Twelfth Night Scene Summaries
Act one
Scen Description Characters Setting Comic Purpose Quotes
e
One Orsino is introduced; he laments that he is Orsino A room in - Establishes Orsino as a ‘If music be the food of love,
lovesick. Curio asks Orsino if he will go and hunt; Curio Orsino’s courtly lover play on’
Orsino answers with a lovelorn reply, about how Valentine palace - Introduces Olivia’s grief ‘Give me excess of it’
his love for the Lady Olivia has been tearing him - Begins the concept of ‘The sweet sounds that
apart. Valentine, whom Orsino sent to give his unrequited love breathes upon a bank of
affections to Olivia, returns; Valentine was not - Emphasises Orsino’s violets’
allowed to speak directly to Olivia, but Olivia persistence/ ‘O spirit of love, how quick
sent a message, via her handmaiden, that Olivia stubbornness and how fresh art thou’
will continue to mourn her dead brother, and ‘But like a cloistress she will
will neither allow Orsino to see her or to woo veiled walk’
her. Orsino laments that Olivia does not hold the ‘How will she love, when the
same deeply felt love that he professes to have. rich golden shaft hath kill’d
the flock of all affections else’
Two Viola lands in Illyria, after a shipwreck in which Viola The sea - Introduces Viola as ‘Where, like Arion on the
she was separated from her twin Captain coast resourceful heroine dolphin’s back’
brother, Sebastian. Viola hopes that her brother - Continues the theme of ‘A noble duke’
was saved, as she was; the Captain, who also grief ‘Whose dear love she hath
managed to get ashore, tries to console her of - Establishes imagery of abjur’d the company’
the hopes of finding her brother alive. The shipwreck and separation ‘Conceal me what I am’
Captain recalls seeing her brother in the water - Reinforces perceptions of ‘It may be worth thy pains’
after the shipwreck, clinging onto a mast, and Orsino as a noble lover ‘Speak to him in many sorts of
riding above the waves. The Captain, from - Develops the music’
Illyria, tells Viola of Count Orsino, and of his love representation of Olivia’s
for Lady Olivia; the Captain also mentions grief and isolation
, Olivia's recent loss of both her father and her - Begins the theme of
brother, and Viola commiserates with Olivia's disguise/appearance/
situation. Viola proposes that she serve Orsino, gender confusion
since he is a good and just man; she conspires
with the Captain that she may be presented to
Orsino as a eunuch, and that her true identity as
a foreign woman be concealed. The Captain
agrees to help her, and he leads her to Orsino.
Three Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's uncle, is approached by Sir Toby A room in - Introduces the tricksters ‘Foolish knight that you
Olivia's handmaiden, Maria, about his late hours Belch Olivia’s - Contrasts with the brought in here one night to
and disorderly habits. Maria also objects to one Sir Andrew house mournful mood of be her wooer’
of Sir Toby's drinking buddies, Sir Aguecheek previous scenes ‘Fair shrew’
Andrew Aguecheek, who Sir Toby has brought as Maria - Establishes Sir Toby’s ‘Good Mistress Mary Accost-‘
a potential suitor to Olivia. Sir Toby has great hedonism and role of ‘Faith, I can cut a caper’
affection for Sir Andrew, but Maria does not; Lord of Misrule ‘I have the back trick simply as
she believes that Sir Andrew is a drunkard fool. - Establishes the power strong as any man in Illyria’
Sir Toby attempts to introduce Sir Andrew to dynamic between the
Maria; wordplay ensues from a series of three of them
misunderstandings, puns, and differing usages of - Sets up Sir Andrew as the
words. Maria exits, and Sir Toby and Sir Andrew ‘natural fool’
continue, with some amusing results; at last, - Celebrates wit and
they decide to start drinking. wordplay
- Introduces the theme of
festivity/revelry
Four Viola has now disguised herself as a boy, Viola A room in - Reinforces Orsino’s ‘I have unclasped to thee the
Cesario, and has been taken into the service of Orsino Orsino’s persistence/stubbornness book even of my secret soul’
Count Orsino. Valentine remarks that Orsino and Valentine palace - Introduces ‘Cesario’ ‘Leap all civil bounds’
Viola, as Cesario, have become close in the short Curio - Establishes the bond ‘Unfold the passion of my
time that Viola has been employed; Orsino has between Orsino and love’
already told Viola of his great love for Olivia. Cesario ‘She will attend better in thy
Orsino asks Viola to go to Olivia and make - Mocks courtly love youth’
Orsino's case to the lady; he believes that - Creates dramatic irony ‘To call his fortunes thine’
Cesario, being younger and more eloquent than about Viola’s disguise ‘Whoe’er I woo, myself would
Act one
Scen Description Characters Setting Comic Purpose Quotes
e
One Orsino is introduced; he laments that he is Orsino A room in - Establishes Orsino as a ‘If music be the food of love,
lovesick. Curio asks Orsino if he will go and hunt; Curio Orsino’s courtly lover play on’
Orsino answers with a lovelorn reply, about how Valentine palace - Introduces Olivia’s grief ‘Give me excess of it’
his love for the Lady Olivia has been tearing him - Begins the concept of ‘The sweet sounds that
apart. Valentine, whom Orsino sent to give his unrequited love breathes upon a bank of
affections to Olivia, returns; Valentine was not - Emphasises Orsino’s violets’
allowed to speak directly to Olivia, but Olivia persistence/ ‘O spirit of love, how quick
sent a message, via her handmaiden, that Olivia stubbornness and how fresh art thou’
will continue to mourn her dead brother, and ‘But like a cloistress she will
will neither allow Orsino to see her or to woo veiled walk’
her. Orsino laments that Olivia does not hold the ‘How will she love, when the
same deeply felt love that he professes to have. rich golden shaft hath kill’d
the flock of all affections else’
Two Viola lands in Illyria, after a shipwreck in which Viola The sea - Introduces Viola as ‘Where, like Arion on the
she was separated from her twin Captain coast resourceful heroine dolphin’s back’
brother, Sebastian. Viola hopes that her brother - Continues the theme of ‘A noble duke’
was saved, as she was; the Captain, who also grief ‘Whose dear love she hath
managed to get ashore, tries to console her of - Establishes imagery of abjur’d the company’
the hopes of finding her brother alive. The shipwreck and separation ‘Conceal me what I am’
Captain recalls seeing her brother in the water - Reinforces perceptions of ‘It may be worth thy pains’
after the shipwreck, clinging onto a mast, and Orsino as a noble lover ‘Speak to him in many sorts of
riding above the waves. The Captain, from - Develops the music’
Illyria, tells Viola of Count Orsino, and of his love representation of Olivia’s
for Lady Olivia; the Captain also mentions grief and isolation
, Olivia's recent loss of both her father and her - Begins the theme of
brother, and Viola commiserates with Olivia's disguise/appearance/
situation. Viola proposes that she serve Orsino, gender confusion
since he is a good and just man; she conspires
with the Captain that she may be presented to
Orsino as a eunuch, and that her true identity as
a foreign woman be concealed. The Captain
agrees to help her, and he leads her to Orsino.
Three Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's uncle, is approached by Sir Toby A room in - Introduces the tricksters ‘Foolish knight that you
Olivia's handmaiden, Maria, about his late hours Belch Olivia’s - Contrasts with the brought in here one night to
and disorderly habits. Maria also objects to one Sir Andrew house mournful mood of be her wooer’
of Sir Toby's drinking buddies, Sir Aguecheek previous scenes ‘Fair shrew’
Andrew Aguecheek, who Sir Toby has brought as Maria - Establishes Sir Toby’s ‘Good Mistress Mary Accost-‘
a potential suitor to Olivia. Sir Toby has great hedonism and role of ‘Faith, I can cut a caper’
affection for Sir Andrew, but Maria does not; Lord of Misrule ‘I have the back trick simply as
she believes that Sir Andrew is a drunkard fool. - Establishes the power strong as any man in Illyria’
Sir Toby attempts to introduce Sir Andrew to dynamic between the
Maria; wordplay ensues from a series of three of them
misunderstandings, puns, and differing usages of - Sets up Sir Andrew as the
words. Maria exits, and Sir Toby and Sir Andrew ‘natural fool’
continue, with some amusing results; at last, - Celebrates wit and
they decide to start drinking. wordplay
- Introduces the theme of
festivity/revelry
Four Viola has now disguised herself as a boy, Viola A room in - Reinforces Orsino’s ‘I have unclasped to thee the
Cesario, and has been taken into the service of Orsino Orsino’s persistence/stubbornness book even of my secret soul’
Count Orsino. Valentine remarks that Orsino and Valentine palace - Introduces ‘Cesario’ ‘Leap all civil bounds’
Viola, as Cesario, have become close in the short Curio - Establishes the bond ‘Unfold the passion of my
time that Viola has been employed; Orsino has between Orsino and love’
already told Viola of his great love for Olivia. Cesario ‘She will attend better in thy
Orsino asks Viola to go to Olivia and make - Mocks courtly love youth’
Orsino's case to the lady; he believes that - Creates dramatic irony ‘To call his fortunes thine’
Cesario, being younger and more eloquent than about Viola’s disguise ‘Whoe’er I woo, myself would
