Twelfth Night: A Summary of Shakespeare’s Comedy
Plot of Twelfth Night
In the kingdom of Illyria, Orsino (a nobleman) falls in love with Lady Olivia. He cannot have her because she is in mourning for her dead brother and refuses marriage.
Meanwhile, a storm causes a terrible shipwreck. A young woman of aristocratic birth, called Viola, finds herself alone on the Illyrian coast. She assumes that her brother Sebastian died in the wreck. Considering her options, a friendly sea captain tells her about Orsino’s courtship of Olivia, and Viola decides to work in Olivia’s household. However, Olivia does not want to speak with any strangers, so Viola disguises herself as a man, taking on the name of Cesario, and goes to work in Duke Orsino’s household.
As Cesario, she works with Orsino, who loves Olivia, while Olivia falls in love with Cesario.
The other members of Olivia’s household include:
- Sir Toby (the uncle)
- Sir Andrew Aguecheek (a friend trying to court Olivia)
- Maria (the serving woman)
- Malvolio (the steward)
When Sir Toby and the others take offense at Malvolio’s constant efforts to spoil their fun, Maria engineers a practical joke to make Malvolio think that Olivia is in love with him.
Maria writes a letter (supposedly from Olivia) telling him that if he wants to earn her favor, he should dress in yellow stockings and crossed garters, act haughtily, smile constantly, and refuse to explain himself to anyone. Malvolio finds the letter and, thinking he will marry Olivia, follows her commands.
Malvolio behaves so strangely that Olivia comes to think he is mad.
Meanwhile, Sebastian, who is still alive but believes his sister Viola to be dead, arrives in Illyria with his friend and protector Antonio. Antonio has cared for Sebastian since the shipwreck and is passionately attached to him, so much so that he follows him to Orsino’s domain, despite being old enemies with Orsino.
Sir Andrew, seeing Olivia’s attraction to Cesario, challenges Cesario to a duel. Sir Andrew and Sir Toby end up coming to blows with Sebastian, mistaking him for Cesario. Olivia enters amid the confusion. Encountering Sebastian and thinking he is Cesario, she asks him to marry her. He sees that she is wealthy and beautiful, and he accepts.
Meanwhile, Antonio has been arrested by Orsino’s officers and now begs Cesario for help, mistaking him for Sebastian.
Viola denies knowing Antonio, and Antonio is dragged off, crying out that Sebastian has betrayed him. Suddenly, Viola hopes that her brother may be alive.
Malvolio is locked in a small room for his supposed madness.
In the end, Olivia welcomes Cesario as her new husband. Orsino is furious, but Sebastian appears, and all is revealed.
The brothers meet again, and Orsino realizes that he loves Viola now that he knows she is a woman, and he asks her to marry him.
Toby and Maria have also been married privately.
Finally, Malvolio emerges from the dark room, the trick is revealed in full, and the embittered Malvolio storms off, leaving the happy couples to their celebration.
Character List
Viola – A young woman of aristocratic birth and the play’s protagonist. Washed up on the shore of Illyria when her ship is wrecked in a storm, Viola decides to make her own way in the world. She disguises herself as a young man, calling herself “Cesario,” and becomes a page to Duke Orsino. She ends up falling in love with Orsino, even as Olivia, the woman Orsino is courting, falls in love with Cesario. Thus, Viola finds that her clever disguise has entrapped her: she cannot tell Orsino that she loves him, and she cannot tell Olivia why she, as Cesario, cannot love her. Her poignant plight is the central conflict in the play.
Orsino – A powerful nobleman in the country of Illyria. Orsino is lovesick for the beautiful Lady Olivia but finds himself becoming more and more fond of his handsome new page boy, Cesario, who is actually a woman (Viola).
Olivia – A wealthy, beautiful, and noble Illyrian lady. Olivia is courted by Orsino and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, but to each of them, she insists that she is in mourning for her brother, who has recently died, and will not marry for seven years. She and Orsino are similar characters in that each seems to enjoy wallowing in his or her own misery. Viola’s arrival in the masculine guise of Cesario enables Olivia to break free of her self-indulgent melancholy.
Sebastian – Viola’s lost twin brother. When he arrives in Illyria, traveling with Antonio, his close friend and protector, Sebastian discovers that many people seem to think they know him. Furthermore, the beautiful Lady Olivia, whom he has never met, wants to marry him.
Malvolio – The steward, or head servant, in the household of Lady Olivia. Malvolio is very efficient but also very self-righteous, and he has a poor opinion of drinking, singing, and fun. His priggishness and haughty attitude earn him the enmity of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria, who play a cruel trick on him, making him believe that Olivia is in love with him. In his fantasies about marrying his mistress, he reveals a powerful ambition to rise above his social class.
Sir Toby – Olivia’s uncle. Olivia lets Sir Toby Belch live with her, but she does not approve of his rowdy behavior, practical jokes, heavy drinking, late-night carousing, or friends (specifically Sir Andrew). Sir Toby also earns the ire of Malvolio. But Sir Toby has an ally, and eventually a mate, in Olivia’s sharp-witted serving woman, Maria.
Maria – Olivia’s clever, daring young serving woman.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek – A friend of Sir Toby’s. Sir Andrew Aguecheek attempts to court Olivia, but he doesn’t stand a chance.
Antonio – A man who rescues Sebastian after his shipwreck. Antonio has become very fond of Sebastian, caring for him, accompanying him to Illyria, and furnishing him with money, all because of a love so strong that it seems to be romantic in nature.
Fabian – Olivia’s servant.