The Twelfth Night PDF

8/18/2019 The Twelfth Night PDF

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Twelfth night summary

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The twelfth night summary indulges in this Elizaethan comedy of e!ents

re!ol!ing around deceit" gender disguise" separated twins" mistaken identity

and unrequited lo!e. Most characters in the twelfth night also called #or what

you will$ are de%ned y the representations of their dual personalities. The

play is full of se!eral literary de!ices namely dramatic irony which enhances

the comical e&ect.

The Twelfth Night Summary Act '

( rich nolewoman" the countess )li!ia decides to mourn for se!en years

o!er the recent death of her rother. This doesn$t ode well for )rsino the

reigning duke of 'llyria who is trying to woo her. The opening scene egins

with one of *hakespeare most famous metaphoric quotes widely used in

drama today" #'f music e the food of lo!e" play on+, -act i"i

Meanwhile we learn that a shipwreck has separated iola from her twin

rother *eastian. *he %nds herself in 'llyria and upon realizing that she

cannot ser!e )li!ia she disguises herself as a oy and ser!es )rsino instead.

The %rst act introduces the audience to the comical element in the playconsisting of sir Toy 0elch )li!ia$s cousin" a drunkard and his eccentric

friend *ir (ndrew (guecheek whom Toy constantly manipulates to pursue

)li!ia$s so that he can get a hand on (guecheek$s wealth.

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iola disguised as 2esario gains fa!or with the duke )rsino and soon

ecomes his fa!ourite companion. )rsino instructs 2esario -iola to woo the

lady )li!ia on his ehalf. iola now totally in lo!e with )rsino reluctantly

carries out his instructions to represent him at )li!ia$s residence.

3hile )li!ia is pleased at her 4ester for insinuating that her rother is now in

hea!en" her steward Mal!olio who is an arrogant" self indulgent and

narcissistic man scolds reukes him. 't is )li!ia who descries his nature with

an alliteration saying #) your are sick of self lo!e Mal!olio and taste with a

distemper$d appetite, -act i" !

2esario -iola seeks an audience with )li!ia who %nds herself attracted to

5im. *he e6plains why she can$t return )rsino$s a&ections ut cle!erly asks

cesario to return again as she wanted to know the 7uke$s reaction to her

refusal. 3hen 2esario lea!es" she sends Mal!olio after him on the prete6t of

returning a ring to him as a sign of her lo!e.

The Twelfth Night Summary Act II

iola$s rother *eastian has also sur!i!ed the shipwreck and elie!ing iola

his sister to e dead" makes his way to )rsino$s court accompanied y his

friend (ntonio who is a wanted man in 'llyria. *eastian laments to (ntonio

using a pun to descrie his feelings saying #*he is drowned already" sir" with

salt water" though ' seem to drown her rememrance again with more, -act

ii" 1. (lthough she is drowned in the sea" the sad memory of her death

continuously unfolds in his mind time and again.

Meanwhile Mal!olio rudely returns 2esario$s ring which confuses 2esario

-iola as he did not recall gi!ing the lady )li!ia any ring. Mal!olio also

informs him that )li!ia wishes him to return as she requires con%rmation

that )rsino has %nally accepted her refusal of lo!e.

)li!ia$s ploy strikes 2esario who realizes that )li!ia is attracted to him.

2esario is now worried and hopes future e!ents may clear up the mess.

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2esario -iola deli!ers an apt soliloquy on lo!e. *he refers to time as an

apostrophe hoping time will unra!el the confusion. #)" Time" thou must

unra!el this" not '9 't is too hard a knot for me to untie. -act 8.8.

*ir Toy" *ir (ndrew and fester the clown are ha!ing a late night drinking

session. 7espite of )li!ia$s maid Maria warning them" they continue their

re!elry till Mal!olio warns them he will inform )li!ia. Mal!olio ends up

threatening to make )li!ia displeased with Maria if she doesn$t quiet them

down. This enrages Maria who conni!es with the three men to make a fool of

Mal!olio. They would write a fake letter addressed to Mal!olio from )li!ia

making him elie!e that )li!ia is in lo!e with him.

This gets the roups attention and they quiet down as all of them hold utter

contempt for Mal!olio. They plan to hide in a secluded spot so they can

watch Mal!olio %nd the letter and watch his reactions for their own

amusement and his humiliation

)rsino and cesario discuss the pangs of unrequited lo!e. 2esario descries

)rsinos character ut he does not realize that cesario is actually iola and in

lo!e with him. 2esario uses one of the plays most descripti!e metaphors for

depression descriing how unrequited lo!e has left her in a state of #a green

and yellow melancholy" she sat like patience on a monument smiling at grief$

-actii" i!. *hakespeare uses oth a metaphor and a simile where the term ;a

green and yellow melancholy$ is likened to the ilious state of depression.

Throughout the play )rsino uses poetic imagery to descrie lo!e ut he does

it est in these liens for women are as roses" whose fair



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'n )li!ia$s residence. Maria" *ir Toy and group prepare to fool Mal!olio.

3ithout e!en %nding the fake letter" Mal!olio contemplates the possiility of

)li!ia eing in lo!e with him. 3hen he %nds the letter" he puts himself on a

pedestal making his popular speech #*ome are orn great" some achie!e

greatness" and some ha!e greatness thrust upon them.? -act ii" !. the letter

goes on to say that )li!ia would like to see him wearing yellow stockings

and they should e cross gartered too as this would surely attract )li!ia.

*hakespeare$s use of dramatic irony and self deception is well re


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'nstead" *ir Toy" Maria and aian" )li!ia$s ser!ant plans to ha!e fun with

him.

*ir Toy$s de!ilish scheme of planning a duel etween 2esario and *ir

(ndrew (guecheek succeeds and they duel each other. 'n a comical twist"

(ntonio arri!es on the scene and thinking cesario to e *eastian he %ghts

*ir (ndrew on his ehalf ut (ntonio is captured y )Acers. 3hen he asks

2esario for his purse" he feels *eastian$s has tricked him.

The Twelfth Night Summary Act IV

The comedy now twists and turns in a series of confusing e!ents as

*eastian is mistaken y all and sundry for 2esario -iola. *ir (ndrew on

%nding *eastian hits him thinking him to e 2esario ut *eastian a well

uilt man retaliates to the horror of *ir Toy who stops him. 3hen *ir Toy

egins to %ght with *eastian" )li!ia screams at him to stop. *he pleads with

*eastian to forgi!e *ir Toy for his misdemeanor and *eastian is now

thoroughly confused

5e is totally taken up with the eautiful woman who mistakes him for herlo!er and he too falls in lo!e with her. They get married secretly in a chapel.

Meanwhile more comical e!ents unfold with este the clown teasing Mal!olio

in a dark room where he is eing kept under suspicion of eing mad.

Bltimately fester allows him to write to )li!ia mentioning that he is a sane

man.

The Twelfth Night Summary Act V

2onfusion and 2haos reigns in the clima6 of the play as players end up

laming the twins for each other$s actions. (ntonio on meeting 2esario asks

him to return his wallet accusing him of etrayal. The audience learns that

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(ntonio was pre!iously a pirate and a wanted man in 'llyria. 5e tells )rsino

that 2esario was his companion for almost > weeks which confuses )rsino.

)li!ia arri!es on the scene addressing 2esario -iola as her husand

accusing him of neglect. )rsino plans on punishing 2esario for etrayal too.

2esario -iola is accused of a third etrayal y )li!ia who feels 2esario

would rather e punished than escape with his wife.

't is in this scene that *hakespeare aDes his audience at the amiguity of

the duke$s statement planning to kill 2esario saying #ill sacri%ce the lam

that ' do lo!e$$ -act !" i. 'n that moment *eastian arri!es and e!eryone is

amazed in wonder. The twins then recognize each other and iola re!eals

her true identity to the 7uke. The 7uke then regards )li!ia as a sister and

takes !iola instead to e his wife.

Meanwhile Mal!olio shows )li!ia her letter only to e con%rmed y her that it

is actually Maria$s handwriting and he has een fooled. Mal!olio storms out

in contempt of e!eryone. este the clown ends the play with a song.

The Twelfth Night PDF

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