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Jul 31, 2015 · Characters in the Play. Named for the twelfth night after Christmas, the end of the Christmas season, Twelfth Night plays with love and power. The Countess Olivia, a woman with her own household, attracts Duke (or Count) Orsino. Two other would-be suitors are her pretentious steward,….
The main characters in Twelfth Night are Viola, Sebastian, Orsino, Olivia, and Malvolio. Viola and Sebastian are twins who are separated after their ship wrecks near Illyria. Alone and...
Viola is the protagonist of the play. She begins the play in an unfortunate and vulnerable position, having been shipwrecked in a strange land where she does not know anyone. Her first desire is to figure out the customs and power dynamics of Ilyria without revealing her true identity.
Character List. Orsino The Duke of Illyria and its ruler. At the opening of the comedy, he is desperately in love with Lady Olivia, who spurns his romantic overtures in spite of the fact that he is a perfect and ideal gentleman. Viola/Cesario After being shipwrecked, she disguises herself as a young boy, takes the name of Cesario, and attains a ...
Learn more about the characters of Viola, Orsino, Olivia and Malvolio with photo galleries and study grids to complete. We explore key questions for each character and link to further analysis of their language.
Maria is Olivia’s maid. She looks out for Sir Toby and likes to impress him. Feste is Olivia’s jester, or fool. He also sometimes works for Orsino. Sebastian is Viola’s twin brother. He was rescued from the shipwreck by Antonio and he thinks his sister drowned at sea. Antonio is a sea captain.
Scene from 'Twelfth Night' ('Malvolio and the Countess'), Daniel Maclise (1840) Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck.
