William Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT

On the seashore of the island of Illyria, the Duke Orsino is pining away for the Countess Olivia, who is in mourning for her brother’s death and will not return his devotions.  Viola, a young woman from a good family, has recently survived a shipwreck that has separated her from her twin brother, Sebastian.  In order to protect her honor in the foreign land, Viola decides to disguise herself as a man – “Cesario” – and enter the employ of Orsino.  Though Olivia’s household is technically in mourning over the death of her brother, her uncle, Sir Toby Belch, along with his friends Feste and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a suitor to Olivia, carouse nightly despite pleas for peace and quiet from Malvolio, her steward, and Maria, her maid. 

Things get tricky when Orsino sends Viola, dressed as Cesario, as his ambassador to court the affections of Olivia; it is Viola/Cesario, however, that catches Olivia’s attention.  To complete the love triangle, Viola falls in love with Orsino but cannot reveal her feelings while masquerading as Cesario.  To further complicate the situation, Viola’s identical twin brother has also survived the shipwreck and arrives in Illyria, looking like the exact double of ‘Cesario.’

As the drunken Sir Toby and Sir Andrew continue to make mischief and torment Malvolio behind the scenes, Illyria becomes a tangled web of passion, mistaken identities and confusion as each of the characters pursue the person they love.  In the end, fate steps in and leads them all (well, almost all) to a happy ending.

Twelfth Night