Search results
Need help on characters in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night? Check out our detailed character descriptions. From the creators of SparkNotes.
- Malvolio
The steward in charge of the servants at Olivia's house. A...
- Olivia
A beautiful noblewoman in Illyria. At the beginning of the...
- Sebastian
Viola's twin brother, whom she believes is lost at sea, and...
- Viola (Cesario)
The protagonist of Twelfth Night.An aristocratic woman, she...
- Orsino
The Duke and ruler of Illyria. At the beginning of the play...
- Malvolio
Jul 26, 2020 · Twelfth Night is the climax of Shakespeare’s early achievement in comedy. The effects and values of the earlier comedies are here subtly embodied in the most complex structure which Shakespeare had yet created.
Twelfth Night is a play about desire’s power to override conventions of class, religion, and even gender. Several characters begin the play believing they want one thing, only to have love teach them they actually want something else.
- 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.
- Orsino. A powerful nobleman in the country of Illyria. Orsino is lovesick for the beautiful Lady Olivia, but becomes 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.
- Sebastian. Viola’s lost twin brother. When he arrives in Illyria, traveling with Antonio, his close friend and protector, Sebastian discovers that many people think that they know him.
Overview. Synopsis. Characters. Scenes. Full Play. Reviews. Documents. Orsino, the Duke and Count of Illyria, is a young man deeply and fashionably in love with Olivia. Her rejection of him leaves him in a deep and just as fashionable melancholy. Read more … Sebastian is Viola’s twin brother.
The best study guide to Twelfth Night on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need.
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.
