Twelfth Night

20 Pages 4931 Words

sing, since Sebastian and his sister look so much alike.

Settings: The main action sequences range from the seacoast of Illyria to the household of Lady Olivia (which must be quite splendid since she is the daughter of the late count and is very wealthy.) Also , we find ourselves at the court of Duke Orsino who is wealthy as he is the ruler of Illyria. In some scenes , such as in Act I and Act II, we are at the seacoast of Illyria with Viola and Sebastian , respectively.

Time of Action: This play appears to have “occurred” in Medieval times, in a coastal European country during the sixteenth century.

Duration of Action: This play seems to take place over the period of three months , as Orsino states this in Act V, scene I. “This youth hath tended him for three months (Cesario) “, after the shipwreck has occurred.

Mood: The moods reflected in the various scenes vary. In Act I , we see the young Viola dealing with great trepidation as she attempts to figure out her next move. She is also in terrible grief over the thought of losing her twin brother. Orsinio’s heartsick nature is obvious to the audience as he woes the fact that his love is unrequited. There is intermittent silliness played out by Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Feste, and Maria herself. There is apparent excessive sadness and longing in Olivia’s mourning over her brother. Sebastian bemoans his sister’s death in Act II, scene I. And it shows just how dearly these characters love one another. There is also some contemptuous feelings floating around in the scenes that portray Malvolio as a uppity sort, thus evoking hostility from some.

Brief Synopsis of Plot:
Act I, scene I.-----At the opening, we see Orsino lamenting over his love for Lady Olivia, who he is determined to have. Sadly for Orsino, she not only doesn’t love him, but she has vowed to mourn her late brother for yet another seven years, therefore she is not going to go out in public and she wi...