All acts and scenes are listed on the twelfth night text page, or linked to from the bottom of this page. This twelfth night aims to be different from other editions of the play. An overview of the play is included, with a look at the theme of bullying. Maria ay, but hell have but a year in all these ducats. Prose version of twelfth night adapted from the 19th c. The earliest performance recorded is dated february 2, 1602 at the middle temple. Also this spring, a 75minute abridged version of twelfth night will be performed at. Violas version of the plays subtitle, what you will. Read the complete script on the lazy bee scripts web site. Use the fiveminute videos and selfassessment quizzes focusing.
Shakespeare uses these characters merely as vessels for a larger insight into society as a whole. Twelfth night, or the feast of the epiphany, is observed on the sixth of january, twelve days after christmas. This abridged version of twelfth night was professionally edited by a former oregon shakespeare festival actor. At orsinos palace, viola, now disguised as the page boy cesario, chats with valentine. Twelfth night entire folio shakespeare theatre company. Shakespeares twelfth night opens with the lovesick, orsino, duke of illyria feeling sorry for himself as his beautiful neighbour, countess olivia, has been rejecting his advances. The use of madness in shakespeares twelfth night and. Shakespeare resource center twelfth night synopsis. Each of these are edited, abridged versions of the original plays and run from thrity to about fortyfive minutes. This edition of twelfth night is part of the cambridge school shakespeare series. Pick up a free ticket by joining the line at the delacorte, at the public theaters home. Most of the action of the play is a flashback that explains the events leading up to the marriages of duke orsino and countess olivia. Twelfth night also marked the end of a winter festival that began on halloween. Quick summary for kids this, and other resources, provided by title.
They consist entirely of shakespeares original dialogue with the addition of stage directions and cues to help performers interpret the lines. A thirty minute twelfth night by shakespeare, abridged bill tordoff. The purpose of disguise in twelfth night essay 1154 words. Or, what you will by william shakespeare dramatis personae orsino, duke of illyria sebastian, brother of viola antonio, able seaman, friend of sebastian a sea captain, friend of viola valentine, gentleman attending on duke orsino curio, gentleman attending on duke orsino sir toby belch, uncle of olivia. Also this spring, a 75minute abridged version of twelfth night will be performed at the theater on navy pier and will tour to schools and theaters across the region. Shakespeares classic comedy unfolds fast and furiously in this abridged oneact version, trimmed to the storys very essence. In twelfth night, disguise takes many different shapes from physical disguise to mental disguise. Believing her identical brother was killed in a shipwreck, viola disguises herself as a man and ends up falling in love with her boss, who uses her to send love letters to the countess olivia. This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for. For gods sake, sir toby, youve got to come home earlier at night. The answer appears on the twelfth page of the book. Twelfth night abridged adapted by larry nehring 4 productions 6 comedy.
Course summary use the short video lessons in this study guide to learn all you need to know about shakespeares twelfth night. Shakespeares treatment of love and romance and his use of dramatic devices are even more sophisticated than they were in his famous tragedy. She is alone and needs a job so she puts on boys clothes. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in twelfth night, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. He was born in stratforduponavon, son of john shakespeare, a prosperous merchant and local politician and mary arden, who had the wealth to send their oldest son to stratford grammar school. Twelfth nightan allusion to the night of festivity preceding the christian celebration of the epiphanycombines love, confusion, mistaken identities, and joyful discovery. While the presentation of themes related to love, deception, and gender generally align with shakespeares early comedies, twelfth night does strike some discordant tones by presenting darker, more maddening aspects of love and performance.
Twelfth night dramatis personae viola later disguised as cesareio twins shipwrecked on the sebastion uviolas brother u coast of illyria captain the ships captain, who res cued viola antonio another captain, who befriended sebastion orsino duke of illyria valentine gentlemen attending on the. Filled with rejoicing and holiday highjinks, it is seen as bringing the holiday season to a close. Twelfth night was written possibly as early as 1599, but is usually dated 1601. At the beginning of twelfth night, we encounter viola, who has been shipwrecked off the coast of illyria. Disguises, mistaken identities, and tangled love triangles distort reality for characters and audience. Maria yes, but you need to keep yourself within the limits of order and decency. She has sworn to have nothing to do with men for seven years as she plans to spend that time mourning the death of her brother. Read every line of shakespeares original text alongside a modern english translation. Twelfth night summary viola, separated from her twin sebastian, dresses as a boy and works for the duke orsino, whom she falls in love with. A thirty minute twelfth night by shakespeare, abridged bill. This maintains the integrity of the play while significantly shortening itmaking it easier for groups to perform. Twelfth night is the fourth in a series of romantic comedies. Like his early comedies, the comedy of errors or the taming of the shrew for instance, twelfth night is essentially a. Salingar e9 ost readers of twelfth night would probably agree that this is the most delightful, harmonious and accomplished of shakespeares romantic comedies, in many ways his crown2 2 i03 ing achievement in one branch of his art.
Function of disguise in twelfth night by william shakespeare william shakespeares twelfth night is a play based around disguise in the form of deception and becoming someone different. Witness john manningham observed that the play was much like the commedy of errores, or menechimi in plautus, but most like and neere to that in italian called inganni. After the twins sebastian and viola survive a shipwreck, neither knows that the other is alive. Cloze reading formative assessment exercise for use with prose version of twelfth night word pdf. A printable study pack for twelfth night, culminating in a written assignment. Abridged by jonny flood for get thee to the funnery at the new england youth theatre brattleboro, vt 2012 1. Nov 08, 2011 a printable study pack for twelfth night, culminating in a written assignment. Sir toby belch why, he has three thousand ducats a year. The play expanded on the musical interludes and riotous disorder expected of the occasion, with plot elements drawn from the short story of apollonius and silla by barnabe rich, based on a story by matteo bandello. Twelfth night, or what you will, play by william shakespeare 16011602 twelfth night. Twelfth night or what you will is an interesting blend of the sadness of separation between. Like every other play in the series, it has been specially prepared to help all students in schools and colleges. Twelfth night was written six years after romeo and juliet. Master shakespeares twelfth night using absolute shakespeares twelfth night essay, plot summary, quotes and characters study guides.
Believing her identical brother was killed in a shipwreck, viola disguises herself as a man and ends up falling in love with her boss. In twelfth night, blank verse is also often used when talking about love. Shakespeares twelfth night essay, summary, quotes and. She disguises herself as a boy and assumes the name cesario for protection. Shakespeares twelfth night printable work booklet teaching. Publication date 1907 topics shipwreck survival, brothers and sisters, mistaken identity, twins. Enter antonio and sebastian antonio will you stay no longer. The twelfth night falls on january 5th or 6th, depending on. Twelfth night shakespeare viola and her twin brother are shipwrecked in an enemy country. William shakespeare, 1564 1616 although there are many myths and mysteries surrounding william shakespeare, a great deal is actually known about his life. Twelfth night refers to the evening of january 6, the twelfth day after christmas and the date of the adoration of the baby jesus by the magi.
One of shakespeares finest comedies, twelfth night was written at the same time as hamlet and troilus and cressida, and whilst it shares their fascination with. Orsino is not the only character with a dramaticsome would say overdramaticreaction to the events in his life. Quick summary for kids this story takes place in illyria, italy. Key scenes and a step by step guide to the written assignment.
We hope that you and your students will enjoy our workand shakespeares creative genius brought to life on stage. No person wants what they can truly have, but rather, what they cannot. Twelfth nightan allusion to the night of festivity preceding the christian celebration of the epiphanycombines love, confusion, mistaken identities, and act 1, scene 1 at his court, orsino, sick with love for the lady olivia, learns from his messenger that she is grieving for. This page contains the original text of act 4, scene 1 of twelfth night. Twelfth night was the one day of the year when the nobility and peasantry switched roles and king was. Twelfth night is part of naxos audiobooks exciting new series of complete dramatisations of the works of shakespeare, in conjunction with cambridge university press. While the plot utilizes common tropes to tell a story about overcoming the obstacles to true love, twelfth night s empowered female lead viola not only drives the. Day one activity for use with prose version, by cheryl jackson, north marshall middle school word pdf. The phrase twelfth night refers to the church calendar and the last night of the twelve days following christmas day, december 25th. Public theaters twelfth night gives shakespeare a lively musical twist.
While this story sounds like a soap opera, its actually the premise of william shakespeares play twelfth night, and that crazy story was what happens to duke. It invites you to bring the play to life in your classroom, hall or drama. Sir toby belch hes as tall a man as anys in illyria. Twelfth night study guide course online video lessons. My lady olivia, your niece, disapproves of your latenight partying. Twelfth night was probably written in 1601 and first performed in january of 1602. We hope that you and your students will enjoy our workand shakespeares creative genius brought. A 30minute closer to 40 minutes really abridgement of shakespeares twelfth night, using the original language, characters and plot, but with a reduced length, aiming to provide an introduction to shakespeare for primary schools. An ideal introduction before reading the original text. It uses the new cambridge shakespeare text, as used by the royal shakespeare company and educational institutions across the world. Suggested additional resources about the folger image 1 twelfth night poster. The onehour script features original dialogue interspersed with narration. Based on the animated tales as seen on hbocover an illustrated, abridged version of the shakespeare comedy with background information and explanatory stage directions.
Too bad olivia cant be bothered with the duke or any other living man. They would probably agree, too, that it has a prevailing atmosphere of happi. Summary of twelfth night shakespeare birthplace trust. Twelfth night, or what you will summary the play opens at the illyrian court, where the lovesick duke orsino enjoys some live tunes while fantasizing about the luscious countess olivia. William shakespeares twelfth night, is a rich comedy delving into the innate human desire for love. Shakespeares twelfth night ends neatly because most of the confusion is resolved and the union of the main characters is fairly well established the plot and conclusion of twelfth night satisfy. In twelfth night the madness is used in a more comical way, but still portrayed the difference between real or false demonic possession in malvolios character and critiqued on the act of exorcism by presenting it as comical on the stage. Before the play begins there is a terrible storm and viola and her twin brother, sebastian, are in a shipwreck.
For instance, after her brothers death, olivia vows she will remain in mourning, veiled, and hidden from the element itself i. While dramatic technique is superfine, it is propped up by the. Twelfth night act 3, scene 1 translation shakescleare, by. She cant find her brother, sebastian, and is afraid he. Twelfth night abridged adapted by larry nehring playscripts inc. Viola has been shipwrecked in a violent storm off the coast of illyria.