First,
how are the characters using imagery to communicate?  Second,
what are you learning about the characters from the way they
speak? 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ELIZABETHAN ENGLISH 

  The way we use language changes.  Differences in
pronunciation and word choice are apparent even between parents
and their children.  If language differences can appear in one
generation, it is only to be expected that the English used by
Shakespeare four hundred years ago will diverge markedly from
the English that is used today.  The following information on
Shakespeare's language will help a modern reader to a fuller
understanding of Twelfth Night. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  WORD CLASSES 

  Adjectives, nouns and verbs were less rigidly confined to
particular classes in Shakespeare's day. 

  Adjectives could be used as adverbs, as when "loud" occurs
where today we would require "loudly": 

  I speak too loud 

  (III, iv, 4) 

  Adjectives could be used as nouns.  In lines 90-91 of the
same scene, Malvolio tells Fabian: 

  Go off, I discard you:  let me enjoy my private 

  where "privacy" would be used today.  Nouns often functioned
as verbs.  In Act IV, Scene ii, line 94 "property" is used to
mean "confine": 

  They have here propertied me; keep me in darkness 

  and verbs could be used as nouns as in: 

 
...Make no compare 

  Between that love a woman can bear me, 

  And that I owe Olivia 

  (II, iv, 102) 

  where "compare" is equivalent to "comparison." 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  WORD MEANINGS 

  The meanings of all words undergo change, a process that can
be illustrated by the fact that "nice" used to mean "wanton" and
"small" meant "slender." Many of the words in Shakespeare still
exist today but their meanings have changed.  The change may be
small, as in the case of "cars" meaning "carriages/chariots"
in: 

  Though our silence be drawn from us with cars, 

  yet peace 

  (II, v, 60) 

  or more fundamental, so that "complexion" (II, iv, 26) meant
"general appearance," "silly" (II, iv, 46) meant "innocent,"
"admire" (III, iv, 152) meant "be amazed by," and "perspective"
(V, i, 209) meant "distorting glass." 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  VOCABULARY LOSS 

  Words not only change their meanings, but are frequently
discarded from the language.  In the past, "leman" meant
"sweetheart" and "sooth" meant "truth." The following words used
in Twelfth Night are no longer common in English but their
meanings can usually be gauged from the contexts in which they
occur. 

  COISTREL (I, iii, 40) fellow of low repute 

  KICKSHAWSES (I, iii, 113) insignificant trifles (from QUELQUE
(CHOSES) 

  BARFUL (I, iv, 41) very difficult 

  GASKINS (I, v, 24) trousers, stockings for men 

  BOTCHER (I, v, 52) tailor 

  CANTONS (I, v, 294) songs 

  MAUGRE (II, i, 753) despite, in spite of 

  TESTRIL (II, iii, 34) small coin 

  COZIER (II, iii, 91) cobbler 

  CHAMPAIGN (II, v, 160) open countryside 

  POINT-DEVICE (II, v, 163) exactly, precisely 

  WELKIN (III, i, 59) sky, heavens 

  HAGGARD (III, i, 65) wild hawk 

  WAINROPES (III, ii, 57) strong ropes used to tie oxen or
horses to a cart 

  BAWCOCK (III, iv, 114) handsome man, dandy 

  TUCK (III, iv, 226) sword 

  YARE (III, iv, 226) quick, ready 

  DUELLO (III, iv, 314) duel 

  MALAPERT (IV, i, 43) pert, rude 

  SHENT (IV, ii, 108) scolded 

  BAWBLING (V, i, 52) insignificant, of little value 

  SCATHFUL (V, i, 54) destructive 

  BRABBLE (V, i, 63) fight, quarrel 

  PERPEND (V, i, 298) listen attentively, evaluate 

  GECK (V, i, 342) fool, idiot 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  VERBS 

  Shakespearean verb forms differ from modern usage in three
main ways: 

  1.  Questions and negatives could be formed without using
"do/did," as when the Duke asks Viola: 

  Died thy sister of her love? 

  (II, iv, 120) 

  where today we would say "Did your sister die of love?" or
where Sir Andrew Aguecheek insists: 

 
...I know not 

  (II, iii, 4) 

  where modern usage demands:  "I do not know." Shakespeare had
the option of using forms a.  and b.  where contemporary usage
generally permits only the a.  forms: 

  a.  b. 

  What are you saying?  What say you? 

  What did you say?  What said you? 

  I do not love you.  I love you not. 

  I did not love you.  I loved you not. 

  2.  A number of past participles and past tense forms are
used which would be ungrammatical today.  Among these are:
"hid" for "hidden" in: 

  Wherefore are these things hid? 

  (I, iii, 122) 

  "spoke" for "spoken" in: 

  As it is spoke 

  (I, iv, 20) 

  "took" for "taken" in: 

  He might have took his answer long ago 

  (I, v, 267) 

  "writ" for "written" in: 

  'Twas well writ 

  (III, iv, 38) 

  "forgot" for "forgotten" in: 

  Hast thou forgot thyself? 

  (V, i, 139) 

  and "broke" for "broken" in: 

  He has broke my head across 

  (V, i, 173) 

  3.  Archaic verb forms sometimes occur with 'thou' and with
third person singular subjects: 

  Knowest thou this country? 

  (I, ii, 21) 

  Present mirth hath present laughter 

  (II, iii, 47) 

  He hath better bethought him 

  (III, iv, 302) 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  PRONOUNS 

  Shakespeare and his contemporaries had one extra pronoun,
"thou," which could be used in addressing a person who was one's
equal or social inferior.  "You" was obligatory if more than one
person was addressed: 

  My masters, are you mad? 

  (II, iii, 87) 

  but it could also be used to indicate respect, as when
Antonio and Sebastian address each other: 

  Antonio:  If you will not murder me for my 

  love, let me be your servant. 

  Sebastian:  If you will not undo what you have 

  done... 

  (II, i, 34ff) 

  Frequently, a person in power used "thou" to a child or a
subordinate but was addressed as "you" in return.  Thus the Duke
addresses Cesario: 

  Thou knowest no less but all 

  (I, iv, 13) 

  whereas all the Duke's servants address him as "you": 

  Will you go hunt, my lord? 

  (I, i, 16) 

  If "thou" was used inappropriately, however, it could cause
grave offence.  Sir Toby knows this when he persuades Sir Andrew
to use "thou" in his challenge to Cesario: 

 
...taunt him with the licence of ink: if thou thou'st 

  him some thrice, it shall not be amiss. 

  (III, ii, 42-3) 

  One further pronominal reference warrants a comment:
"he/she" and "it" were often interchangeable: 

 
...'tis a fair young man 

  (I, v, 102) 

  and: 

  What kind of woman is it? 

  (II, iv, 26) 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  PREPOSITIONS 

  Prepositions were less standardized in Elizabethan English
than they are today and so we find several uses in Twelfth Night
which would have to be modified in contemporary speech.  Among
these are:  'of' for 'by' in: 

  A lady, sir, though it was said she much resembled me, 

  was yet of many accounted beautiful 

  (II, i, 24-5) 

  'on' for 'from' in: 

  There's a testril of me too 

  (II, iii, 34) 

  'on' for 'at' in: 

  Even now, sir, on a moderate pace 

  (II, ii, 2) 

  'on' for 'of' in: 

  What should I think on it? 

  (II, v, 28) 

  and 'to' for 'with' in: 

  No man hath any quarrel to me 

  (III, iv, 228) 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  MULTIPLE NEGATION 

  Contemporary English requires only one negative per statement
and regards such utterances as: 

  I haven't none 

  as nonstandard.  Shakespeare often used two or more negatives
for emphasis, as when Antonio asks Sebastian: 

  Will you stay no longer; nor will you not that 

  I go with you? 

  (II, i, 1-2) 

  or when Sir Andrew asserts: 

  Nor I neither 

  (II, v, 186) 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  POINT OF VIEW 

  In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare takes a common-sense look at
some of the foolishness inherent in human nature.  He exposes
the ways in which we fall prey to pride, vanity, and
self-deception.  Then, with a broad and tolerant smile, he
forgives those faults. 

  This comedy never denies that life is full of problems.  It
acknowledges the fact that people cause each other pain.  But,
as we talked about in the "Themes" section, the wages of sin are
not death, but embarrassment.  Characters are exposed in all
their foolishness before they can do real harm to themselves or
anybody else. 

  The one sin Shakespeare cannot forgive is Malvolio's.  The
steward wants to stamp out all good humor.  He remains a killjoy
to the end.  Unable to laugh at his own foolishness, he rejects
Olivia's offer to make amends.  Yet Shakespeare still has Orsino
send a messenger to "make peace" with Malvolio as the play
ends. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  FORM AND STRUCTURE 

  Several different plot lines weave their way through Twelfth
Night.  At first they develop separately.  Then, the various
threads of the plot get tangled up.  Finally, all the conflicts
are resolved in quick succession. 

  The story lines may be grouped into what could be called the
Romantic Plot and the Low Comic Plot.  The lovers--Orsino,
Olivia and Viola--are the principal participants in the Romantic
Plot.  This story deals with the complications arising out of
Orsino's fixation on Olivia, and Viola's disguise.  The Low
Comic Plot involves the servants--Maria, Malvolio, Fabian--and
the drunken knights--Sir Toby and Sir Andrew.  The main action
of this plot deals with the practical joke played on Malvolio.
A second practical joke played on Sir Andrew draws the Romantic
and the Low Comic plots together. 

  The play is shaped by the way these two plots are developed
through the five-act structure. 

  ACT I introduces the Romantic Plot.  Its conflicts can be
summed up like this:  Orsino loves Olivia, who loves Viola, who
loves Orsino.  Thus, we have a comic version of the classic
triangle made possible by the fact that Viola is disguised as a
boy.  Most of the characters involved in the Low Comic Plot are
also introduced in Act I. 

  As ACT II starts, we learn that Viola's brother Sebastian is
on his way to Illyria.  Then, Malvolio offends Maria and the
others.  The practical joke is planned.  By the end of the act,
Malvolio has been "set up." Meanwhile, the situation with Viola,
Olivia, and Orsino gets more complicated. 

  In ACT III, the practical joke pays off--Malvolio makes a
fool of himself.  Viola becomes entangled with the Low Comic
characters.  A case of mistaken identity draws Sebastian into
the action too. 

  ACT IV sets up the resolution.  Sebastian and Olivia are
thrown together.  A promise of marriage is made.  Malvolio's
punishment continues. 

  In ACT V, the conflicts are resolved when all the main
characters are paired off with their proper mates.  The comedy
ends happily in marriage. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  SOURCES 

  Most of Shakespeare's plots were borrowed from popular
stories or actual histories.  Twelfth Night was no exception.
Plays about identical twins who are mistaken for one another had
been popular since the time of the ancient Greeks.  Shakespeare
used the device himself in The Comedy of Errors, based on the
Menaechmi by the Roman playwright Plautus.  In that play,
Shakespeare's first, the comic confusion is caused by twin boys.
But the male/female variation was not original with Shakespeare.
When John Manningham saw Twelfth Night on February 2, 1602, he
noted in his diary the similarity between Shakespeare's play and
an Italian comedy by Nicolo Secchi called Gl'Ingannati.  That
play also used disguised twins to further comic confusions among
lovers.  Most scholars believe that the romantic lovers' plot
was based on a story by Barnabe Rich called "Of Apolonius and
Silla." However, the story of how the arrogant Malvolio gets his
comeuppance was, as far as we know, created by Shakespeare. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  THE GLOBE THEATRE 

  One of the most famous theaters of all time is the Globe
Theatre.  It was one of several Shakespeare worked in during his
career and many of the greatest plays of English literature were
performed there.  Built in 1599 for L600 just across the River
Thames from London, it burned down in 1613 when a spark from one
of the cannons in a battle scene in Henry VIII set fire to the
thatched roof.  The theater was quickly rebuilt and survived
until 1644.  No one knows exactly what the Globe looked like but
some scholarly detective work has given us a pretty good idea.
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., has a full
scale re-creation of the Globe. 

  When it was built, the Globe was the latest thing in theater
design.  It was a three story octagon, with covered galleries
surrounding an open yard some 50 feet across.  Three sides of
the octagon were devoted to the stage and backstage areas.  The
main stage was a raised platform that jutted into the center of
the yard or pit.  Behind the stage was the tiring house--the
backstage area where the actors dressed and waited for their
cues.  It was flanked by two doors and contained an inner stage
with a curtain used when the script called for a scene to be
discovered.  (Some scholars think the inner stage was actually a
tent or pavilion that could be moved about the stage.) Above the
inner stage was the upper stage, a curtained balcony that could
serve as the battlements in Hamlet or for the balcony scene in
Romeo and Juliet.  Most of the action of the play took place on
the main and upper stages. 

  The third story held the musicians' gallery and machinery for
sound effects and pyrotechnics.  Above all was a turret from
which a flag was flown to announce, "Performance today." A roof
(the shadow) covered much of the stage and not only protected
the players from sudden showers but also contained machinery
needed for some special effects.  More machinery was under the
stage, where several trap doors permitted the sudden appearance
in a play of ghosts and allowed actors to leap into rivers or
graves, as the script required. 

  For a penny (a day's wages for an apprentice), you could
stand with the "groundlings" in the yard to watch the play;
another penny would buy you a seat in the upper galleries, and a
third would get you a cushioned seat in the lower gallery--the
best seats in the house.  The audience would be a mixed
crowd--sedate scholars, gallant courtiers, and respectable
merchants and their families in the galleries; rowdy apprentices
and young men looking for excitement in the yard; and
pickpockets and prostitutes taking advantage of the crowds to
ply their trades.  And crowds there would be--the Globe could
probably hold 2000 to 3000 people, and even an ordinary
performance would attract a crowd of 1200. 

  The play you came to see would be performed in broad daylight
during the warmer months.  In colder weather, Shakespeare's
troupe appeared indoors at Court or in one of London's private
theaters.  There was no scenery as we know it but there are
indications that the Elizabethans used simple set pieces such as
trees, bowers, or battle tents to indicate location.  Any props
needed were readied in the tiring house by the book keeper (we'd
call him the stage manager) and carried on and off by actors.
If time or location were important, the characters usually said
something about it.  Trumpet flourishes told the audience an
important character was about to enter, rather like a modern
spotlight, and a scene ended when all the characters left the
stage.  (Bodies of dead characters were carried off stage.)
Little attention was paid to historical accuracy in plays such
as Julius Caesar or Macbeth and actors wore contemporary
clothing.  One major difference from the modern theater was that
all female parts were played by young boys; Elizabethan custom
did not permit women to act. 

  If the scenery was minimal, the performance made up for it in
costumes and spectacle.  English actors were famous throughout
Europe for their skill as dancers and performances ended with a
dance (or jig).  Blood, in the form of animal blood or red
paint, was lavished about in the tragedies; ghosts made sudden
appearances amidst swirling fog; thunder was simulated by
rolling a cannon ball along the wooden floor of the turret or by
rattling a metal sheet.  The costumes were gorgeous--and
expensive!  One "robe of estate" alone cost L19, a year's wages
for a skilled workman of the time.  But the costumes were a
large part of the spectacle that the audience came to see, and
they had to look impressive in broad daylight, with the audience
right up close. 

  You've learned some of the conventions of the Globe Theatre,
a theater much simpler than many of ours but nevertheless
offering Shakespeare a wide range of possibilities for staging
his plays.  Now let's see how specific aspects of Twelfth Night
might have been presented at the Globe. 

  Shakespeare wrote his plays for a repertory company, and
often you can tell something about the actors from the way the
characters in the plays are described.  For example, at the time
Shakespeare wrote Twelfth Night, there must have been a small,
dark boy in the company.  Several of the plays Shakespeare wrote
around this time have female characters (played by boys) who are
described as particularly short and dark, like Maria.  Actors in
Shakespeare's day specialized in certain kinds of parts.  The
comic actor Thomas Pope created the role of Sir Toby Belch and
was also the first Falstaff.  At this time, Robert Armin had
joined the company as the "clown," replacing the hilarious but
unreliable Will Kempe.  He was apparently a good all-round actor
as well as a comedian, because Shakespeare began to use the
clown as a character in plays such as Twelfth Night, and not
merely as a bit of comic relief. 

  Twelfth Night also provides a good illustration of the
Elizabethan love of music.  The play is filled with songs,
dance, and instrumental music that must have kept the musicians
in the Globe's third-story gallery busy.  Plays like this made
the playhouse popular with foreign visitors, who could enjoy the
costumes and the music, and the slapstick comedy of scenes like
the duel between Sir Andrew and Viola, even when they couldn't
understand English. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT I 

  In Act I, you meet most of the principal characters.  Orsino,
the Duke of Illyria, loves the countess Olivia.  She will not
have him, and he can think of nothing but her.  Viola, a nobly
born young lady from another country, is cast on the Illyrian
shores by a shipwreck.  For safety's sake, she disguises herself
as a boy and becomes Orsino's servant.  The situation becomes
complicated when Orsino sends his new servant as a messenger to
Olivia.  Believing Viola to be a boy, Olivia falls in love with
"him." You also meet the comic collection of servants and
relatives who make up the rest of Olivia's household. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-24 

  Orsino, Duke of Illyria, listens to his musicians play a
melancholy tune.  When he speaks, we learn that he craves
melancholy music--music with a "dying fall" (cadence)--as a
starving man craves food.  His opening line is a famous one:
"If music be the food of love, play on." 

  Orsino is completely captivated by thoughts of love.  It
would not be an exaggeration to say he seems to worship love.
Love is like the sea, he says; that is, it can encompass
anything.  Compared to love, he claims, anything else is
worthless. 

  One of Orsino's servants tries to distract him by suggesting
they go hunting, but the duke quickly changes the subject back
to love by saying that he is hunted by his own desires.  Not
until he has finished his lengthy description of his own
emotions does he mention the name of his beloved--Olivia. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 25-43 

  A messenger returns from Olivia's house with the news that he
was not allowed to see her.  Her maid gave him this message:
Olivia intends to keep to herself and mourn her brother's death
for seven years. 

  Her attitude is just as exaggerated as Orsino's, but still he
finds hope in this message.  If she shows so much dedication to
a brother, he reasons, just think how faithful she will be to a
husband!  This new idea seems to inspire Orsino to change his
locale.  Off he goes to "sweet beds of flowers." 

  The Orsino we meet in this scene is not in love with Olivia,
or any real person.  He is in love with love.  Notice that his
elaborate speech in praise of love comes before any mention of
the lady.  Notice also that he makes no attempt to see Olivia
himself.  He sends a messenger instead.  Her inaccessibility
gives him the opportunity to enjoy his unrequited love. 

  NOTE:  ON EXCESS The imagery in Orsino's speeches reveals his
character.  He asks for "excess" in line two, and everything he
does is excessive.  Because he is in love with Olivia, he must
spend all day consumed with "love-thoughts" (line 43).  He does
not merely have desires.  He has desires which chase him "like
fell and cruel hounds" (line 23).  Though Orsino is a grown man,
he sounds like a love-sick adolescent. 

  Excess runs through the entire play, and is an important
idea.  Olivia's decision to mourn her brother for seven years is
excessive.  As new characters are introduced, try to determine
which ones behave in an excessive manner and which ones attempt
to cope sensibly with excessive behavior in others. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT I, SCENE II 

  On the seacoast of Illyria, a young girl, a sea captain, and
some sailors have just emerged from the ocean.  Their ship was
sunk in a storm.  They were lucky to avoid drowning. 

  The girl is more unhappy than relieved, however, because her
brother was not as lucky as the others.  When she is told they
are in Illyria, she says her brother is in "Elysium," that is,
heaven.  The Captain offers her hope:  he says he saw her
brother tie himself to a piece of the ship's mast, so he may
have survived. 

  Feeling a little better about her brother's situation, the
girl, Viola, turns her attention to her own predicament.  The
Captain knows Illyria.  He tells her that it is ruled by a noble
duke named Orsino.  According to the latest gossip, the Captain
says, Orsino is in love with Olivia, "a virtuous maid" whose
father and brother have both died within the year. 

  Viola is in a difficult position.  She is a young woman in a
strange land with no family to protect her.  Therefore, she does
not want to reveal who she is right away.  Her first idea is to
temporarily become a servant of Olivia's.  The Captain, however,
tells her that Olivia will not see anybody. 

  In desperation, Viola invents a plan.  With the Captain's
help, she will disguise herself as a boy and present herself to
Orsino.  (She says she will present herself as a eunuch, a
castrated youth.  This part of the plan is never mentioned again
after this scene, however.) 

  You learn several important facts about Viola in this scene.
First, she is a young woman of noble birth.  The Captain treats
her with great respect, and she is able to reward his kindness
with gold.  Second, she cares deeply about her brother.  Her own
escape from death is meaningless to her until she learns that
her brother may have survived also.  Finally, she is sensible
and resourceful.  She is smart enough not to reveal her true
identity until she knows more about the people around her.  Look
how quickly she comes up with the idea of disguising herself as
a boy. 

  Shakespeare uses the imagery of Viola's speech to suggest
that she is suited to Orsino.  Remember the music in the first
scene?  Look at what Viola says:  "I can sing, / And speak to
him in many sorts of music." 

  NOTE:  By having Viola pretend to be a boy, Shakespeare sets
up the comic confusion that will follow.  When Twelfth Night was
performed in the Elizabethan theater, there was another wrinkle
in the comedy.  Acting was not considered a respectable
profession for a woman.  All the female parts were played by
young boys.  So, in this play, a young boy played a young girl
who disguised herself as a young boy! 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-43 

  The action now moves to Olivia's house, but you do not yet
meet the lady herself.  Instead, you are introduced to one of
her servants, Maria, and one of her "poor relations," Sir Toby
Belch.  Sir Toby complains that his niece Olivia's mourning is
taking all the fun out of the house.  Maria counters that Sir
Toby is having too much fun--drinking and partying every
night--and that he had better reform because Olivia will not
take much more. 

  Maria dislikes Sir Toby's companion, Sir Andrew Aguecheek.
She calls him "a very fool and a prodigal." Sir Andrew,
according to her, is a quarreler, a coward and a drunk.  Sir
Toby disagrees, claiming that his friend is cultured, wealthy
and well-educated. 

  NOTE:  Observe how evenly matched Sir Toby and Maria are.
They treat each other like equals.  Her criticism is direct and
forceful, definitely not servile!  His deflection of her
assaults is skillful.  For example, Maria tells Sir Toby:  "you
must confine yourself within the modest limits of order" (lines
8-9).  Sir Toby pretends to misunderstand her, replying "I'll
confine myself no finer than I am" (line 10), playing on the
fact that the word "confine" also meant "clothe." When Maria
says that Sir Andrew is "drunk nightly in your company," Sir
Toby replies that they are "drinking healths [that is, toasts]
to my niece" (lines 36-38). 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 44-78 

  The debate about Sir Andrew is interrupted by the arrival of
the man himself.  It quickly becomes obvious that Maria's
description of him is correct.  He attempts to flirt with Maria
by showing how clever he is, but he fails miserably.  Sir Toby
advises him to "accost" Maria (in other words, "go get her").
Sir Andrew thinks "Accost" is her name.  Once that confusion is
cleared up, Sir Andrew presents Maria with additional
opportunities to make a fool of him.  She takes advantage of
every one.  For example: 

  Andrew:  Fair lady, do you think you have fools in hand? 

  Maria:  Sir, I have not you by th' hand. 

  (I, iii, 64-65) 

  By the time Maria leaves, Andrew has been thoroughly
deflated. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 79-136 

  Sir Andrew and Sir Toby are left alone.  We see why Sir Toby
likes the young knight--Sir Andrew is his puppet.  He can be
persuaded to believe anything the older man says.  Sir Toby
knows that Sir Andrew is a fool, but a useful fool.  The one
true thing Sir Toby told Maria was that Sir Andrew is rich. 

  First, Sir Andrew announces that he is going home.  Sir Toby
brought him here to woo Olivia, and he has had no success.  In
fact, he has just found out that Orsino himself wants her.  Sir
Toby replies that she does not want Orsino.  He says that Sir
Andrew has hope.  With that, the knight decides to stay another
month!  Then Sir Andrew, who is probably still smarting from
Maria's insults, begins to praise his own virtues.  Sir Toby
distracts him from any further complaints by getting him to
demonstrate his dancing ability.  As you read the scene, picture
how comically clumsy Sir Andrew must be and with what a smirk
Sir Toby must praise his puppet's skill. 

  It is appropriate that, at the end of their first scene
together, Sir Toby has Sir Andrew literally dancing to his
commands.  Sir Andrew figuratively dances to Sir Toby's commands
throughout the play. 

  NOTE:  THE DOUBLE PLOT Twelfth Night has two main plots--the
Romantic and the Low Comic.  The Romantic plot concerns the high
born lovers--Orsino, Viola, Olivia, and, later, Viola's brother
Sebastian.  The Low Comic plot revolves around the characters
we've just met.  Fabian and Malvolio will also play important
parts in this plot. 

  If you examine the way this scene is laid out on the page,
you will notice that it is in prose, unlike the previous two
scenes.  They were written in blank verse--unrhymed iambic
pentameter (lines with ten syllables, every second syllable
accented).  Shakespeare commonly wrote most of the speeches for
his noble upper-class characters in verse, while the lower-class
and comic characters spoke in prose.  In this play, the nobles
speak mostly in verse, though they have prose passages, also.
The low comic characters all speak only in prose. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT I, SCENE IV 

  Viola, now calling herself Cesario, has entered Orsino's
service.  The scene begins with one of the other servants
commenting on how remarkable it is that "Cesario" should have
become so well-liked in only three days.  Viola asks whether the
duke is inconstant (fickle) in his affections.  Having met
Orsino in the opening scene, we can appreciate the ironic humor
in the servant's answer "No, believe me." 

  Orsino enters.  He confirms the fact that "Cesario" is his
favorite by sending the other servants away so he can talk to
the "boy" alone.  You observe how close the duke and Cesario
have become when Orsino says "I have unclasped / To thee the
book even of my secret soul" (lines 13-14).  He means, of
course, that he has told Cesario about Olivia and his love for
her.  Now, he wants Cesario to be his messenger to his lady. 

  Viola reasonably points out that Olivia refuses to see
anybody.  Orsino's answer fits his tendency to excess:  "Be
clamorous and leap all civil bounds / Rather than make
unprofited return" (lines 22-23).  He seems confident that
Cesario will succeed where others have failed. 

  Orsino also believes that, due to Cesario's youth and his
almost feminine (!) beauty, the boy will be a fitting messenger
of love.  Orsino promises to reward Cesario if he is
successful. 

  Before Viola/Cesario leaves, she pauses for an aside.
[Asides are a theatrical convention in which the character
speaks directly to the audience.  The other characters do not
hear an aside.] Viola tells us that she will have a hard time
wooing Olivia on Orsino's behalf.  Her problem is that she has
fallen in love with him herself! 

  NOTE:  Observe how skillfully Shakespeare draws you into his
plot.  The idea of a girl disguised as a boy being in love with
her master but having to woo another lady for him sounds hard to
believe.  But by working his way into the situation step by step
(from Orsino's helpless love, to Olivia's denial, to Viola's
shipwreck and need for disguise), Shakespeare makes the
situation seem logical, almost inevitable. 

  One reason why it is hard to take Orsino's love for Olivia
too seriously is that at the end of the play he turns to Viola
so easily.  But consider the way he has been treating "Cesario"
in this scene.  Orsino finds the boy a perfect person to talk
to, someone he can really feel comfortable with.  Should you be
surprised when he offers Viola his love? 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-30 

  Back in Olivia's house, Maria is scolding Olivia's Clown,
Feste, for being absent when the lady was looking for him.  The
two trade quips, with Maria trying to make the Clown realize
he's in trouble, and the Clown expressing his confidence that
his foolery will save him from punishment. 

  NOTE:  In this play the terms "Clown" and "Fool" have the
same meaning.  A "fool" was another name for a jester.  He was
employed to amuse a noble or wealthy person.  Fools in
Shakespeare's plays were generally wise fools.  Feste may be the
wisest of them all.  Under the guise of foolery, he tells the
truth about people and situations.  If you have ever known a
person able to cut a braggart down to size or make a good point
with a well-chosen joke, then you know the function of a
Shakespearean fool. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 31-100 

  Olivia enters with her steward Malvolio.  As Maria predicted,
Olivia is angry.  Her first words are "Take the fool away." 

  Feste's method of dealing with Olivia's anger shows us a lot
about his methods.  He responds quickly in a seemingly absurd
fashion.  Turning to the guards, he says "Do you not hear,
fellows?  Take away the lady." This bit of silliness does not
amuse Olivia.  Brushing aside her criticisms, Feste keeps
insisting that she is actually the fool.  Olivia gives in enough
to allow the fool a few moments to prove his claim.  To do so,
he questions her: 

  Clown:  Good madonna, why mournest thou? 

  Olivia:  Good fool, for my brother's death. 

  Clown:  I think his soul is in hell, madonna. 

  Olivia:  I know his soul is in heaven, fool. 

  Clown:  The more fool, madonna, to mourn for 

  your brother's soul being in heaven. 

  Take away the fool, gentlemen. 

  (I, v, 67-73) 

  Feste's tactic works.  Olivia is no longer angry. 

  What do you learn about Feste from this exchange?  You see
his ability to show people their own foolishness.  Notice how
familiar he is in the way he speaks to Olivia.  You will see
that Feste can move freely and comfortably from one social level
to another. 

  Olivia appreciates the fool's ability.  He both amuses her
and gives her comfort about her brother.  His jest can also be
seen as a gentle hint that Olivia's announced seven years of
mourning are excessive and unnecessary. 

  Malvolio is not amused.  He insults the fool, asserting that
he recently saw Feste "put down" (defeated in jesting) by "an
ordinary fool that has no more brain than a stone." Malvolio
brags that he is too smart to be amused by a fool. 

  Olivia sees her steward for what he is:  "O, you are sick of
self-love, Malvolio, and taste with a distempered appetite." She
knows that Malvolio is jealous of anybody who is considered
clever.  He is so pompous he cannot stand even gentle ribbing. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 101-169 

  Maria brings word that a new messenger from Orsino waits at
the gate.  Sir Toby Belch, she says, is dealing with him.
Olivia also knows her uncle for what he is:  "Fetch him off, I
pray you.  He speaks nothing but madman." She orders Malvolio to
get rid of the messenger. 

  Sir Toby reels in, already drunk though it is only morning.
Olivia asks "how have you come so early by this lethargy?"
meaning his drunkenness.  He responds "Lechery?  I defy
lechery." Is he purposely avoiding her question, or is he too
drunk to know the difference?  You have to decide.  In either
case, he soon staggers off. 

  NOTE:  Some readers view Sir Toby and Sir Andrew as
representatives of knighthood in decline.  Compared to the
Middle Ages, the Renaissance was a relatively peaceful time.
Knights were no longer called upon to quell rebellions or
venture off on Crusades in the Holy Land.  The two knights in
this play have nothing to do but eat, drink, and sleep.  Though
Sir Toby is intelligent and resourceful, even brave, he performs
no useful function in Olivia's household. 

  Olivia reveals a compassionate nature in her response to Sir
Toby.  He annoys her, and she may wish he were not living in her
house, but she worries about his welfare nonetheless.  She sends
the fool to look after him. 

  A moment later, Malvolio returns.  He hasn't been able to get
rid of the messenger.  Whatever Malvolio has said, the man has
had an answer for it.  You know that the messenger is Viola and
that she's following Orsino's orders by refusing to take "no"
for an answer. 

  Olivia inquires what this messenger is like.  As fits his
nature, Malvolio is reluctant to give any information at all.
When Olivia insists, he cannot say anything nice ("He is very
well-favored") without adding something nasty ("He speaks very
shrewishly").  Olivia's curiosity wins out over her reticence.
She covers her face with a veil, calls for Maria to join her,
and tells Malvolio to let the messenger in. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 170-221 

  Viola enters as Cesario.  Olivia intends to have this
messenger deliver his speech and leave, but Viola is too clever.
She insists on being told whether the person she addresses is
actually Olivia.  After all, she says, she took a lot of time
and trouble to memorize her speech.  She would hate to waste it.
Olivia reveals her identity. 

  Viola's next task is to talk with the lady privately.  She
banters engagingly with Olivia and Maria.  Finally, her request
for a private audience is poetic enough to be successful:  "What
I am and what I would, are as secret as maidenhead:  to your
ears, divinity; to any other's, profanation." Maria leaves. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 222-294 

  Now Olivia believes she is alone with a young man.  She
continues to insist that she cannot love Orsino, but she is
strangely fascinated by this messenger. 

  Viola has said that her words would be divinity to Olivia's
ears, so Olivia begins by questioning her like a preacher giving
a sermon (from the question in line 222, "What is your text?" to
her conclusion in line 230 "It is heresy!"). 

  Changing the subject, Viola asks Olivia to remove her veil.
Olivia grants the request.  In the discussion that follows,
Viola is honest to the point of being rude.  She begins by
saying Olivia's face is "Excellently done, if God did all."
After listening to Olivia, she concludes that the lady is "too
proud" but concedes she is beautiful. 

  Olivia admits in turn that Cesario's master is a fine man.
She lists all his virtues (possibly to prevent Cesario from
doing it).  But she firmly states that she still cannot love
him. 

  Viola counters that Olivia's refusal makes no sense.  Robbed
of any other argument, she tells the lady what she (Cesario)
would do in Orsino's situation.  Her statement takes the form of
a hauntingly beautiful verse about the loneliness of rejected
love. 

  Olivia is clearly moved.  She asks Cesario about his family.
(In that time, the social status of your family determined your
social status.) Olivia then sends Cesario back to Orsino to say
she cannot love him.  He is also never to send a messenger
again, unless it is Cesario.  Viola refuses Olivia's offer of
payment and leaves. 

  NOTE:  You learn a great deal about Viola while she's in
disguise.  Though she plays the role of a young boy, she
displays her own wit, spirit, and passion.  She knows how to be
humble and charming, as when she says she doesn't want to waste
her speech because she took such pains to learn it.  She can
also be direct, as when she accuses Olivia of being too proud.
Finally, you feel the depth of Viola's passion when she
describes what she would do in Orsino's place.  The passionate
intensity of the speech may partly be due to the fact that Viola
cannot speak of love to Orsino. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 295-318 

  Left alone, Olivia is shocked to discover that she has fallen
in love with Cesario!  Taking a ring off her finger, she calls
in Malvolio.  She tells him that Cesario left a ring with her as
a gift from Orsino.  She orders him to follow the messenger and
return the ring.  The truth, of course, is that she is sending
the ring as a gift to Cesario. 

  Olivia's speech after Malvolio leaves points up a major theme
in the play.  She says "I do I know not what" and "Ourselves we
do not owe (own)." Many of the characters in this play do not
understand themselves.  For example, Orsino thinks he is in love
with Olivia, but he is really in love with love.  Malvolio
thinks he is virtuous, whereas in reality he is a self-righteous
hypocrite.  They deceive themselves.  Look for other examples. 

  NOTE:  OLIVIA'S CHARACTER Until this scene, you had heard
about Olivia but never met her.  Once she appears, you learn a
lot about her very quickly.  She is beautiful, witty, rather
impetuous.  Shakespeare lets you see several sides of her
personality.  She begins the scene angry, is kidded into a good
humor, plays with Cesario, and by the end of the scene you even
see her in love.  Read the scene again to determine how each of
these points about her character is revealed. 

  Another point about Olivia:  some readers believe that her
intention to mourn her brother for seven years is merely a ruse,
a way of attracting attention.  They point to the fact that she
falls in love so quickly as proof.  Do you think she knows what
she's doing, or that, as she says, her behavior confuses even
her? 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT II 

  At the beginning of Act Two, you meet Viola's twin brother,
Sebastian, who is on his way to Illyria.  Meanwhile, Orsino
continues to use Viola as his messenger to Olivia.  Olivia's
steward Malvolio reprimands Toby, Andrew, Feste, and Maria when
he catches them carousing in the middle of the night.  Maria,
who was only there trying to quiet the others, invents a plan to
take revenge on Malvolio.  She forges a letter from Olivia and
leaves it where Malvolio will find it.  Malvolio falls for the
trick and believes that the letter is evidence that Olivia loves
him. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT II, SCENE I 

  This short scene between Viola's brother Sebastian and
Antonio, the man who rescued him from the shipwreck, tells you
several important things.  First, you learn that Sebastian is
still alive.  You also learn that he and his sister look very
much alike.  In a production of Twelfth Night, Viola and
Sebastian would wear identical-costumes.  This similarity will
become important later in the play. 

  Sebastian cares as deeply for his sister as she does for him.
He assumes she is drowned, and when he talks about her he has a
hard time to keep from crying. 

  Another important thing you learn is that Sebastian is
heading for Illyria.  He wants to go alone and refuses to
explain his reasons for going.  You can guess that he may hold
some desperate hope that his sister may have made it to the
shore in that country.  He may not want to admit that he still
clings to such a slim hope. 

  Sebastian's friend and rescuer, Antonio, cannot follow him
there.  He says he has "many enemies in Orsino's court." At the
last minute, however, he decides to follow his friend despite
the danger. 

  NOTE:  The actions of Sebastian and Antonio constitute a
subplot.  Shakespeare wants you to notice who these two are and
to remember the nature of their relationship.  That's why this
scene appears where it does.  Note that the next scene (II, ii)
completes the action started in the scene before this.  By
inserting this exchange between Sebastian and Antonio in the
middle, Shakespeare calls attention to it. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT II, SCENE II 

  Malvolio catches up with Viola on the street outside Olivia's
house.  With a sneer, he follows his lady's orders and "returns"
the ring.  Viola finds the situation confusing.  She plays
along, refusing to take the ring back (since she never gave it
to her in the first place).  Malvolio rudely drops the ring to
the ground and walks off. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 17-41 

  Viola's confusion does not last long.  She quickly figures
out that Olivia has sent her a love gift.  Her situation is
going from bad to worse!  Not only is she in love with a man who
thinks she is a boy, but now the woman he loves is in love with
Viola. 

  She blurts out "Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness /
Wherein the pregnant enemy does much." Viola means her own
disguise as a man, but the statement has a wider thematic
meaning in the play.  Viola's disguise causes problems, but the
false appearances of others (see discussion of Act I, Scene v)
get them into just as much trouble. 

  Her head swimming, Viola takes a moment to sum up the
situation.  She must admit that it is a mess and that she has no
idea what the solution will be. 

  NOTE:  Although Malvolio has played a relatively minor role
so far, he is being set up as a character who is arrogant, rude
and conceited.  Shakespeare is preparing you to enjoy the trick
that will soon be played on Malvolio. 

  Shakespeare has now presented all the elements of his
Romantic plot:  Orsino loves Olivia, who cannot love him; Viola
loves Orsino, who thinks she is a boy; Olivia loves Viola, who
she thinks is Cesario; and Viola's double (Sebastian) is on his
way to Illyria. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT II, SCENE III 

  Now the Low Comic plot begins in earnest.  At Olivia's house,
Sir Toby and Sir Andrew are up late drinking.  Sir Andrew may
have just suggested that he would like to go to bed, because Sir
Toby is busy explaining why being up late is the same thing as
being up early.  Sir Andrew is too slow to follow this
reasoning, but he will go along with whatever his friend says. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 15-86 

  Feste soon joins the party.  Notice how Sir Andrew responds
to the clown.  He envies Feste's ability to sing and dance.  And
the fool knows he has a good customer in Sir Andrew.  Whatever
nonsense the fool spouts, Sir Andrew finds hilarious. 

  NOTE:  There are two fools in this scene--Feste and Sir
Andrew.  As a "wise" fool, Feste is essentially an entertainer.
He amuses you with his wit.  A "natural" fool like Andrew is
funny in spite of himself.  He amuses you because he is witless.
Shakespeare's other wise fools include Touchstone in As You Like
It and the Fool in King Lear.  Other examples of natural fools
are William in As You Like It and Dogberry in Much Ado About
Nothing. 

  At Sir Toby and Sir Andrew's request, the fool sings two
songs.  The first could be considered a summation of the
Romantic plot:  "O mistress mine, where are you roaming?"
Orsino, Olivia and Viola are each seeking the right love mate.
The second song has more to do with the Low Comic characters.
"Present mirth hath present laughter; / What's to come is still
unsure," sings Feste.  Today you might say "Have fun now; who
knows what will happen tomorrow?" That seems to be Sir Toby's
philosophy. 

  After the fool's solo, all three join in a "catch," or
"round." The noise has awakened Maria, and she comes in to warn
them that they had better be quiet before they wake up Malvolio.
They are too lost in merrymaking to pay any attention.  A few
moments later, Malvolio himself appears. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 87-126 

  Nobody looks his best at four in the morning, and you can
picture how ridiculous Malvolio must appear, standing in his
nightgown.  Looking bleary-eyed but stern, he shouts "My
masters, are you mad?  or what are you?" Sir Toby, Sir Andrew
and Feste dissolve into helpless laughter.  As Malvolio scolds
them, they laugh, sing and make fun of him.  A man like
Malvolio, who is "sick of self-love," does not like being
mocked, especially in the middle of the night.  Sir Toby goads
him further by directly attacking Malvolio's sense of self
importance:  "Art any more than a steward?  Dost thou think,
because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and
ale?" Sir Toby is reminding Malvolio that, as a knight, his
social position is well above that of a steward.  Malvolio
behaves as though he were Olivia and had her authority, which he
does not.  What's more, Sir Toby bellows, just because you
choose to be so pompous and insufferable, don't expect others to
follow suit. 

  Mortally offended, Malvolio threatens to tell Olivia about
the episode.  He also includes Maria in his wrath, because she
was there and failed to help him. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 127-191 

  His final threat was a mistake.  As soon as Malvolio leaves,
Maria invents a plot to get even with him.  (Sir Andrew comes up
with a confused plot to challenge Malvolio to a duel and then
make a fool of him by not showing up, but you already know not
to take Sir Andrew seriously.) 

  Maria's plot works like this:  she will prepare a letter that
appears to have been written by Olivia.  The letter will make
Malvolio believe that Olivia is in love with him.  Maria knows
the truth about Malvolio--that despite the fact he behaves like
a Puritan, he really deceives himself into thinking that other
people find him witty, charming and attractive.  Therefore, he
will fall for the trick and make a fool of himself in front of
Olivia. 

  NOTE:  Maria's personality encompasses two extremes.  She
performs her duties with decorum and even takes it upon herself
to try to reform Toby.  She also has a mischievous sense of
humor.  This scene demonstrates both sides of her nature.  She
enters for the same reason as Malvolio--to impose order.  Once
angered, however, she becomes the chief prankster.  There is no
real malice in her joke.  She only wants to teach Malvolio a
lesson. 

  After Maria leaves, the carousing resumes.  You learn that
Sir Toby is aware that Maria loves him.  You are also informed
that Sir Andrew has loaned him a great deal of money. 

  NOTE:  You are continually reminded how witty Sir Toby is,
even when he's drunk.  In line 177, he calls Maria
"Penthesilea." He refers to the queen of the Amazons, a race of
gigantic warrior women.  The comment works in two ways.  On one
hand, there is ironic humor in the fact that Maria is physically
quite small.  On the other hand, she's a formidable warrior in
the battle against Malvolio. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-49 

  Back in Orsino's palace, you find that nothing has changed.
Orsino is still calling for music and talking about nothing but
love.  He asks for a melancholy song he heard the night before.
His servants go to find Feste, the clown, to sing it.  (Though
Feste is Olivia's fool, you never know where he will be found.)
While they search, Orsino orders the musicians to play the
tune. 

  Cesario (Viola) comments that the tune "gives a very echo to
the seat / Where Love is throned." Orsino is surprised that the
boy knows so much of love, and asks about the one Cesario loves.
Though Viola says she loves a person of the same age and
temperament as Orsino, he fails to realize the truth. 

  The irony in this scene is that Viola actually feels the same
way Orsino thinks he feels.  She wants him just as desperately
as he thinks he wants Olivia.  She patiently listens as he
lectures her about love, a subject she already knows about from
first-hand experience. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 50-98 

  Feste enters and sings the song Orsino has asked for.  It is
indeed melancholy, telling the story of a young man who died for
the love of a woman. 

  NOTE:  This song linking love and death serves two functions.
To Orsino, dying for love represents the ultimate expression of
his romantic indulgence.  For Viola, the meaning is more
profound.  She understands romantic longing, because she loves
Orsino but cannot have him.  She also realizes that love, youth,
and beauty are like fair flowers that "die, even when they to
perfection grow." This awareness of the inevitability of aging,
death, and decay enriches the play and deepens its portrayal of
the human condition.  It serves as a melancholy counterpoint to
the broadly comic scenes. 

  After hearing the song, Orsino tells Viola to take another
message of love to Olivia. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 99-140 

  Viola now has several reasons for not wanting to go.  She
desires Orsino herself, she knows his suit to Olivia is hopeless
and, finally, she knows that Olivia loves Cesario.  She tries to
convince Orsino to give up.  In doing so, she almost tells him
the truth about her love for him. 

  First, she asks him to imagine that a woman loved him as he
loves Olivia.  If he could not love her, that woman would have
to accept his refusal, Viola tells him.  Orsino counters by
saying that no woman could love a man as powerfully as he loves
Olivia. 

  Now, Viola knows he is wrong.  She tells him a carefully
worded story about her "father's daughter" who loved a man.  She
even goes so far as to add "As it might be perhaps, were I a
woman / I should your lordship." This "daughter" never revealed
that she was in love.  Instead, she pined away with grief, the
same thing Orsino is doing. 

  Still seeking to prove that women cannot love as deeply as
men, Orsino asks, "But died your sister of her love, my boy?"
Orsino overlooks the fact that, despite all his sighing and
moaning, he is still alive and well.  "I am all the daughters of
my father's house / And all the brothers too, and yet I know
not" is Viola's answer.  Speaking so directly about her love for
Orsino and being reminded that her brother is probably dead is
too much for Viola.  If she continues talking, she will cry.
Bowing to Orsino's wishes, she goes to speak with Olivia. 

  NOTE:  This scene contrasts Viola's deep and real love for
Orsino with his imagined love for Olivia.  Viola's love leads
her to unselfishly put Orsino's desires before her own.  She
talks with him about his feelings and acts as his messenger.
Her pain is intensified by the fact that she cannot even speak
of her love, except indirectly, as she does here.  Orsino is
only in love with love.  At this point, he really cares for
nobody besides himself. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-21 

  In Olivia's garden, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew wait for Maria.
They are joined by Fabian, another of Olivia's servants who
hates Malvolio.  Malvolio seems to have told Olivia that Fabian
was involved in bear baiting.  To be fair, bear baiting was a
cruel sport, though very popular, The point is not Fabian's
taste in games, however.  You are reminded that Malvolio is a
"snitch" and a killjoy. 

  Maria runs in, just ahead of Malvolio.  She tells the other
three to hide.  Malvolio, she says, has been "practicing
behavior to his own shadow this half hour." In other words, he
has been admiring himself, so she knows he's ripe for the joke
about to be played.  She places the phony letter on the ground
where he will see it, and she leaves. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 22-175 

  As he enters, Malvolio is talking to himself.  Thinking he is
alone, he speaks his true thoughts.  The man you see is a far
cry from the Puritan he pretends to be when other people are
around.  He is daydreaming about a time when Olivia will marry
him and make him her equal.  He takes the fact she treats him
with respect as a sign that she loves him.  (He says she treats
him better than she treats anybody else, but we have to suspect
he is deceiving himself.) Caught up in his fantasy, Malvolio
imagines the other members of the household bowing to him.  He
sees himself ordering Toby to give up drinking. 

  NOTE:  Malvolio talks about marrying Olivia, but he never
mentions loving her.  As far as you can tell from this
soliloquy, he is motivated solely by ambition.  His self love
seems to have rendered him incapable of loving anybody else.
That could explain why the others dislike him so.  On the
surface, they want revenge on him for spoiling the fun.  On a
deeper level, they may hate and fear him because he represents
cold-hearted ambition untempered by concern for his fellow
man. 

  Remember that Toby, Andrew and Fabian are watching and
listening.  They make comments to each other as they listen and
only hold themselves back from attacking Malvolio in order not
to ruin the joke.  Fabian's comment is especially accurate:
"Look how imagination blows him." Malvolio's imagination gives
him an "inflated" idea of who he is. 

  Then Malvolio spots the letter.  He picks it up and begins to
read.  Malvolio is quickly convinced that the letter is
Olivia's--the handwriting looks like hers, the choice of words
sounds like hers and the letter is closed with her seal.  So
far, the plan is working.  The three men spying on him can
hardly contain themselves. 

  Can you imagine how Malvolio must feel?  While daydreaming
that Olivia loves him, he finds a letter addressed "To the
unknown beloved"!  Opening the envelope, he finds a poem that
begins "Jove knows I love--/ But who?" A few lines later it
reads "I may command where I adore." Putting two and two
together, Malvolio comes up with the answer he wants--he himself
is the object of his lady's affections.  Of course Olivia may
command anybody in her household.  Malvolio is only reaching the
conclusion he wants to reach. 

  Look how completely Malvolio has now been taken in.  The next
line of the poem gives him a little trouble, but he is
determined to make it work out.  "M.  O.  A.  I.  doth sway my
life." Fabian calls it a "fustian riddle;" in other words,
nonsense.  Malvolio simply observes that "M" is his initial and
the other letters are all in his name somewhere, so she must
mean him.  Maria was right--he is very ripe for this joke. 

  The poem is followed by some prose.  This part of the letter
appears to be Olivia's instructions to Malvolio about what he
should do to be worthy of her love.  Maria, of course, chose all
the things Olivia would hate most.  First, Malvolio is told "Be
opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants.  Let thy tongue
tang arguments of state; put thyself into the trick of
singularity." That's like telling a butler or a waiter to argue
with his patrons instead of serving them. 

  Next, he is instructed how to dress.  He is to wear yellow
stockings and to cross his garters both above and below the
knee.  (Little does he know that Olivia hates yellow stockings
and crossed garters.) 

  The letter ends with an appeal to Malvolio's ambition: 

  Go to, thou art made, if thou desir'st to be so. 

  If not, let me see thee a steward still, the fellow 

  of servants, and not worthy to touch Fortune's fingers. 

  This last challenge was hardly necessary.  Malvolio cannot
wait to follow the instructions in the letter. 

  He finds a postscript that tells him that, if he wants to
show his love for Olivia, he should smile constantly.  You can
imagine that Malvolio, who always frowns, looks even worse
trying to smile.  Also, Olivia is in mourning.  Smiling would be
out of place, even insulting.  He has been completely fooled,
however.  As he leaves he promises to do everything the letter
asks of him. 

  NOTE:  Malvolio jumps at the letter's suggestions so eagerly
that he almost appears to be a willing accomplice in his own
deception.  Though the letter is a phony, it works by appealing
to Malvolio's true nature.  Maria's assessment of his character
was correct.  His puritanical behavior is an act.  He assumes a
solemn countenance merely to intimidate others.  Therefore, this
practical joke serves a positive purpose--the exposure of
hypocrisy. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 176-203 

  Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Fabian roll with laughter at their
joke.  Sir Toby swears he could marry Maria for having thought
of it.  Maria comes in, and Sir Toby begins to praise her.  Sir
Andrew echos everything the older man says.  Maria reviews the
things that the letter asks Malvolio to do and the reasons that
Olivia will hate them.  Then, they all go to watch Malvolio make
a fool of himself. 

  NOTE:  To appreciate the humor of this scene you must use
your imagination while reading it.  Picture Malvolio completely
entranced by the letter while the others laugh and whisper to
each other.  Occasionally, Malvolio might hear a noise and turn
around, causing the others to dive for cover.  One classic joke
in productions of Twelfth Night is for Malvolio to turn when the
others have no time to hide.  In that case, they each assume a
pose like a statue in the garden.  Malvolio is too self-absorbed
to notice anything unusual! 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT III 

  Maria's joke works.  By following the instructions in the
letter, Malvolio makes a fool of himself in front of Olivia.
Viola's brother Sebastian and his friend Antonio arrive in
Illyria.  They separate, because Antonio will be arrested if he
is seen there.  Another practical joke begins when Andrew sees
how lovingly Olivia receives "Cesario." Toby and Fabian convince
the knight to challenge the boy to a duel.  Before they can
fight, however, Antonio mistakes Viola for her brother and
intervenes.  Antonio is recognized by Orsino's officers and
arrested. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-70 

  Viola (as Cesario) arrives at Olivia's house.  She finds
Feste outside playing his drum.  As the two talk, we learn more
about both of them. 

  It becomes clear that the fool's art is to take advantage of
the fact that a word can mean many things or nothing at all.
Every question Viola asks is twisted by Feste into a different
meaning. 

  Viola:  Dost thou live by thy tabor (drum)? 

  Clown:  No, sir, I live by the church. 

  Viola:  Art thou a churchman? 

  Clown:  No such matter, sir.  I do live at my 

  house, and my house doth stand by 

  the church. 

  (III, i, 1-7) 

  "Live by" can mean "make a living with," as Viola intends, or
"live near," the meaning Feste answers. 

  Viola quickly sees what the fool is doing.  She agrees that
words are dangerous, because clever people can make them mean
anything they like.  Viola's awareness of that fact helps her
survive in this tricky situation.  Notice how precisely she
chooses her words in her scenes with Orsino and Olivia. 

  Feste even points out the different meanings of the word
"fool." Viola asks "Art not thou the Lady Olivia's fool?" Feste
will not accept the title.  Olivia's husband, when she takes
one, will be her fool, he says.  Feste is her "corrupter of
words." 

  Afraid that she will become the butt of his jokes, Viola
gives him a coin and asks him to leave.  Feste's cleverness gets
him another coin.  Then he goes into the house to announce
Cesario's arrival. 

  After he leaves, Viola's comments show a real appreciation
for the fool's art.  She realizes that his jests are not just
random comments.  The fool's skill, she says, demands careful
observation of the people he jests about.  To be a good fool "is
a practice / As full of labor as a wise man's art." 

  NOTE:  Shakespeare himself can be seen as a "fool," in a way.
Twelfth Night seems to be a comedy about foolish
people--love-sick nobles, drunken knights, girls who dress as
boys, pompous servants, and so forth.  Clearly, Shakespeare
wanted to make his audience laugh, and he succeeded.  But at the
same time he is commenting on the nature of love, the meaning of
maturity, and the dangers of vanity and self-deception. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 71-96 

  While Viola is waiting in the garden, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew
enter.  Sir Andrew addresses Viola in French.  He is just
showing off and assumes that the boy will not understand him.
Sir Andrew is impressed when Viola answers him in French.
Having used up the little French he knows, he is barely able to
get out an appropriate answer in English.  Sir Toby steps in and
asks Viola to enter the house.  Just as she is about to do so,
Olivia and Maria come out. 

  Viola's formal way of greeting Olivia impresses Sir Andrew
even more than her speaking French.  He is about to try to top
her when Olivia orders everyone out except herself and the
messenger. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 97-173 

  Olivia now believes she is alone with the boy she loves.  She
asks for his hand, and she asks his name.  Viola complies
formally, saying that she is doing her duty and that she is
Olivia's servant.  Olivia wants to be more direct.  She corrects
"Cesario," saving that he is Orsino's servant.  "Your servant's
servant is your servant, madam," replies Viola.  Olivia responds
sharply, declaring that Cesario should never mention Orsino
again. 

  Becoming even more direct, Olivia asks Cesario to "undertake
another suit" than Orsino's (i.e., to declare his own love for
Olivia).  That would delight her as much as "music from the
spheres." Olivia goes on to apologize for her boldness in
sending the ring to Cesario.  She admits her love for the boy
and asks him to tell her how he feels about her. 

  What can Viola say?  She cannot love Olivia, nor can she
explain why.  There is no way in the world for Olivia to get
what she wants from "Cesario." Viola says what she feels:  "I
pity you." Olivia finds hope in that statement, pointing out
that pity is "a degree to love." Viola explains that there is no
hope.  She reminds the lady that people often pity their
enemies. 

  Olivia seems to give up.  She says she will not spend any
more time being unhappy over Cesario.  Admitting that she envies
the woman who will one day marry Cesario, she sends him on his
way. 

  Viola knows how much it would mean to Orsino to have some
message from Olivia.  Before she goes, she asks if the lady has
no word for her master.  In that moment of delay, Olivia loses
her self-control.  She blurts out "Stay / I prithee tell me what
thou thinkst of me." The exchange that follows is a masterpiece
of double meaning: 

  Viola:  That you do think you are not what you are. 

  Olivia:  If I think so, I think the same of you. 

  Viola:  Then think you right.  I am not what I am. 

  Olivia:  I would you were as I would have you be. 

  Viola:  Would it be better, madam, than I am? 

  I wish it might; for now I am your fool. 

  Viola's frustration builds as she answers as honestly as she
can but is not understood.  Olivia's passion mounts, because she
cannot understand why this proud youth is rejecting her.
Finally, Olivia makes an all-out declaration of love.  She
swears by everything she holds dear that in spite of Cesario's
proud refusal to love her, she cannot help loving him. 

  Cesario takes an equally strong oath that no woman will ever
be mistress of his heart.  As the "boy" turns to go, Olivia uses
the one weapon she has left.  Knowing that this messenger is
genuinely concerned for his master, she says that if he will
come back another time, he may win her heart for Orsino. 

  Take a moment to look at Viola's line "You do think you are
not what you are," because it sums up a major theme of the play.
How many of the other characters could you say the same thing
about?  Malvolio thinks he is something he's not, and so do
Orsino and Sir Andrew.  See if you think that description fits
any of the others. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT III, SCENE II 

  Sir Andrew Aguecheek spied on Olivia and Cesario during the
last scene.  He is furious, because Olivia, who is barely even
polite to him, fawned all over Cesario.  As this scene begins,
Sir Andrew is angrily swearing to leave Olivia's house right
away.  Sir Toby and Fabian are trying to talk him out of it. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-65 

  After Sir Andrew explains why he is so upset, Fabian asks
whether Olivia knew he was watching.  Sir Andrew vows that she
did (although from reading the scene we have to assume that he
only imagines she saw him).  Fabian turns the situation upside
down by insisting that what Sir Andrew saw was actually proof
that Olivia loves him. 

  Olivia, he asserts, was only trying to make Sir Andrew
jealous by treating Cesario so well.  He claims that Sir Andrew
missed a golden opportunity to prove his love for Olivia.  He
should have rushed in and used his wit to put Cesario down
completely.  (Does that sound to you like something Sir Andrew
could have managed?) Having missed his cue, he will have to make
up for it "by some laudable attempt either of valor or policy."
In other words, he must either challenge Cesario to a duel
(valor) or outsmart him (policy). 

  Sir Andrew takes the bait.  He hates "policy" (can we blame
him?), so it has to be "valor." Sir Toby coaches him in how to
compose a properly fearsome challenge.  Sir Andrew goes off to
write it. 

  After he leaves, Fabian and Sir Toby laugh about the joke
they are playing.  Fabian calls Sir Andrew a "dear manikin," but
Sir Toby explains that he is more than a toy--he is also a ready
source of money.  Sir Toby promises to deliver Sir Andrew's
challenge to Cesario, but he's sure the two will never fight.
"For Andrew," says Sir Toby, "if he were opened, and you find so
much blood in his liver as will clog the foot of a flea, I'll
eat the rest of the anatomy. 

  NOTE:  Why is Sir Andrew so lacking in the skills a knight
should possess?  Since he comes from a wealthy family, you would
expect him to have received the proper training.  His ineptness
could be due to his stupidity.  There is another possible
explanation.  In Elizabethan England, a rich but untitled person
could raise his social status by purchasing a title.  Perhaps
the wealthy Andrew is Shakespeare's parody of a cloddish
commoner who has bought his noble rank but cannot so easily
acquire the courtly graces to go with it. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 66-83 

  Maria dashes in, helpless with laughter.  She has news of
their other prank.  Malvolio has followed every one of the
instructions in the letter.  He is walking around in yellow
stockings and crossed garters and smiling like an idiot.  All
three run off to see him. 

  NOTE:  The pace of the Low Comic plot is quickening.  Just
when a new jest is added, the first joke begins to pay off.  As
you read, take notice of the rhythm Shakespeare establishes as
he cuts back and forth between his various plots.  You may find
it confusing.  Remember that, in production, the distinctive
appearance of each character would help you to keep track of
what is going on.  Forming clear mental pictures of the thin,
pale Sir Andrew, the fat Sir Toby, the prissy Malvolio, etc.,
might help you as you read. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT III, SCENE III 

  Viola's brother Sebastian and his friend Antonio arrive in
Illyria.  Antonio has just caught up with Sebastian.  He
explains that he followed along partly out of concern for
Sebastian, who doesn't know his way around.  But he says his
main reason for coming was his love for his friend. 

  NOTE:  Shakespeare is introducing another kind of love into
the play.  The other characters are involved in Romantic love.
What Antonio and Sebastian feel for each other is friendship or
brotherly love.  Their shared experiences have given them true
trust and affection for each other.  This fact will sharpen
Antonio's reactions when the confusion begins in the next
scene. 

  Sebastian is touched by Antonio's devotion to him.  He
proposes a tour of the town.  Antonio admits he must not be seen
in Illyria.  He once took part in a sea battle against Orsino's
navy.  If caught, he faces serious consequences. 

  The two plan to separate for an hour.  Antonio will go to a
tavern called the Elephant while Sebastian looks around the
town.  Antonio wants Sebastian to have his purse, in case he
wants to buy anything. 

  NOTE:  The Sebastian/Antonio plot will eventually blend with
the Romantic plot.  You have been told that Sebastian and Viola
are now both in Illyria and that they look exactly alike.  What
you do not yet know is how Shakespeare will use their physical
similarity. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-17 

  A feeling of anticipation hangs over this scene.  In her
garden, Olivia waits for Cesario.  She sent a servant to bring
him back before he could reach Orsino's palace.  How will she
win the boy over, she wonders?  Since rejection has made her
sad, she asks for Malvolio.  His seriousness will suit her
mood. 

  Maria anticipates what will happen when the "new" Malvolio
comes in.  Of course, she must not betray her excitement.
Feigning innocence, she tells Olivia that Malvolio is behaving
strangely and smiling constantly.  Olivia asks to see him. 

  NOTE:  Speaking of Malvolio, Olivia says "I am as mad as he,
/ If sad and merry madness equal be." Twelfth Night can be seen
as a wonderful demonstration of both kinds of "madness." Orsino
and Olivia are mad with lovesick sadness.  Sir Toby and Sir
Andrew seem mad in their drunken merry-making.  Malvolio's
madness ranges from his exaggerated solemnity in the beginning
to the "merry madness" produced by the letter. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 18-67 

  Dressed in bright yellow stockings and smiling like an idiot,
Malvolio almost dances in.  He is certain that Olivia loves him.
When she asks "Wilt thou to bed, Malvolio?" meaning "You seem to
need some rest," he replies "To bed?  Ay, sweetheart; and I'll
come to thee." 

  His true pride reveals itself in the way he answers Maria: 

  Maria:  How do you do, Malvolio? 

  Malvolio:  At your request?  Yes, nightingales answer daws! 

  (III, iv, 37-39) 

  Though they are both servants and equals, Malvolio behaves as
if he were far superior.  True, he does what the letter told
him, but he has secretly felt superior all along. 

  Though Olivia is shocked, her compassion shows itself again.
Malvolio has gone crazy.  She is worried about him.  When a
servant arrives to announce that he has--with great
difficulty--brought Cesario back, Olivia sends Maria to fetch
Toby.  She wants her uncle to take special care of Malvolio.
(Remember how she sent Feste to look after Toby?) 

  NOTE:  REASON FOR MALVOLIO'S BEHAVIOR You have to ask why
Malvolio, who always behaves in such a proper fashion around
others, can be so easily gulled into acting foolish.  Why do you
think he accepts the letter without reservation or suspicion?
Could it be because he wants the letter to be true?  Or does his
ambition to be great override any caution?  Certainly he refuses
to see that Olivia treats him like a madman.  Is he so vain it
never occurs to him the letter could be a fake?  After all,
Maria claims in Act II, Scene iii that Malvolio believes that
"all that look on him love him." In that case, he might assume
that Olivia is playing with him.  One thing is clear--vanity has
made Malvolio blind to reality. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 68-146 

  Left alone, Malvolio marvels at how well things are working
out.  He assumes that Sir Toby has been sent for so that
Malvolio can be rude to a kinsman, as the letter advised. 

  He does just that when Sir Toby, Maria and Fabian enter.
They pretend to be very concerned for him, but he rudely says
"Go off, I discard you." 

  Sir Toby, Maria, and Fabian are now in exactly the position
they've longed for--they can mock Malvolio to their hearts'
content.  Hovering about him, they tell him he is possessed by
the devil.  They treat everything he says as the raving of a
madman.  Finally, Malvolio has had enough.  "I am not of your
element," he tells them.  That is, "I am better than you." And
he leaves. 

  The three conspirators are delighted.  Their joke is working
better than they had dared hope.  Sir Toby proposes that they
use the excuse of Malvolio's madness to have him locked away in
a dark cell. 

  NOTE:  Sir Toby wants to extract as much revenge from the
scheme as he can, but he isn't heartless.  The joke is "for our
pleasure and his penance," says Sir Toby.  He sees the prank as
a way for Malvolio to atone for his sins.  Eventually they will
"have mercy on him." 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 147-202 

  Before they can pursue their prey, Sir Andrew struts in.  He
has just written his challenge to Cesario and is very proud of
it.  When Sir Toby reads the letter aloud, it quickly becomes
clear that all Sir Andrew has accomplished is to prove what a
fool he is.  The wording of the challenge ranges from confusing
to laughable. 

  Sir Toby and Fabian praise Sir Andrew's writing.  Maria says
that Cesario is with Olivia even as they speak.  Sir Toby sends
Sir Andrew to lie in wait for Cesario outside the garden.  He
advises the knight to draw his sword and swear loudly as soon as
he sees Cesario. 

  Once Sir Andrew has gone, Sir Toby reveals that he has no
intention of delivering the letter.  Cesario, he says, would
realize that it came from an idiot.  He will, however, make Sir
Andrew's challenge for him verbally.  In doing so, he will
convince Cesario that Sir Andrew is a fearsome opponent. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 203-410 

  Just then, Olivia and Cesario enter the garden.  Sir Toby,
Fabian, and Maria sneak off to make up a challenge. 

  Olivia tells Cesario that she fears she has been too open
with him.  Her love for him is so strong that she simply cannot
be cautious, she says. 

  Viola replies by once again pleading Orsino's cause.  "With
the same 'havior that your passion bears / Goes on my master's
grief." Olivia gives a picture of herself to Cesario and asks
him to come again tomorrow.  Her parting line confirms how
smitten she is:  "A fiend like thee might bear my soul to hell."
She would not only give up all her worldly goods for the boy,
but give her soul to the devil! 

  NOTE:  This brief scene underlines the ways that Orsino and
Olivia are similar.  They are both afflicted with the "sad
madness," as Viola points out.  They also share a liking for
excess.  Is Olivia really prepared to go to hell for the love of
this messenger boy, or is she indulging herself in the same way
Orsino is when he talks about dying for love? 

  As soon as Olivia leaves, Sir Toby and Fabian dash in to tell
Cesario that a valiant and deadly knight challenges him to a
duel.  Sir Toby says he doesn't know what Cesario did to offend
him, but the knight is very angry.  He is determined to have
blood.  Sir Toby describes Sir Andrew as a master swordsman who
has killed three men. 

  Viola is terrified.  First, she tries to go back to the
house, but Sir Toby will not let her.  Then, since she is sure
she has not done anything to offend anybody, she asks Sir Toby
to find out why this knight is so angry.  He agrees to ask, and
goes off, leaving Fabian to make sure "Cesario" does not run
away. 

  Fabian adds to Sir Toby's portrait of Sir Andrew:  "He is
indeed, sir, the most skillful, bloody, and fatal opposite
[opponent] that you could possibly have found in any part of
Illyria." He promises to try to make peace, if he can, and asks
Viola to follow him. 

  Meanwhile, Sir Toby tells the same lies to Sir Andrew about
Cesario.  Sir Toby claims he fought with the boy and barely
escaped with his life.  Hearing this, Sir Andrew wants to drop
the whole matter.  Sir Toby warns him that Cesario is so angry
that he's determined to fight.  Fearing for his life, Sir Andrew
offers to give Cesario his horse if he will forgive the offense.
Sir Toby says he will convey the message. 

  Fabian arrives with Viola.  She and Sir Andrew are equally
terrified.  In order to coax them into fighting, Sir Toby tells
each one that the other promises not to hurt him. 

  NOTE:  A sequence like this practical joke on Sir Andrew and
Viola serves to remind you that Shakespeare had an actor's
understanding of stagecraft.  The comedy of this passage is
mainly physical.  It provides wonderful acting opportunities for
the players.  Try to imagine how a good comic actor would
portray Sir Andrew's swift shift from swaggering challenger to
fearful coward, or what tone of voice the actor playing Sir Toby
would use to frighten his two victims. 

  The two trembling adversaries reluctantly inch towards each
other.  Just as they are about to clash, Viola cries "I do
assure you 'tis against my will." At that moment, Antonio walks
in.  He thinks he sees his friend Sebastian being forced to
engage in a sword fight.  Antonio leaps to his friend's
rescue. 

  Sir Toby steps in to confront Antonio, possibly because he
knows that Sir Andrew could never defend himself against a real
swordsman.  But before they can begin fighting, two officers
arrive to arrest Antonio.  As he feared, he has been recognized
as an enemy of Orsino's.  Antonio tries to bluff his way out of
his predicament, but he quickly sees that it's hopeless. 

  Regretfully, he asks "Sebastian" (who is actually Cesario,
who is really Viola!) to return his purse.  Viola appreciates
Antonio's coming to her aid as he did, but she has no idea what
he means when he asks for his purse. 

  Antonio is stunned.  He can't understand why this man he has
loved as a brother should betray him now in his hour of need.
just before the officers drag him off, Antonio rebukes his
friend.  in doing so, he says the name Sebastian. 

  Now it is Viola's turn to be stunned.  She could see that
this man believed he knew her.  What's more, he called her
Sebastian.  Could she, dressed as a man, have been mistaken for
her brother?  She is hopeful, but cautious.  She still has no
proof that her brother lives. 

  NOTE:  Contrast Viola's reaction to being called by her
brother's name with Malvolio's response to finding Maria's
letter.  Each is being told what he or she wants to believe.
Viola wisely realizes that things are not always what they
appear to be.  Malvolio lacks that wisdom.  Therefore, Viola can
keep her balance in a difficult situation, while Malvolio
contributes to his own downfall. 

  After Viola leaves, Sir Toby and Fabian pick up the pieces of
their joke.  They say that Cesario has proved himself a coward
by failing his friend.  If the man is a coward, Sir Andrew will
fight him.  Off he goes after Cesario, followed closely by Sir
Toby and Fabian. 

  NOTE:  In this long scene, all the plot strands become
entangled.  Viola has been drawn into the action of the Low
Comic characters.  Antonio, who was previously only involved
with Sebastian, is now mixed into the other plots.  You know
that each of these characters will draw others in.  Whatever
affects Viola will affect both Olivia and Orsino.  Sebastian
will have to find out what happened to his friend Antonio. 

  The motifs of confusion and deception rapidly "snowball" to
great comic effect.  Shakespeare has laid the groundwork in
earlier scenes.  By this point, every character is either being
deceived or is deceiving somebody else.  Viola does both--she
deceives Olivia and is deceived by Toby and Fabian.  Every
action in the entire scene is based on some kind of mistake. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT IV 

  The confusion continues when Sebastian is mistaken for his
sister Viola.  After being threatened by Sir Andrew and Sir
Toby, Sebastian is taken by Olivia into her house.  Then Feste
helps Sir Toby and Maria to further punish Malvolio, who has
been locked up as a madman.  When you next see Sebastian, he is
trying to figure out if he has gone mad.  Olivia has asked him
to marry her.  Though Sebastian is stunned and confused, he is
also delighted and so he accepts. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-23 

  Now that Viola has been mistaken for Sebastian, it's time for
Sebastian to be taken for her.  As this scene begins, Feste
believes he is talking with Cesario.  In fact, he's talking to
Sebastian.  Each thinks the other is crazy.  Feste tells
"Cesario" that Olivia wants to see him.  Sebastian says that
Feste is talking nonsense.  In his frustration, Feste declares
"Nothing that is so is so." 

  NOTE:  It's no mistake that Feste did not appear in the
previous scene.  The action of that scene deepens the confusion.
The characters cling to their misconceptions.  Feste provides
perspective.  He seems to play with, rather than become involved
with, the other characters.  Notice that as soon as the Fool
reappears, he delivers a piece of "nonsense" that clarifies the
situation:  "Nothing that is so is so." 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 24-70 

  Sir Andrew runs up and makes the same mistake as Feste.
Thinking he's caught up with the cowardly boy, he walks right up
to Sebastian and hits him.  Sebastian now thinks everybody has
gone crazy.  He hits Sir Andrew back.  Once again, Sir Toby
comes to Sir Andrew's defense.  Feste runs off to tell Olivia
what is happening. 

  Just as Sir Toby and Sebastian draw their swords, Olivia
enters.  She can't believe her eyes.  Sir Toby is trying to hurt
her beloved Cesario!  Olivia gives her uncle a good scolding and
orders him and his friends to leave. 

  Then she turns to comfort the man she believes is Cesario.
Lovingly, she apologizes for her uncle.  She practically begs
"Cesario" to come into her house. 

  Sebastian concludes that he either has gone mad or is
dreaming.  But if it is a dream, he prefers to stay asleep.  He
enjoys the attention he's getting from this beautiful woman.
Olivia is delighted that "Cesario" finally responds to her
affection.  The scene ends with two surprised but happy
people. 

  NOTE:  Shakespeare wrings the last ounce of humor out of the
disguises by piling mistake upon mistake.  Sir Andrew is always
wrong about his opponent.  When he thinks Cesario is a great
swordsman, the boy is actually a frightened girl.  When he
decides Cesario is a coward, Sebastian has taken his sister's
place, so Sir Andrew gets a beating. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-74 

  Shakespeare now turns his attention back to Malvolio and yet
another disguise.  Maria has locked up the steward in a dark
cell.  Her plan calls for Feste to disguise himself as a
priest--Sir Topas.  While Toby and Maria watch, "Sir Topas"
visits the prisoner. 

  Feste uses his skill at twisting the meanings of words to
torment Malvolio: 

  Malvolio:  Sir Topas, Sir Topas, good 

  Sir Topas, go to my lady. 

  Clown:  Out, hyperbolical fiend!  How vexest 

  thou this man!  Talkest thou nothing but of ladies? 

  (IV, ii, 24-27) 

  When Malvolio complains about being locked in a darkened
cell, Feste insists that the cell has huge windows and is full
of light. 

  Malvolio wants to prove his sanity by answering a question
about philosophy.  Feste asks him such a question, then twists
Malvolio's answer into further proof that he's mad. 

  Sir Toby and Maria enjoy the joke, but Sir Toby says it's
time to call a halt.  The fight with Cesario has gotten him into
trouble with Olivia.  He tells Feste that he wants to let
Malvolio out before things get worse.  Sir Toby and Maria
leave. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 75-135 

  Feste displays even more skill when he returns to Malvolio
without the disguise.  Taking advantage of the fact that
Malvolio cannot see him, he plays both himself and Sir Topas. 

  Malvolio asks the fool to bring him a pen, ink, some paper
and a candle.  He wants to write a letter to Olivia.  Pleading
with the fool, Malvolio says he is being tormented by
"ministers...  asses." 

  Just then, thanks to Feste's acting ability, "Sir Topas"
appears.  He reprimands Malvolio and tells the fool not to speak
with him. 

  When Malvolio thinks the priest has left, he offers the fool
money to take the letter for him.  Feste decides to help
Malvolio.  Singing a song, he goes off to get the pen and
paper. 

  Notice how responsive Feste is to money.  His need or desire
to be paid helps to remind us that he's human.  Though he often
seems removed from the foibles of ordinary people, he has his
own failings too. 

  NOTE:  Is Malvolio's punishment too harsh for his crime?
Some readers consider him an almost tragic figure.  All he
really wants is to better himself.  That's a common human
desire.  It was especially popular in the nineteenth century to
take a sympathetic view of Malvolio.  Later readers have
disputed that view as overly sentimental.  They hold that he's a
cold-hearted, mean-spirited hypocrite who gets what he deserves,
much to everyone's delight.  It's not unusual for Shakespeare's
characters to be reinterpreted in different eras.  For example,
in Shakespeare's theater, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice was
played broadly with heavy makeup as a figure of fun.  Today,
Shylock is considered a profoundly human and tragic character. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT IV, SCENE III 

  In Olivia's garden, Sebastian tries to figure out what is
happening to him.  To get his bearings, he looks around.  Air is
still air, he says.  The sun looks like it always has.  But why
has Antonio vanished?  And why should a noble and beautiful lady
want to marry him after knowing him for only a few seconds?  He
doesn't think he's crazy, and the lady seems sane, but something
strange is happening. 

  Olivia enters with a priest in tow.  She wants "Cesario" to
swear before the priest that he will marry her.  Sebastian has
apparently fallen in love with Olivia as quickly as she fell in
love with "Cesario." He follows her off to make the promise.
This scene offers the first hint of the happy ending to come.
None of the confusions have been resolved.  The situation will
get worse before it gets better.  But Olivia now has a suitable
mate, and he wants to marry her. 

  NOTE:  Though you may not realize it, you are taking an
active role in all the scenes of mistaken identity.  The actors
cannot look exactly alike, of course.  In real life no male and
female, even twins, could be mistaken for one another.
Shakespeare makes it very clear that you should believe it,
though.  For the sake of enjoying the fun of the play, you do.
That process is sometimes called "willing suspension of
disbelief." 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ACT V 

  Orsino, accompanied by Viola, visits Olivia.  In one long
scene, all of the confusions are resolved.  After being reunited
with her brother, Viola reveals her true identity.  She and
Orsino will wed, as will Olivia and Sebastian.  You learn that
Toby has already married Maria.  Malvolio is released from
prison and the joke played on him is explained.  Though Olivia
tries to appease his anger, Malvolio is too proud to forgive
those who humiliated him.  He stalks off.  The others leave to
prepare for the double wedding.  Feste ends the play with a
song. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 1-102 

  In front of Olivia's house, Fabian tries to get Malvolio's
letter away from Feste.  They are interrupted by Orsino, Viola,
and Orsino's other servants.  Orsino finally has come to see
Olivia himself. 

  The duke knows Feste.  As the two banter, Feste sneaks in
another bit of wisdom under the guise of nonsense.  He says that
he is better off because of his enemies and worse because of his
friends.  Orsino says the fool must mean the opposite.  Look at
Feste's explanation: 

  Marry, sir, they [my friends] praise me an make 

  an ass of me.  Now my foes tell me plainly I am 

  an ass; so that by my foes, sir, I profit in the 

  knowledge of myself, and by my friends I am abused. 

  (V, i, 17-20) 

  Impressed by the fool's logic, Orsino gives him a coin.
Feste begs another.  Then he goes in to tell Olivia that she has
a visitor. 

  NOTE:  Feste points up a major theme in the play--the danger
of vanity.  Malvolio and Sir Andrew, for example, both suffer
because they believe they are better than they really are.  You
could say the same of Orsino.  His indulgence in suffering the
pangs of unrequited love is an act of vanity.  He would profit
if somebody would tell him he's acting like an ass. 

  At that moment, the officers drag Antonio in.  Viola
testifies that he is the man who helped her.  Orsino knows him
as an enemy.  He calls Antonio a pirate. 

  NOTE:  Some readers object to the fact that you never get to
know much about the nature of Antonio's offense against Orsino
or his supposed reasons for opposing the duke.  Shakespeare only
tells you enough to justify his use of Antonio in the plot.  It
is interesting that, in a play that makes so many implausible
actions seem believable, Shakespeare lets Antonio remain a bit
of a loose end. 

  Antonio denies that he ever was a pirate, though he was
Orsino's enemy.  He bitterly accuses "that most ungrateful boy
there," who he thinks is Sebastian, of betraying him.  He claims
to have taken care of the boy for three months.  Orsino says the
man is mad.  The boy has been his servant for three months. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 103-184 

  Olivia's entrance takes Orsino's attention away from Antonio.
The lady doesn't want to hear Orsino's vows of love.  That's
hardly surprising.  She has refused to hear them for months now.
What is unusual to Orsino is that Olivia seems much more
interested in Cesario than she is in him.  She even interrupts
the master to ask the servant to speak. 

  Orsino begins to realize what has happened--that Olivia loves
Cesario.  He reminds Olivia of a legendary Egyptian who tried to
kill a woman when he could not have her.  But Orsino will not do
that.  Instead, he will "sacrifice the lamb that I do love
[Cesario]" to spite Olivia.  He starts to leave.  Viola follows,
vowing that she would gladly die for the love of Orsino. 

  Olivia is shocked.  Cesario is going back on his word.
Calling him "husband," she summons the priest who confirms that
Olivia and Cesario exchanged vows only two hours before. 

  Never has Orsino been so abused!  Instead of wooing his lady
for him, Cesario married her himself.  Orsino cannot believe
that such a young boy can be so evil.  What will he be like when
he grows up, Orsino wonders? 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 185-220 

  Suddenly, Sir Andrew runs on, crying out for a surgeon.  Both
he and Sir Toby have had their heads split open by Cesario, he
cries.  Imagine Sir Andrew's surprise when he looks up and sees
Cesario staring at him.  Sir Toby comes in next, drunk and
bleeding.  Feste has to hold him up. 

  Sir Toby has apparently been pushed to the breaking point,
because he becomes honest.  When Sir Andrew offers to help him,
he harshly replies "Will you help--an ass-head and a coxcomb and
a knave--a thin-faced knave, a gull?" Olivia orders that Sir
Toby be looked after.  Feste, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Fabian
all leave. 

  NOTE:  THE FOOLISH KNIGHT You have now seen the last of Sir
Toby and Sir Andrew.  However, you will hear more of Sir Toby.
Sir Andrew can be got rid of, because he only served to add
humor.  There is no need to resolve the question of whether he
will be successful in wooing Olivia.  He never stood a chance. 

  Sir Toby's last line to Sir Andrew is cruel but honest.
Following Feste's reasoning from the beginning of the scene, Sir
Toby does Sir Andrew a favor.  He finally tells him plainly he
is an ass.  We have no scenes to indicate whether Sir Andrew
profits from this honesty.  Whatever he does, though, it could
not be worse than what he did while Sir Toby falsely flattered
him. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 221-348 

  As they go, the man who really beat them--Sebastian--walks
in.  He apologizes to Olivia for hurting her uncle.  He had no
choice, he explains.  He was attacked.  Then he sees Antonio.
Finding his friend alive fills Sebastian with joy. 

  Sebastian notices that everybody is staring at him in
disbelief.  Following Antonio's gaze, he spots what looks like
his mirror image standing by Orsino.  Both brother and sister
are overcome with wonder.  They question each other, trying to
discover whether what they see is true. 

  NOTE:  Notice again how cautious Viola and Sebastian are.
Their behavior contrasts sharply with that of the characters who
rashly believe anything they are told.  In a play that exposes
the types of foolishness people are liable to fall into, these
two characters are sensible. 

  Finally, Viola and her brother admit what their hearts have
told them since they first spied each other.  Viola reveals to
everybody who she really is.  She explains that the sea captain
who rescued her has her woman's clothing. 

  Sebastian jokes with Olivia, saying that she was almost
betrothed to a girl, "But nature to her bias drew in that." 

  NOTE:  Read that line again.  It contains the key to
unravelling the confusions of the play.  He and Olivia were
drawn together, Sebastian says, because that's how it should be
in the natural order of things.  Almost every character in the
play tries to fool himself or others.  In the end, the true
nature of each one is revealed. 

  Orsino is overjoyed to find out Viola's true nature.  He asks
whether she meant it when she said she would never love any
woman as she loved him.  Viola affirms that she meant what she
said. 

  NOTE:  The Romantic Plot has now been resolved.  The
obstacles between the lovers melt away as the confusions are
cleared up.  To Shakespeare's audience, it would have seemed
perfectly natural that the characters of noble birth should have
been attracted to each other, even in disguise.  According to
the Elizabethan sense of order, God ordains your place in life.
Orsino, Viola, Olivia, and Sebastian would thus be suited for
each other and for no other characters in the play. 

  Viola cannot change into her women's clothes, because
Malvolio had the sea captain put in jail for reasons Shakespeare
never makes clear.  Mention of Malvolio reminds Olivia that her
steward seems to have lost his mind.  Feste says that he has a
letter from Malvolio.  He begins to shout out the letter,
imitating the way Malvolio spoke while locked in the dark
cell. 

  Olivia orders Fabian to read the letter, instead.  In it,
Malvolio says that he was treated shamefully.  He explains that
he was only following the instructions in Olivia's own letter.
Olivia concludes that he doesn't sound crazy.  She orders him
released and brought to her. 

  Now that Orsino and Olivia have their proper mates, peace can
be made between them.  Olivia offers to hold the weddings at her
house and at her expense.  Orsino accepts and promises Viola he
will marry her.  Olivia gladly accepts her former beloved as a
sister. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 349-415 

  Malvolio enters, shaking with rage.  He says he has been
wronged.  To prove it, he shows Olivia the letter.  She admits
the handwriting looks like hers, but she recognizes it as
Maria's.  She sweetly apologizes to Malvolio and promises that
he will be able to sit in judgment on whoever played the trick
on him. 

  Fabian steps forward to confess his and Sir Toby's part in
the joke.  He doesn't want to mar the happiness of the day with
any bad feelings.  Sir Toby and he invented the joke to get even
with Malvolio, he explains.  Maria wrote the letter to please
Sir Toby.  In return, Sir Toby has married her. 

  They and Malvolio are now even, according to Fabian.  He
suggests that everybody should have a good laugh and forget
about it.  The fool agrees. 

  Malvolio cannot forgive his tormentors.  Angrily vowing
revenge on everybody, he stomps out. 

  NOTE:  Unlike the others, Malvolio remains a victim of his
vain self-deception to the end.  His pride prevents him from
laughing at himself.  He can neither forgive nor accept
forgiveness.  Shakespeare seems to be saying that you can't
avoid looking foolish at times.  The only solution, according to
the play, is to laugh and forgive. 

  Olivia feels sorry for Malvolio.  Servants are sent to chase
after the man and make peace with him.  Orsino vows to remain in
Olivia's house until the marriages take place. 

  NOTE:  Shakespearean comedies end in marriage.  Tragedies end
in death.  Thus, Hamlet concludes with a funeral procession,
while A Midsummer Night's Dream ends with a wedding march. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  LINES 416-435 

  The final moments of the play are Feste's.  The fool closes
the show with a song.  The nature of his song is rather
surprising.  At the end of a comedy you might expect a light
little "ditty." Instead, you get a melancholy ballad. 

  The lyrics concern the stages of a man's life--from boy to
man to husband to bed-ridden old man.  Images of rain and wind
fill the verses. 

  "The rain it raineth every day" goes the refrain.  That is
not literally true.  In fact, some readers consider the song
mere nonsense verse.  That could be true.  But think about what
the image of rain could signify.  The refrain could mean "each
day goes by and is washed away into the past." It could also
mean "every day you have troubles." 

  Look at the final verse.  It could speak for Shakespeare the
playwright: 

  A long while ago the world began, 

  With hey, ho, the wind and the rain; 

  But that's all one, our play is done, 

  And we'll strive to please you every day. 

  (V, i, 432-435) 

  He may be saying:  time goes on; people have troubles;
everybody gets old and dies.  All I can do is entertain you with
my play.  Remember it is a play in which the actors have been
playing characters who in turn pretend to be what they are not.
As a character in a different play says, "All the world's a
stage." 

  As you've seen, Twelfth Night portrays a whole range of
faults that humans fall prey to.  It finally takes an amused,
forgiving view of those faults in a song which reminds us of the
sadness of life but says, "What can you do?  Just laugh." 

  Is it possible that Shakespeare included it because the actor
who played Feste sang it especially well?  In that case, perhaps
the verse is mere nonsense.  Why do you think Shakespeare chose
it to end his play?  As with all questions of interpretation,
you have to make your own choice. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  GLOSSARY 

  AQUA-VITAE Liquor. 

  ARION An ancient poet who jumped ship to avoid being murdered
by his crew; he was rescued by a dolphin. 

  BELZEBUB The devil. 

  CANARY A sweet wine from the Canary Islands. 

  COLLIER Coal seller. 

  CORANTO A dance with quick steps. 

  CUCKOLD Someone whose wife deceives him with another man. 

  DAMASK Blended red and white. 

  ELYSIUM Heaven. 

  EUNUCH A castrated boy, valued for his soprano voice. 

  FADGE Succeed. 

  GALLIARD A lively dance. 

  GASKINS Hose. 

  LETHE The river of forgetfulness in Hades. 

  MERCURY A god noted for trickiness. 

  MOTLEY Particolored garb of a court fool. 

  NUNCIO Messenger. 

  PENTHESILEA Queen of the Amazons. 

  'SLID God's eyelid. 

  SOPHY Shah of Persia. 

  VIOL DE GAMBOYS A bass viol. 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ON SHAKESPEARE'S POINT OF VIEW IN
TWELFTH NIGHT 

  Folly is indigenous to the soil, and shoots out with native,
happy, unchecked luxuriance.  Absurdity has every encouragement
afforded it; and nonsense has room to flourish in.  Nothing is
stunted by the churlish, icy hand of indifference or severity.
The poet runs riot in conceit, and idolizes a quibble.  His
whole object is to turn the meanest or rudest objects to a
pleasurable account.  The relish which he has of a pun, or of
the quaint humour of a low character, does not interfere with
the delight with which he describes a beautiful image, or the
most refined love.  The clown's forced jests do not spoil the
sweetness of the character of Viola; the same house is big
enough to hold Malvolio, the Countess, Maria, Sir Toby, and Sir
Andrew Aguecheek. 

  William Hazlitt, 

  Characters of Shakespeare's Plays, 1817 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ON DISGUISE 

  Every character has his mask, for the assumption of the play
is that no one is without a mask in the seriocomic business of
the pursuit of happiness.  The character without disguises who
is not ridiculous is outside the realm of comedy.  Within
comedy, the character who thinks it is possible to live without
assuming a mask is merely too naive to recognize the mask he has
already assumed.  He is the chief object of laughter.  As a
general rule, we laugh with the characters who know the role
they are playing and we laugh at those who do not; we can
crudely divide the cast of Twelfth Night into those two
categories. 

  Joseph H.  Summers, 

  The Masks of Twelfth Night, 1955 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ON BEING IN LOVE WITH LOVE 

  At the opening of the play Orsino and Olivia accept the
aristocratic (and literary) ideas of the romantic lover and the
grief stricken lady as realities rather than ideas.  They are
comic characters exactly because of that confusion.  Orsino
glories in the proper moodiness and fickleness of the literary
lover; only our own romanticism can blind us to the absurdities
in his opening speech....  Orsino is a victim of a type of
madness to which the most admirable characters are sometimes
subject.  Its usual causes are boredom, lack of physical love,
and excessive imagination, and the victim is unaware that he is
in love with love rather than with a person. 

  Joseph H.  Summers, 

  The Masks of Twelfth Night, 1955 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ON FESTE 

  There is only one character [Feste] who can restore some
sense of unity to Twelfth Night at its ending, mediating between
the world of the romantic lovers and our own world, which is (or
is about to be) that of the chastened Sir Andrew, the sobered
Belch and the unbending Malvolio.  In a sense, he has been doing
just this all along in preparation for, some such ultimate
necessity.  Throughout Twelfth Night, Feste has served as
commentator and Chorus, mocking the extravagance of Orsino, the
wasteful idealism of Olivia's grief, Viola's poor showing as a
man.  He has joined in the revels of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew
while remaining essentially apart from them, aware of their
limitations. 

  Anne Barton, As You Like It and Twelfth Night: 

  Shakespeare's Sense of an Ending, 1972 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  ON OLIVIA 

  Indeed, Olivia gives evidence of a clear head and a quick
mind.  She enjoys the combat of wits between Malvolio and Feste;
and, though she is too dignified in her mourning to make one in
it, she eggs on the contestants.  She is competent at
worldly-wise epigram:  "O world, how apt the poor are to be
proud?"; and "...youth is bought more oft then begg'd, or
borrow'd." She is quick-witted, and instantly invents the
stratagem of the ring to oblige Viola to visit her again.  She
can endure plain speaking, and is not angry when Viola suggests
that her fine complexion may be false and that she is "too
proud." She can be patient with Feste, and can bide her time
with Sir Toby.  Indeed, she has poise and self-control. 

  John W.  Draper, 

  The Twelfth Night of Shakespeare's Audience, 1950 

^^^^^^^^^^
TWELFTH NIGHT:  TWO VIEWS OF MALVOLIO 

  He is of a new order--ambitious, self-contained, cold and
intelligent, and dreadfully likely to prevail.  That is why Sir
Toby and his retinue hate him.  Feste at the end provides too
simple an explanation.  The humiliation of Malvolio, he says,
was his personal revenge upon one who had discounted him to his
mistress as "a barren rascal," a jester unworthy of hire.  But
the others had been as active as Feste, and they had had no such
motive.  "The devil a puritan that he is," Maria insists, "or
anything constantly, but a time-pleaser; and affection'd ass."
Puritan or not, Malvolio has offended them as a class.  They
could have forgiven his being a climber, his having affection
for himself, if he had been any other kind of man than the cool
kind he is. 

  Mark Van Doren, Shakespeare, 1939 

  Malvolio is to our minds as poetical as Don Quixote; and we
are by no means sure that Shakespeare meant the poor
cross-gartered steward only to be laughed at, any more than
Cervantes did the knight of the rueful countenance.  He meant us
to pity him, as Olivia and the Duke pitied him; for, in truth,
the delusion by which Malvolio was wrecked, only passed out of
the romantic into the comic through the manifestation of the
vanity of the character in reference to his situation.  But if
we laugh at Malvolio we are not to laugh ill-naturedly, for the
poet has conducted all the mischief against him in a spirit in
which there is no real malice at the bottom of the fun. 

  Charles Knight, Studies of Shakespeare, 1849 

  THE END