Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare | Characters

Professor Regina Buccola of Roosevelt University explains the main characters in William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night.


William Shakespeare’s comedy is all about mistaken identities and misplaced love.

Viola, shipwrecked with her twin brother Sebastian, assumes that Sebastian is dead and attempts to find work in Illyria disguised as a boy. She falls for Orsino, duke of Illyria, though he is in love with Olivia. Meanwhile, Viola helps woo Olivia for Orsino, but Olivia falls for “Sebastian” instead.

As this romantic entanglement develops, it emerges that Sebastian has survived and is in the city. Misunderstandings ensue as the result of Viola's disguise and her lookalike brother's return from the dead.

Everyone ends up partnered off, but not before the bungling lovers' shenanigans reach a fever pitch.

Considered the most famous playwright in history, William Shakespeare was at his best with this comedy. Twelfth Night was first performed in 1601 or 1602, possibly for Queen Elizabeth I. The play is replete with all of the elements beloved by Elizabethan theatre-goers: double-crossing, mistaken identities, cross-dressing, and romance intertwine on the last night of the Christmas celebrations, at which time pandemonium was celebrated.

The comedy contains many of Shakespeare's favorite themes: a topsy-turvy world in which disguises and jests sometimes backfire; the folly of dwelling too long in grief; and the fine line between love and madness.


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[pinktulips]

who else is watching this because they are about to do a esay on it but you havent listened to any of the lectures

[rrkponj]

But by the end of the play everyone forgets about Antonio who literally saved Sebastian. What happened to Antonio?

[darazspunboxing]

Who else is listening this cause of exams🙃

[Kawaii_Mal]

I'm doing this as a play, I'm playing Olivia, funny about the whole love triangle thingy since I have one myself lol.

[blockie]

For them who doesn't know Illyria is modern day Albania🇦🇱

[NN_legend.c]

Anyone writing their exam about this on Monday cause same😅

[yuriqt]

Exam from Tuesday so... Opai nai.. so😁😆😌

[ClownjuiceShady]

anyone else doing this last minute before exam

[a-zhumblechannel]

this summery which of grad
please tell me

[Yysahbalzman]

I have an exam in this play and also in Hamlet 😔