(3.5/5)

This was enjoyable, if somewhat chaotic. It's like the literal manifestation of everything my shelf "love-webs" stands for, plus that one jester dude.

Honestly, though, I think that Viola and Oliva should have ended up together instead of Olivia ending up with Sebastian (who I'm 100% convinced she married only because he's just the male version of Viola), and Viola ending up with Orsino (which I don't approve of but Shakespeare didn't ask me before writing this, did he?). Also, I'm pretty sure there was some unrequited love thing going on between Antonio and Sebastian, don't try to convince me otherwise.

Anyhow, I had a fun time reading this, even if I was a bit confused.

#therapyformalvolio (he might have been annoying and a pompous arse but he didn't deserve what he got)

Here Shakespeare borrows as so often in his comedies, from Plautus for the overarching plot--the separated siblings, the twinning (recall his Errors, and the Menaechmi), the arrival from sea. But he adds so much as to make it unrecognizable as a Roman comedy. He adds an attractive drunk, Sir Toby, who fleeces a silly aristocrat who--perhaps alone in literature-- knows himself to be silly. (Sir Andrew prides himself on recognizing, "I knew 'twas I, for many do call me fool"II.v.80.) The Bard also adds a parody of Renaissance psychiatry (well, more theology*, but since "psyche" in Greek is both "soul" and "mind," that's fair) practiced on Shakespeare's only American. Instead of the common psyche ward question, "What does 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence' mean to you?" Feste as Reverend Psychiatrist asks, "What is the opinion of Pythagoras concerning the soul?" Remember, you can't get out of the psyche ward unless you answer right. Well, Malvolio DOES get it right, he hits it out of the park, "that the soul of our grandam might inhabit a bird" Iv.ii.54). Feste keeps him in lockdown anyway. Why?

Herein lies a tale. Malvolio is portrayed as stark raving mad simply because he wants to marry the boss's daughter--or really, the boss herself. A crazy idea. An American idea, one that would take a couple centuries and a Revolution to be accepted by anybody at all. Those rejects on the other side of the Atlantic.
Yes, Malvolio is Shakespeare's only American (except possibly Othello?). And he is indeed, as he himself pleads at plays end, notoriously abused. He vows revenge on the whole pack--which we, as delighted playgoers, cannot support, though justice, and America, are on his side.

Feste the Fool speaks with great wit, one line I've said of myself for decades. When asked how he does, the Fool says, "The better for my foes, and the worse for my friends"(IV.ii.94). The Duke asks, surely, the better for thy friends. Feste explains, "No, they praise me and make an ass of me. My foes tell me plainly I am an ass, so that by my foes, sir, I profit..." The Duke reacts, "Why, this is excellent" as indeed it is. Shakespere rarely remarks on his own brilliance.

Marriage, a religious ceremony, was forbidden onstage at the time, though all modern film directors ignore that. Other Renaissance ceremonies are abridged, like Olivia's mourning. But tokens and gifts abound, especially rings which commemorate vows. Most in the canon here. Viola/Cesario is given two, one by messnger, one to deliver to Olivia, in the first few scenes, five in all, though Sebastian intercepts two. Gratiano later diminishes his quarrel, and its subject a ring for its simple inscription,
"About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring
That she did give me, whose posy was
For all the world like cutler's poetry
Upon a knife, 'Love me, and leave me not'" (V.i.147ff)
The words may be diminished, but for the audience, the ring can not: as token for meaning an offstage marriage. Engagement rings were not necessarily gold; in Roman times, Pliny says they were iron (Schiffer, 221) Diamonds did not feature until centuries later, roughly once DeBeers monopolized them. [See my article, "Early modern Rings and Vows in TN," in Schiffer, "Twelfth Night: New Critical Essays." 2011.]

As always Shakespeare anticipates recent modern insights, such as the "objectification of women," here Malvolio complains of objectification, "They have propertied me" (IV.ii.94). Yes, Shakespeare once again has the better word for it.

Music takes prominence, too, and ceremonial dance, though the best dancer is shown to be foolish--not sexist, because he's Sir Andrew. The Duke opens the play, "If music be the food of love, play on," and again, "Give me some music.../ Now good Cesario, that piece of song" (II.iv). Viola / Cesario earns her place at court, and as messenger by her singing. She delivers rings and vows, as well as song.
Perhaps Shakespeare invented the Musical, except that aristocratic entertainment at the time featured the Masque, with music throughout, though serious roles for those same aristocrats onstage. The Bard's competitor Ben Jonson wrote many, like the Masque of Blackness, and the Masque of the Queen. The Bard's Tempest includes a brief masque, with goddesses like Iris, of the Rainbow. Not comedies like TN and musicals since Gilbert and Sullivan to Lerner and Lowe

*Re-reading TN at Easter, '21, I find the Clown/Fool proving Olivia a Fool. He quizzes her, "Why mourns thou?" She, "Good Fool, for my brother's death."
He, "I think his soul is in hell, madonna."
"I know his soul is in heaven."
He,"The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul, being in heaven. Take away the fool."

এক ডুবে যাওয়া জাহাজের একমাত্র বেঁচে থাকা নাবিকের গল্প নিয়ে এই বই। সেই নাবিকের কাছ থেকে তার সংগ্রামের গল্প শুনে লেখক গ্যাব্রিয়েল মার্কেস প্রথমে ছোট ছোট পর্ব আকারে প্রকাশ করেন, যা ছাপা হতো পত্রিকায়। পরবর্তীতে বই হিসেবে প্রকাশিত হয় পুরো গল্প।

বেঁচে থাকা এই নাবিকের সাহস আর বেঁচে থাকার অসম্ভব ইচ্ছা আমাকে মুগ্ধ করেছে। পুরো দশটা দিন খোলা সমুদ্রে, একা, নেই কোন খাবার, নেই পানি, চারপাশে হাঙর সাঁতরে বেড়াচ্ছে! এসব প্রতিকূলতার মধ্যে বেঁচে থাকার জন্য তার ইচ্ছাশক্তি কতটা দৃঢ় ছিল, তা বইটা পড়লেই বোঝা যায়।
খাবার নেই, তাই খেয়েছেন শঙ্খচিল, মাছের কাঁচা মাংস, চিবিয়েছেন জুতো! ভাবা যায়?

লোকালয়ে ফিরে বেশ লাভবান হয়েছিলেন তিনি। মানুষজন দলে দলে দেখতে আসতো তাকে। অনেকেই তার এই গল্পকে মিথ্যা হিসেবে নিলেও, তার এই গল্প তাকে বেশ ভালো পয়সাকড়ি এনে দিয়েছে।
শেষে অবশ্য তিনি বলেছেন যে লক্ষ টাকার বিনিময়েও আর কোনদিন ঐরকম কোন অভিযানে যেতে চান না!

It had all sorts of twists but the ending ruined it.
Sir Toby, Maria and the fool kept the humour going but at some point they went too far in a way that what they did wasn't funny anymore.
By the way the quote "some are born with greatness, some achieve greatnes and some have greatness thrust upon them" is not what you think it is. Stop using it out of context.

“Twelfth night” is probably the most well rounded of all the Shakespearean comedies I have read so far, both for its structure and thematic scope, which is close to the darkest side of his best tragedies.

Evading the somewhat shallow hedonism of his earlier comedies, the perplexed reader encounters a play that is opened with a shipwreck on the coast of the fictional town of Illyria. The twins Viola and Sebastian were onboard of the crashed vessel but they lose sight of each other amidst the chaos and they both assume the other is dead. A chain of improbable events lead to several impersonations and mistaken identities that involve gender and class transformation, setting Viola as a male servant in the court of the Duke of Orsino who is vainly fixated on the damsel Olivia, whose grief for her lost brother prevents her from reciprocating the Duke’s passion. Against all predictions, Viola becomes the Duke’s confidant and slowly conquers not only his heart but also Olivia’s, giving way to a jocular situation that is impossible to argue with logic as seen in Orsino’s frustrated lament:

“One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons!
A natural perspective, that is, and is not!”
Act V, scene 2.

The action of this play is somewhat fragmented and the characters seem to act merely on impulse; that trait alone presents quite a contrast to the deliberation displayed by the most iconic protagonists of the Bard’s oeuvre. The main attraction of this comedy shouldn’t be expected in the parallel plots or in the tangled web of misplaced identities that defy gender bias and preconceived ideas about sexual orientation, heartbreak, grief or mockery; instead, it is to be found in the musicality of the language that shines more brightly in Orsino’s interventions and the Fool’s sagacious interludes.

The riotous undertone of this wild play appeals to the contradictions that we all carry inside us, which keep us awake at night, tossing and turning, wondering what it is that we expect from life, of the yearning to love and be loved, but mainly of the hidden desires that we do not dare to bring to the surface, which Shakespeare did never avoid. He challenges us to be courageous and face them, and make of our next step “what we will”.

“Make me a willow cabin at your gate, 
And call upon my soul within the house.”

Twelfth night is a romantic comedy; configured with humorous storylines of love triangles, mistaken identity and deception. The romantic elements of this play embody a genuine beauty, confessions of love intertwined with motifs of nature and divine intervention. The comedy is versatile, reaching beyond a Shakespearean audience and appealing with depictions of archaic mocking to obscene jokes.

Despite the predominant lighthearted tone, Shakespeare touches on the downsides of love, the downsides of disguise and comedy. Spiralling through the acts; the themes of unrequited love, disguise and madness are revealed. A questioning of morality, consequence and the fluidity of identity. The tone can become emotive, resonating and deeper than you’d perceive expected from a comedy.

Such refreshing components of humour, captivating declarations of love- and an abundance of the absurd.

"If you be not mad, be gone; if you have reason, be brief."
- William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night



I liked it, but didn't love it.

Positives: I always like Shakespeare's gender benders. The Bard enjoys not playing characters straight. He doesn't want a love story or even a love triangle, Shakespeare wants to explore all the tangents, the lines, and the angles of love's many geometries. He is a great experimenter of the human soul. He is the Faraday of romance, unsatisfied until he has teased out all the attractions and repulsions possible.

Negatives: I'm not a fan of Shakespeare's musical comedies. I don't include A Midsummer Night's Dream on this list, because I consider that play to be one of Shakespeare's great LYRICAL plays (along with Richard II and Romeo and Juliet). Anyway, anytime Shakespeare's actors start singing and dancing, I want to use that time/space to grab a popcorn or pee. Just not my jam.

Favorite Lines:

"If music be the food of love, play on." (Act 1, Scene 1)

“Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.” (Act 1, Scene 5)

“Well, God give them wisdom that have it; and those that are fools, let them use their talents.” (Act 1, Scene 5)

“Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage.” (Act 1, Scene 5)

“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” (Act 2, Scene 5)

“I say there is no darkness but ignorance.” (Act 4, Scene 2)

One of my book resolutions this year is to read more classics, including some of Shakespeare's plays. Shockingly, I've only read a couple, but ironically I read Twelfth Night at the tender age of 14 as part of my year 9 English class. I wanted to see how much I remembered etc. Surprising, not much.

Basically Viola and her brother Sebastian are involved in a shipwreck, washing up on the shores of Illyria. Both think the other is dead, and Viola dresses up as a bloke to protect her honour or whatever. Hilarity ensures as there's a case of mistaken identity, and some bloke called Malvolio is tricked into thinking he's mental.

Sir Toby is awful. As is Antonio and Maria. Olivia is extremely gullible, and probably wishes by the end that she'd married Viola and not Sebastian. I know I would have, she's by far the best character of the bunch and has a way with words. As is The Fool, with his dry remarks and witty repartee.

Not my favourite, but it's alright. Props to this copy, which included a modern translation after the original text to help when I couldn't be bothered to think about what was being said. It stopped me from loosing track several times.

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

This was fun. The thing is that comedies are always more fun on a stage. Ultimately, so are tragedies.
Shakespeare created a hilarious story of love, confusion and foolishness. There is a lot of genderbending and cross-dressing and homosexualitating (yes, I know that is not a word). Quite a queer tale. And in the end, everything and everybody is set straight and does not marry below their own station. A bit of a let-down if you ask me. Especially because this is not exactly how I imagine true love to be, but oh my, sometimes we can lean back and simply enjoy ourselves.

I must admit that I liked A Midsummer Night's Dream better. However, I'm biased since I was part of a production of this play. I also like Richard II better, because I knew more about its cultural context and enjoyed the relationship between Shakespeare's Richard and the actual living and breathing and long dead king.

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"Stary człowiek i morze", gdyby kręcił go Michael Bay
Minus wybuchy.

Besides "Much ado about nothing", Twelfth Night is my favourite Shakespeare play.


The major character is Viola, who after losing her twin brother, is forced to disguise herself as a boy to survive in a strange and hostile land (namely Illyria which is at war with her home county, Messaline). She musters all her courage to hide her pain over the supposed death of her brother. But struggles are not over as she also has to hide her passionate love from Orsino, the Duke of Illyira whom she serves.

Her position is twofold difficult: she soon becomes Orsino's confident, but to ease his sufferings, she undertakes to act as a "courier" for pursuing his hopeless love, the Countess Olivia.

Then comes another Shakespearean turn of the screw: Olivia, who won't hear of Orsino's passion, falls for Cesario/Viola. In the meantime, Sebastian, thinking her beloved sister, Viola is dead, sets for Illyria as well ...

As in comedies, all things messed up will sort themselves out in the end, however, this is not the light kind, the shadow of the tragic is hovering over the whole drama shaped in one of the subplots. The play seems to balance on the very narrow edge of tragedy and comedy all the time despite the many hilarious moments.

Viola is without doubt one of the strongest and feistiest heroines you come to admire: an upright woman, who, despite the disguise she is forced to wear, is the most honest of all, especially compared to the characters of Orsino and Olivia, both of whom are deluding themselves by imaginary feelings.

Via the twin + gender swap plots Shakespeare presents some more nuanced feelings of/for Olivia and Orsino. Self-indulgent and blind as they are, of course they remain blissfully unaware of the homoerotic attachment they have towards Viola: Olivia likes a girl who is dressed up as a boy, while throughout the play we can witness that Orsino is very much drawn to her thinking he is a boy (well, more fun for them and this gives their HEA some spice).

My younger son's primary school put on a production of Twelfth Night when he was about 10. Most of the cast was about as good as you'd expect, except the kid that played Malvolio, who was utterly brilliant. He was so much better than everyone else that it wasn't fair even to compare them. He just carried the show all by himself, and it was a triumph.

The teachers knew they had a star on their hands, and had decided in advance to record the performance. They said at the end of the evening that DVDs would be on sale for, I think £5 apiece. Like a good half of the audience, we handed over our money without a second thought.

But... oh dear! A day later, there came a shame-faced announcement that, due to a technical error, there would be no DVD. Maybe they'd left the lens cap on or something. I'm particularly annoyed, because I can't remember the kid's name, so I'm unable to find out if he did make it in show-biz. I certainly felt he had a decent shot at it.