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Need help on characters in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night? Check out our detailed character descriptions. From the creators of SparkNotes.
See below for a full list of all the characters in Twelfth Night: ORSINO, Duke of Illyria. OLIVIA, a rich Countess. VIOLA, in love with the Duke. SIR TOBY BELCH, Uncle to Olivia. SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK. MALVOLIO, Steward to Olivia. MARIA, Olivia’s Woman. SEBASTIAN, Brother to Viola.
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.
Overview. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, written around 1601, is an entertaining comedy that navigates the themes of love, mistaken identity, and the topsy-turvy nature of human relationships. Set in the fictional kingdom of Illyria, the play follows the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck.
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, Malvolio, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek.
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.
