Il Sacrificio, occurs the name "Malevolti," which is at least suggestive of the name "Malvolio." (iii) The ultimate source of the story is undoubtedly Bandello's Novelle (II. 36), whence it passed into Belleforest's Histoires Tragiques (Vol. IV, Hist. vii); an English version of the story-probably Shakespeare's original for the general framework of his Comedy-found a place in Barnaby Rich's Farewell to the Militarye Profession (1581), where it is styled "The History of Apollonius and Silla"; Rich, no doubt, derived it from Cinthio's Hecatomithi; Cinthio in his turn was indebted to Bandello. (Rich's Apollonius and Silla is printed in Hazlitt's Shakespeare's Library, Part 1, Vol. I.) For the secondary plot, the story of "Malvoglio, that cross-gartered gull," no source exists; Malvolio, Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Fabian, Feste, and Maria, are wholly Shakespeare's. BACKWARD LINKS Twelfth Night, probably the last of the joyous comedies, holding a middle place between As You Like It and All's Well, suggests noteworthy points of contact with earlier plays: e. g. (1) the disguised Viola may well be compared with the disguised Julia in The Two Gentlemen; (2) the story of the wreck recalls the similar episode in The Comedy of Errors; (3) the whole play is in fact a "Comedy of Errors" arising from mistaken identity; (4) the sentiment of music breathes throughout, as in The Merchant of Venice, "like the sweet sound That breathes upon a bank of violets, (5) alike, too, in both these plays the faithful friend is named Antonio; (6) in Viola's confession of her secret love (II, iv, 114-122) we have a fuller chord of the note struck in Love's Labor's Lost; (7) finally, Sir Andrew is a sort of elder brother of Cousin Slender, and Sir Toby Belch a near kinsman of Sir John Falstaff. DURATION OF ACTION The action of Twelfth Night occupies three days, with an interval of three days between the first and second days: : Day 2. Act I, iv and v; Act II, i-iii. Day 3. Act II, iv and v; Acts III, IV, and V. (cp. Daniel's Time-Analysis of Shakespeare's Plays, Transactions of New Shakespeare Society). DRAMATIS PERSONE ORSINO, Duke of Illyria ANTONIO, a sea captain, friend to Sebastian VALENTINE, CURIO. } gentlemen attending on the Duke SIR TOBY BELCH, uncle to Olivia SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK MALVOLIO, steward to Olivia FABIAN, FESTE, a clown, } servants to Olivia OLIVIA VIOLA MARIA, Olivia's woman Lords, Priests, Sailors, Officers, Musicians, and other Attendants SCENE: A city in Illyria, and the sea coast near it SYNOPSIS By J. ELLIS BURDICK ACT I Orsino, Duke of Illyria, is suing for the hand of Olivia, a noble lady of the same place. Into his service enters Viola, a young gentlewoman of Messaline, who has become separated from her twin brother Sebastian by shipwreck and has donned male attire. These twins are so much alike that only by their dress could they be told apart. Viola as Cesario finds favor with the Duke and is sent by him to court Olivia for him. This she does so well that the lady gives her love to the supposed youth instead of to the master. ACT II Olivia sends a ring and message to Viola, who realizes what has happened to the lady and pities her. She herself has fallen in love with the Duke and is, of course, obliged to conceal her passion. Malvolio, steward to Olivia, is so conceited that his fellow-servants plan a practical joke on him and write him a letter full of love-expressions which he believes to come from his mistress. АСТ III Olivia's love for the page becomes so intense that she openly confesses it to Viola who answers her "I have but one heart, one bosom, and one truth, and that no woman has." One of Olivia's other suitors, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, is jealous of the attention and favor the lady shows the page and challenges Viola. The duel is stopped ere |