A very good comedy that I have been able to understand with greater accuracy thanks to what we have worked on in one of my master's seminars.

I would really like to see the play soon. It must be extremely funny!

Moreover, it has been very interesting to see how Shakespeare plays with language to confuse the actors, and not only that, how he has used dressing as a man to open a pseudo-discourse about a woman falling in love with another, and what it really means to be a man or a woman. What is masculine and feminine.

You need a good context to understand it completely, but this edition, with its footnotes, has helped a great deal in that!

Very funny :)

When I was in college, a professor once told me that this was one of Shakespeare's least interesting and a "skip-able" play. That statement truly boggled my mind. I know this is an extremely unpopular opinion, but it's honestly my favorite of his plays.

Why does this one work so well for me? First off, I think it's downright the funniest work he ever wrote. Some of the lines and scenes are laugh-out-loud funny. In particular, I'm rather fond of the following exchange:

Viola: Save thee, friend, and thy music: dost thou live by thy tabour?

Feste: No, sir, I live by the church.

Viola: Art thou a churchman?

Feste: No such matter, sir: I do live by the church; for I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by the church.

Twelfth Night is like a screwball comedy from the 30s that just happened to be written in the 1600s.

On a more serious note, I love the quote "I was adored once too" said by Andrew Aguecheek. I love this line so much because in an otherwise comedic play, it adds a depth and melancholy to one of the more foolish characters. It's not the most well-known line in the play, but when delivered properly, it just kind of stops the show as it makes the viewer almost uncomfortable about having mocked this character.

It also has a lovely meta-comedy aspect as in Shakespeare's time, it would have been all male actors. So, we have a lead, played by a male, whose character is female and pretending to be a male. I imagine that at that point, Shakespeare just delighted in messing with his audience a bit.

Is it his greatest work? No, of course not. It was intended as a silly comedy, but it just so happens that this specific silly comedy really works for me. A full 5/5 stars.

The latest play that I've been following from the little Litsy group is "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare. We read one act a week, which means I usually spend my Sunday morning engrossed in Shakespeare's works. It's a truly pleasant habit. "Twelfth Night" was an absolute delight, filled with good fun and plenty of silliness. It's a comedy where Shakespeare showcases his mastery of humor in every possible way. There are endless innuendos, a brilliant and rather cruel practical joke, a great deal of confusion due to the presence of twins, characters falling rapturously in love instantly and then just as quickly out of it. The fool and the ladies, especially the one disguised as a man, offer a lot of very sharp wit. As the Fool himself says, "Look then to be well edified when the fool delivers the madman." This play is a wonderful example of Shakespeare's comedic genius and has been a joy to read.

9. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

originally performed: 1601

format: 136 page Royal Shakespeare Company edition from 2010 (entire book is 195 pages)

editors: Jonathan Bate & Eric Rasmussen

acquired: library

read: Jan 6 – Feb 3

time reading: 7 hr 43 min, 3.4 min/page

rating: 4

**Expanded English Review**

From what I had heard, Shakespeare is often regarded as a master storyteller with a penchant for creating complex and sometimes tragic tales. In fact, some might even say he is more ruthless than George R.R. Martin. However, to my great relief, this particular play had a happy ending.

I was quite intrigued to notice the influence of Roman mythology in this work. The gods Jupiter, Vulcan, and, if my memory serves me correctly, Mercury are all mentioned. It's clear that Shakespeare had a deep appreciation for Roman culture. Moreover, the character names add an interesting layer. The positive characters, such as Viola, Olivia, and Antonio, have Italian names, while the negative ones, like Sir Toby and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, have English names. In my opinion, the negative characters could have been more fully developed in this play.
Another observation that struck me was the intelligence quotient among the characters. It seems that those of lower social status, like the fool, Maria, and Viola (although her situation is a bit unique as she was of noble origin but disguised as a eunuch at the duke's court), are actually more intelligent than their higher-status counterparts. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, for instance, are portrayed as two drunkards, with Sir Andrew in particular having a limited intellect and being easily manipulated.
My favorite character without a doubt is the fool. His dialogues are brilliant and add a touch of humor and wisdom to the play. One such example is his exchange with the madonna:
\\"Good madonna, why mournest thou?\\"
\\"Good fool, for my brother's death.\\"
\\"I think his soul is in hell, madonna.\\"
\\"I know his soul is in heaven, fool.\\"
\\"The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen.\\"
One of the main reasons I gave this play four stars is because I was kept on the edge of my seat until the very end, eager to see if Viola would end up marrying Orsino. The ending, as it turns out, is quite satisfying: Viola and Sebastian (her brother) are mistaken for each other, but eventually, they reunite, rejoicing that they survived the shipwreck. Antonio is forgiven for his past crimes, and Viola marries Orsino .
This is the first Shakespeare play I've had the pleasure of reading, and I must say the start was very promising. I'm now looking forward to delving into his other works and seeing what more he has to offer. To conclude, I'll leave you with the famous song of the fool that closes the play:
\\"When that I was and a little tiny boy,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain;
A foolish thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came to man's estate,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain;
'Gainst knaves and thieves men shut their gates,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came, alas! to wive,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain;
By swaggering could I never thrive,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came unto my beds,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain;
With toss-pots still had drunken heads,
For the rain it raineth every day.

A great while ago the world begun,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain;
But that's all one, our play is done,
And we'll strive to please you every day.\\"

Shakespeare's works, I don't think there is a need to say much. Perhaps, since most of the themes he dealt with have appeared many times in different versions, his works may not seem very original or creative for today. However, I have enjoyed the (few) Shakespeare readings I have had so far. I also read "Twelfth Night" with pleasure in the same way. It's an entertaining play. I have no complaints about the translation, but reading it in the original language can be a nice experience.

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

“Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.”

“I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.”

“It is a wise father that knows his own child.”

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.”

“Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.”

“What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”

“The better part of valour is discretion.”

“To be, or not to be: that is the question.”

“Brevity is the soul of wit.”

“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”

“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”

“She’s The Man is better than its source material,” I boldly state into the mic. The crowd immediately responds with a chorus of boos. Feeling ashamed, I start to walk off when a voice cuts through the chaos and demands silence from the room. “She’s right,” it declares. I search for the owner of the voice and there, in the 3rd row, stands Willie Shakes himself.

Let me break it down for you. In the original story, Orsino is in love with Olivia, yet he has never even seen her. Malvolio deludes himself into thinking Olivia is in love with him, while Sir Andrew believes he can marry her. Sebastian agrees to marry Olivia just two minutes after meeting her. Meanwhile, Olivia thinks she can marry ‘Cesario’ (who is actually Viola in disguise). Antonio mistakes Viola for Sebastian (her twin brother; it’s a long story), and Sir Andrew and Sir Toby also think Sebastian is Viola. Malvolio even confuses Feste for Sir Topas. And Viola thinks Sir Andrew is a fearsome swordsman, and he thinks the same of her.

For real, who can keep up with all that confusion? All I wanted was a shirtless Channing Tatum. I’m not that hard to please, Shakes. Also, Antonio and Sebastian are clearly very gay, and you can’t convince me otherwise. Sebastian abandoned Olivia as soon as he was reunited with his true love, Antonio. As he said, “Antonio! O, my dear Antonio! How have the hours racked and tortured me since I have lost thee.” Before this, Antonio was boasting about how he hadn't left Sebastian's side for three months, day and night.

This was an incredibly gay and incredibly funny production,

although it wasn't my absolute favorite comedy. I truly enjoyed it to a certain extent.

However, I was a bit underwhelmed by Viola.

I much prefer Rosalind.

It felt like we didn't get to see enough of Viola's character development and her full potential.

Perhaps more screen time or a more in-depth exploration of her personality and motives would have made a difference.

Nonetheless, the overall gay and funny nature of the piece still managed to keep me entertained throughout.

It had its moments of hilarity and charm that made it an enjoyable watch.

Despite my slight disappointment with Viola, I would still recommend this production to others who are fans of gay-themed comedies or who are looking for something light-hearted and entertaining to watch.

It may not be a perfect comedy, but it definitely has its own unique appeal.

My favorite play is truly a masterpiece that never fails to captivate me.

Every time I pick it up and start reading, I am immediately drawn into its enchanting world.

The characters are so vividly brought to life, with their unique personalities and complex emotions.

The plot is filled with twists and turns that keep me on the edge of my seat, eager to discover what will happen next.

The dialogue is sharp and witty, adding an extra layer of charm to the story.

It's not just a play; it's an experience that transports me to another time and place.

I can't help but be amazed by the talent of the playwright who was able to create such a wonderful work of art.

Whether I'm reading it for the first time or the tenth, it always manages to touch my heart and leave a lasting impression.

It is, without a doubt, my all-time favorite play.

I truly have a deep affection for this story. It's not merely because She's The Man holds a special place as one of my favorite movies. In fact, it is one of the rare Shakespearean tales that I know by heart without ever deliberately setting out to learn it (or, seemingly, even reading it). But above all, I just really adore Viola.

Her character is so full of life, charm, and determination. She embarks on this wild adventure of disguising herself as a boy to pursue her dreams, and in the process, she shows such courage and resourcefulness. I find myself completely drawn to her and her story.

However, I wish I could have the same level of love for Duke. While he has his moments, there's something about his character that doesn't quite resonate with me in the same way as Viola does. Maybe it's because he seems a bit more one-dimensional compared to her complex and multi-faceted personality.

Nevertheless, the overall story is still captivating, and I continue to be intrigued by the relationship between Viola and Duke, as well as all the other characters and their interactions.

**"Thoughts on Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' Translations"**

On my first reading of "Twelfth Night," I wrote that I didn't like the play as I felt I was a victim of both the translation and my own ignorance of Shakespeare. This year, I had to revisit it for my Shakespeare group. I tried reading the annotated English version Twelfth Night: or, What You Will, but when headaches started, I turned to Özdemir Nutku's translation. He has done an excellent job with an explanatory preface and again, with instructive footnotes. I can't say the poetry of the original is fully captured, but with the capabilities of our language, he has produced a great work in my opinion.

Viola, along with Beatrice and Rosalind, is regarded as one of the poet's most sincere female characters, both touching and humorous. It was enjoyable to read about the revenge taken on the joy and love-hating puritans through the character of Malvolio. And thanks to Feste, the wisest person in the play, we see how witty satire can be.

For me, this is one of the plays that represent Shakespeare's world. If I wanted to introduce the poet to someone, I would base it on this text. Reading this play was like wandering in a familiar garden with balance in the plot, dialogues, characters, and events; the questioning of gender roles, satires, word games, and references to social and political events.

On January 12, 2022, for Sevgi Sanlı's translation, I gave it ⭐⭐. I said, "This is the second Shakespeare work I read after 'Romeo and Juliet'. The language here is more free. Instead of fine points, a satirical narrative weighs heavily. The translation seemed too localized to me. The footnotes were quite appropriate."

So this one doesn't rank terribly high on the believability scale.

But this is still my favorite Shakespeare comedy. It's absurd to have a set of fraternal twins - brother and sister! - who look so much alike that people who know them reasonably well can't tell them apart. Shakespeare may not have been entirely clear on the distinction between identical and fraternal twins or, more likely, he just didn't care.

But push the Disbelief Suspension button here and just go have fun with this love triangle.

So besides all this Crazy Love, there's other excitement: a shipwreck! (okay, that's before the play actually starts, but still.) Viola washes up on shore, all alone in the world. Well, actually she was rescued by another ship, and the captain has taken a personal interest in her and is giving her some solid advice and help. But they're on the seashore! and she's kind of alone because she's lost her twin brother Sebastian in the shipwreck.

But life goes on, so Viola (prudently, she thinks) disguises herself as a guy, calls herself Cesario and goes to work for Duke Orsino as his page. And then she promptly falls in love with him, which is a little hard to understand because he's dejectedly mooning around his mansion all full of unrequited love for the fair Olivia, but whatever. Probably his sensitive heart and kind soul appeal to her.

All direct appeals for Olivia's heart having failed, Orsino decides to send Viola/Cesario to plead his case, because sending a good-looking guy (even if not really a guy) to speak of matters of love to the object of your affections always works so well. Case in point: Olivia promptly... well, go look at the above chart again.

Also, in case all this lurve stuff bores you, we have some practical joking going on: Olivia has an arrogant steward named Malvolio, and Olivia's uncle Sir Toby Belch has had it with him. So he recruits another rejected suitor of Olivia, name of Andrew Aguecheek (yes, these are the real names) and another person or two to prank Malvolio, because what we really needed here was one more guy chasing after the fair Olivia. Their punking of him gradually gets increasingly cruel.

Things really get whipped into a froth when the supposedly dead Sebastian shows up, runs into Olivia (who thinks she's the Cesario guy who's been avoiding her), is overwhelmed by Olivia's charms and marries her the same day! This throws a massive wrench into the works before everyone speedily settles down with the right person. Whew!

The comedic subplot with Olivia's arrogant steward Malvolio being taken down a notch or twenty by the pranks of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew is pretty humorous, though, depending on whether you can muster up any sympathy for Malvolio at all, you may be squirming in your seat by the end.

Thanks to Anne for her hilarious review of this play and for reminding me of it!

“If music be the food of love, play on.”

Delightful and witty indeed! I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting better at this “Shakespeare via audiobook” experience or if Twelfth Night simply has more straightforward language compared to some of his other plays. But one thing's for sure, I truly relished listening to this one and had no difficulties in following the storyline and keeping the characters distinct. The BBC recording with David Tennant as Malvolio is truly outstanding. However, I was just a teensy bit irritated that they rearranged some of the scenes.

Also, I've now made up my mind to incorporate “But I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit” into a conversation. It'll be even funnier considering I'm a vegetarian.

So, yes. Another remarkable play by the Bard of Avon.

“[Shakespeare] … before I go I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what? So was I.”*

*I realized hours later that it was Christopher Eccleston who said this and not David Tennant, but oh well. I'm leaving it as is. Take away my Doctor Who fan club card if you must.