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Twelfth Night Study Guide

by William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Act I:

Count Orsino of Illyria is introduced; he laments that he is lovesick, and wishes that "if music be the food of love," he could kill his unrequited love through an overdose of music. Orsino's servant Valentine, whom Orsino sent to give his affections to Olivia, returns; Valentine was not allowed to speak directly to Olivia, but Olivia sent a message, via her handmaiden, that Olivia will continue to mourn her dead brother, and will neither allow Orsino to see her or to woo her.

Viola lands in Illyria, after a terrible shipwreck in which she was separated from her twin brother, Sebastian. Viola hopes that her brother was saved, as she was; the Captain, who also managed to get ashore, tries to console her of the hopes of finding her…

Read the full Twelfth Night Summary

• Twelfth Night Summary
• About Twelfth Night
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis of Act 1
• Summary and Analysis of Act 2
• Summary and Analysis of Act 3
• Summary and Analysis of Act 4
• Summary and Analysis of Act 5
• About Shakespearean Theater:
• Related Links on Twelfth Night
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• Twelfth Night: Essays
• Twelfth Night: E-Text
• Twelfth Night: Questions
• Twelfth Night: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• William Shakespeare: Biography