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Twelfth Night Summary
Table of Contents
SHORT STORYLINE
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Viola thinks her twin brother Sebastian is dead. He thinks that she is dead. Everyone thinks that she is her brother. Everyone thinks that her brother is hers.
SHORT SUMMARY
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Being separated from her twin Sebastian, Viola dresses as a boy and starts working for Duke Orsino, with whom she falls in love. Orsino is in love with Countess Olivia and sends Viola to court her for him, but Olivia falls for Viola in her place. Sebastian arrives, causing a lot of mistaken identities, and marries Olivia. Later, Viola reveals that she is a girl and marries Orsino.
DETAILED SUMMARY
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Act I
Duke of Illyria, Orsino, is disappointed that he has been rejected by Countess Olivia. She has shunned the company of men for seven years while she mourns the death of her brother and rebuffs all his advances. Nearby, a group of sailors come ashore with a young girl, Viola, whom they have rescued from a storm at sea. Viola mourns the loss of her twin brother, Sebastian, in a shipwreck. She resolves to fight for herself by dressing as a boy in order to get work as a page for Duke Orsino.
Despite his initial disapproval, Duke Orsino sends Cesario (Viola in disguise), his new page, to court Olivia for her. Cesario/Viola falls in love at first sight with her master, Orsino, so she reluctantly attends Olivia's court. To make matters more complicated, Olivia continuously rejects Orsino but is attracted to Cesario. She sends her proud steward, Malvolio, after him with a ring for him. Thus, a real love triangle arises between Olivia, Viola/Cesario, and Orsino.
Act II
Meanwhile, members of Olivia's household start plotting to expose the self-love and aspirations of the steward, Malvolio. These include members like Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch, her maid, Maria, and Sir Toby's friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Sir Andrew is also seeking Olivia's hand. Together, they use a letter to cheat Malvolio into believing that Olivia loves him. The letter demands that Malvolio appear in yellow stockings and cross-garters with a smiling face to show his love for Olivia. After he does so, the countess is horrified and locks Malvolio in the dungeons as a madman. In the meantime, Sebastian, Viola's twin brother, has also survived the shipwreck. He arrives in Illyria with his sea-captain friend, Antonio, who is a wanted man against Orsino for prior piracy.
Act III
Sir Andrew's affection for Olivia makes him jealous of Cesario, and he plans to announce a duel between them. Thanks to a prank by Sir Toby, both Andrew and Cesario believe their adversaries intend to fight to the death. They both avoided the fight. However, sea captain Antonio passes by, mistakes Cesario for Sebastian, and intervenes to protect his friend. He is recognized and arrested by Orsino's men. Later on, Sebastian comes along and is challenged by Sir Andrew, whom he thinks is Cesario. Sebastian, who is fully trained in combat, wins the fight. But Olivia intervenes and invites Sebastian into the house, also thinking he is Cesario (this is apparently a common mistake). That night, Olivia and Sebastian get married.
Act IV
Malvolio, imprisoned for being a madman, is psychologically tortured by Maria, Sir Toby, and Feste, the court fool. Feste dresses up as a priest in order to convince Malvolio that he is, in fact, insane. After getting the idea that they could get into trouble for treating Malvolio this way, they give him a pen and paper to be able to write a letter to Olivia.
Act V
Antonio is brought in to speak with Orsino, and upon seeing Cesario, he accuses him of treachery. Just then, the real Sebastian arrives to apologise for fighting with Sir Toby. The twins look at each other and find that they are both alive. Orsino's fool, Feste, brings a letter from Malvolio, and upon his release, Maria's letter is revealed as a fraud. Malvolio leaves, promising revenge. Both Maria and Sir Toby have already married in celebration of the success of their plot against the steward.
The play ends as Orsino approves of the unity between Olivia and Sebastian. Realising his own attraction to 'Cesario', Orsino promises that once Viola is dressed as a woman again, they too will marry.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
1. Why does Viola disguise herself as a boy?
Answer:
Viola disguises herself as a boy to find work and safety after being separated from her twin brother, Sebastian. She takes on the identity of Cesario to serve Duke Orsino.
2. Why is Olivia melancholy at the beginning of the play?
Answer:
Olivia is melancholic at the beginning because she is mourning the death of her brother and has decided to avoid the company of men for seven years.
3. Why is the play called Twelfth Night?
Answer:
The play is called Twelfth Night because it was traditionally performed as part of the Twelfth Night holiday festivities, a celebration marking the end of the Christmas season.
4. What causes Olivia to fall in love with Cesario?
Answer:
Olivia falls in love with Cesario (Viola in disguise) due to Cesario's charm, wit, and sincerity while delivering Duke Orsino's messages of love.
5. Why do Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria dislike Malvolio?
Answer:
They dislike Malvolio because he is seen as a strict, puritanical figure, and they find amusement in plotting against him. They feel he spoils their fun.
6. Is Antonio in love with Sebastian?
Answer:
Yes, Antonio is in love with Sebastian. He riskily intervenes in a duel, thinking Cesario (Sebastian's twin sister in disguise) is Sebastian, to protect him.
7. How does Maria impress the other members of Olivia’s household?
Answer:
Maria impresses them by devising a clever plot to expose Malvolio's vanity and self-love. She contributes to the humorous schemes against Malvolio.
8. Why does Sir Andrew challenge Cesario to a duel?
Answer:
Sir Andrew challenges Cesario to a duel out of jealousy, as he is vying for Olivia's hand and sees Cesario as a romantic rival.
9. Why does Malvolio believe Olivia is in love with him?
Answer:
Malvolio believes Olivia is in love with him because of a fake letter planted by Maria, Sir Toby, and others, tricking him into thinking Olivia desires a man with specific traits, including wearing yellow cross-gartered stockings.
10. What is the significance of Malvolio wearing yellow cross-gartered stockings?
Answer:
Malvolio wears yellow cross-gartered stockings because the fake letter instructs him to do so as a sign of his love for Olivia. It becomes a symbol of his gullibility and the success of the prank.
11. Why does Sebastian agree to marry Olivia?
Answer:
Sebastian agrees to marry Olivia, thinking she is Cesario (Viola in disguise), after winning a duel with Sir Andrew and being invited into Olivia's house.
12. Why does Feste wear a disguise to speak to Malvolio when he is imprisoned?
Answer:
Feste wears a disguise to mock and further confuse Malvolio during his imprisonment, adding to the overall humorous and deceptive elements of the play.
13. What happens to Malvolio at the end of the play?
Answer:
Malvolio leaves, promising revenge, after being psychologically tortured. His fate after the play is not explicitly mentioned.
14. Why is Orsino so willing to marry Viola?
Answer:
Orsino is willing to marry Viola because he realizes his feelings for Cesario (Viola in disguise) were genuine, and upon learning Viola's true identity, he accepts the idea of marrying her.
15. What happens to Antonio at the end of the play?
Answer:
Antonio is not explicitly mentioned in the end, but earlier in the play, he is arrested by Orsino's men. The text does not provide details about his fate after this point.
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