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Inside Shakespeare's mind:
Twins Like Raindrops, lost at Crossroads
 Many a time when Shakespeare sat to write a comedy, unaware in which
direction it ought to travel to its end, ekes out in presenting various
shades of love. No matter how it ends is not his worry. Twelfth Night
(or What you will be) is a topical reference suggesting the play would
have been written in 1601. The fable of the twins have been derived from
an old Italian comedy though Malvolio sub-plot belongs to Shakespeare.
To begin with, his Illyria is simply a highly-fantastic invention or a
stage for the roaming of identical twins, Viola and Sebastian. Basically
the twins grew up together, they had the same brown hair and light blue
clear eyes. Viola would borrow Sebastian's clothes and pretend to be him
that confused everyone. They grew up together, studied together. On this
particular day when travelling in a ship foundered on a treacherous reef
and sank.
Synopsis
Viola thinking wrongly that her brother Sebastian has drowned becomes
a male in disguise calling herself, Cessario. She found a job as a page
to Duke of Orsino who ruled Illyria. He was delighted with his new page
and before long Cessario (Viola) had won his confidence. She found the
Duke to be handsome, rich and tall and popular with the people but was
not content. He moped around the day that worried Cessario. He never
laughed and looked sad all the time - like many young women before her,
she found herself falling in love with Orsino but kept it to herself.
Meanwhile, Olivia about whom Orsino was pinning, had a parasitic uncle,
Sir Toby and her gullible suitor, Sir Andrew:
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Twins, Sebastian and Viola from the
Twelfth Night lost in a shipwreck only to be found under
happier circumstances. |
(Olivia's house) - Enter Sir Toby and Sir Andrew;
Sir Toby - To approach Sir Andrew, not to be bed after midnight is to
be up betimes; and 'diluculo surgere' thou know'st
Sir And - Nay be my troth. I know not but I know to be up late is to
be up late.
Sir To. - A false conclusion; I hate it as unfill'd can. To be after
midnight and to go to bed then is early; so that to go to bed after
midnight at is betimes. Does not our lives consist of the four elements.
Sir And - Faith, so they say but I think it rather consists of eating
and drinking.
Sir To. - Th' art a scholar; let us therefore eat and drink. Maria, I
say, soup or wine? ACT. II Sce.II
Presently told by a false letter that Olivia is infatuated by him,
Malvolio takes to himself the phrase 'Some are born great, some achieve
greatness and some have greatness thrust upon 'em'.
Taking directions to appear before Olivia smiling in an absurdly
cross-gartered yellow stockings those colour and fashion she abhors,
Malvolio is carried off to be locked in a dark cell, presuming him to be
a madman.
In the meantime, Sebastian who thinks his sister is lost, is saved by
Antonio who is a pirate captain and who had on an earlier occasion,
fought against Orsino's ships. Andrew who is jealous of Olivia's love
for Ceasario, challenges the page for a duel. While this drama is taking
place, Antonio arrives and mistaking Cesario for Sebastian, draws his
sword to help and is arrested by the Duke's officers.
Enter Olivia;
Olivia - Let thy fair wisdom not thy passion sway in this and unjust
extent, against thy peace; Go with me to my house and hear thou there
how many fruitless pranks this ruffian hath botch'd up, that thou
thereby may'st smile at this. Thou shall choose not but go. Do not
deny........
Sebastian - What relish is this? How runs the stream? Or I am mad or
else this is a dream .....
- ACT IV Sce.I
Toby believing Sebastian to be Casario attacks him and Olivia sternly
chides him. She too mistakes the young man begs him to go with her and
swept off his feet into an arranged marriage and they follow a priest to
the chantry. Finally the confusion is resolved as the twins recognise
each other. Viola is herself again and weds Orsino whom she pined for
and Sebastian takes the hand of Olivia. Toby weds Maria while the
unhappy Malvolio who is released from hid cell, swears revenge on all.
In performance
Probably the first performance was at Whitehallin 1601 in the
presence of a visiting Italian Nobleman called Don Valentino Orsino the
Duke of Bracciano in whose honour Shakespeare created the character of
the Duke of Illria. In February 1602 the comedy was mounted at Middle
Temple Hall where a barrister named John Mannigham saw it.
Twelfth Night is one of the favourite romantic comedies with many
adaptions in the 18th century the one in 1602 as an outstanding version.
One of the best revivals was the one mounted at Drury Lane in 1741 with
Charles Macklin and Hannah Pritchard as Malvolio and Viola. Later in the
19th century, a production with Ellen Terry as Viola and Henry Irving as
Valvolio saw a lot of dignity in these two characters. This was followed
by more revivals until 1918 the play got divided between Straford and
Old Vic. In all the productions the character of Viola stood out with
many thesepians protraying the role.
In the USA, the comedy was staged for the first time in Boston in
1794 followed by spectacular versions gives new twists to the central
characters. At Stratford-Connecticut, the great movie star, Kathering
Hepburn created a sensation when she was cast as Viola.
Stratford-Ontarion too debuted with Tyronne Gutheri as Malvolio in an
exhilarating Stuart costume as Malvolio. There was also an operattic
version at Covent Garden in 1820.
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