Twelfth Night: Difference between revisions

'''''Twelfth Night, or What You Will''''' is a [[romantic comedy]] by [[William Shakespeare]] that is, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|Twelfth Night entertainment]] for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins [[Viola (Twelfth Night)|Viola]] and [[Sebastian (Twelfth Night)|Sebastian]], who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola (who is disguised as Cesario) falls in love with the Duke Orsino, who in turn is in love with Countess Olivia. Upon meeting Viola, Countess Olivia falls in love with her, thinking she is a man.

The play expanded on the musical interludes and riotous disorder expected of the occasion,<ref>{{Cite book |title=Shakespeare's Theatre |last=Thomson |first=Peter |date=1983 |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul |isbn=0-7100-9480-9 |location=London |oclc=9154553 |page=94 |quote=Shakespeare, having tackled the theatrical problems of providing ''Twelfth Night'' with effective musical interludes, found his attitude toward his material changed. An episodic story became in his mind a thing of dreams and themes.}}</ref> with plot elements drawn from the[[Barnabe Rich]]'s short story "Of Apollonius and Silla" by [[Barnabe Rich]], based on a story by [[Matteo Bandello]]. The first documented public performance was on 2 February 1602, at [[Candlemas]], the formal end of [[Christmastide]] in the year's calendar. The play was not published until its inclusion in the 1623 [[First Folio]].

* [[Viola (Twelfth Night)|Viola]] – a shipwrecked young woman who disguises herself as a [[Page (servant)|page]] named Cesario

Viola is shipwrecked on the coast of [[Illyria]] and she comes ashore with the help of a captain's help. She has lost contact with her twin brother, Sebastian, whomwho she believes to behas drowned, and with the aid of the Captain, she disguises herself as a young man under the namenamed Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino. Duke Orsino has convinced himself that he is in love with Olivia, who is mourning theher brother's recent death of her brother. SheOlivia refuses to see entertainments, be in the company of men, or accept love or marriage proposals from anyone, theincluding Duke includedOrsino, until seven years have passed. Duke Orsino then uses 'Cesario' as an intermediary to profess his passionate love beforefor Olivia. But Olivia, however, falls in love with 'Cesario', setting her at odds with her professed duty. In the meantimeMeanwhile, Viola has fallen in love with Duke Orsino, creating a love triangle: Viola loves Duke Orsino, Duke Orsino loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Viola disguised as Cesario.

In the comic subplot, several characters conspire to make Olivia's pompous steward, Malvolio, believe that Oliviashe has fallen for him. This involves Olivia's riotous uncle, Sir Toby Belch; another would-be suitor, athe silly squire named Sir Andrew Aguecheek; herOlivia's servants Maria and Fabian; and herOlivia's witty fool, Feste. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew engage themselves in drinking and revelry, thus disturbingdisrupting the peace of Olivia's household until late into the night, prompting Malvolio to chastise them. Sir Toby famously retorts,

Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria plan revenge on Malvolio. They convince Malvoliohim that Olivia is secretly in love with him by planting a love letter, written by Maria in Olivia's handwriting. It asks Malvolio to wear yellow stockings cross-gartered—a colour and fashion that Olivia actuallyhates, hates—toto be rude to the rest of the servants, and to smile constantly in theOlivia's presence of Olivia. Malvolio finds the letter and reacts inis surprised delightand delighted. He starts acting outfollowing the contentsletter's of the letterinstructions to show Olivia his positive responsefeelings. Olivia is shocked by the changes in Malvoliohim and, agreeing that he seems mad, leaves him to be cared for by his tormentors. Pretending that Malvolio is insane, theythe tormentors lock him up in a dark chamber. Feste visits himMalvolio to mock hisMalvolio's professed insanity, both as himself and disguised as a priest.

Meanwhile, Viola's twin, Sebastian, has been rescued by Antonio, a sea captain who previously fought against Orsino, yet who accompanies Sebastian to Illyria, despite the danger, because of his admiration for Sebastian. Sebastian's appearance adds the confusion of mistaken identities to the comedy. Taking Sebastian for 'Cesario', Olivia asks him to marry her, and they are secretly married in a church. Finally, when 'Cesario' and Sebastian appear in the presence of both Olivia and Orsino, there is more wonder and confusion at their physical similarity. At this point, Viola reveals her identity and is reunited with her twin brother.

The play ends in a declaration of marriage between Duke Orsino and Viola (Orsino to Viola: "But when in other habits you are seen, Orsino's mistress, and his fancy's queen"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twelfth Night (Modern) :: Internet Shakespeare Editions |url=https://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/doc/TN_M/complete/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=internetshakespeare.uvic.ca}}</ref>), and it is learned that Sir Toby has married Maria. Malvolio swears revenge on his tormentors and stalks off, but Orsino sends Fabian to placate him.

Illyria was an ancient region of the Western Balkans whose coast (the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea which is, the only part of ancient Illyria which is relevant to the play) covered (from north to south) the coasts of modern-day [[Slovenia]], [[Croatia]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Montenegro]], and [[Albania]]. It included the city-state of the [[Republic of Ragusa]], which has been proposed as the setting, and which is today known as [[Dubrovnik]], [[Croatia]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Torbarina |first=Josip |date=June 1964 |title=The Settings of Shakespeare's Plays |url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/149328 |journal=Studia Romanica et Anglica Zagrabiensia |volume=- |language=en |issue=17–18 |pages=21–59 |issn=0039-3339 |oclc=760940009}}</ref>

Illyria may have been suggested by the Roman comedy ''[[Menaechmi]]'', the plot of which also involves twins who are mistaken for each other. Illyria is also referred to as a site of pirates in Shakespeare's earlier play, ''[[Henry VI, Part 2]].'' The names of mostMost of the characters' names are Italian but some of the comic characters have English names. Oddly, the "Illyrian" lady Olivia has an English uncle, Sir Toby Belch.

It has been noted that the play's setting also has other English allusions, such as Viola's use of "Westward ho!", a typical cry of 16th -century London boatmen, and also Antonio's recommendation to Sebastian of "The Elephant" as wherethe itbest is bestplace to lodge in Illyria ([[Elephant and Castle#Name|The Elephant]] was a pub not far from the Globe Theatre).<ref>{{cite book |title=Twelfth night, or, What you will |last=Shakespeare |first=William |editor-last=Donno |editor-first=Elizabeth Story |date=2004 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-82792-8 |edition=Updated |location=Cambridge |oclc=54824521 |page=7}}</ref>

The play is believed to have drawn extensively on the Italian production ''[[Gl'ingannati]]'' (or ''The Deceived Ones''),<ref>{{cite booknews |last=Caldecott |first=Henry Stratford |title=Our English Homer, or, The Bacon–Shakespeare Controversy: A Lecture |page=9 |location=Johannesburg |worknewspaper=Johannesburg Times |year=1896 |oclc=83492745}}</ref> collectively written by the ''[[Accademia degli Intronati]]'' of [[Siena]] in 1531. It is conjectured that the name of its male lead, Orsino, was suggested by [[Virginio Orsini, Duke of Bracciano]], an Italian nobleman who visited London in the winter of 1600 to 16011600–01.<ref name=halliday>{{cite book |last=Halliday |first=F.E. |year=1964 |title=A Shakespeare Companion 1564–1964 |edition=First |pages=71, 505 |location=Harmondsworth |publisher=Penguin |oclc=69117982}}</ref>

Another source story, "Of Apollonius and Silla", appeared in [[Barnabe Riche]]'s collection, ''Riche his Farewell to Militarie Profession conteining verie pleasaunt discourses fit for a peaceable tyme'' (1581), which in turn is derivedderives from a story by [[Matteo Bandello]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Griffin |first=Alice |year=1966 |title=The Sources of Ten Shakespearean Plays |edition=First |location=New York |publisher=T.Y. Crowell |oclc=350534}}</ref>

"Twelfth Night" is a reference to the twelfth night after [[Christmas Day]], also called the ''Eve of the [[Epiphany (holiday)|Feast of Epiphany]]''. It was originally a Catholic holiday, and these were sometimes occasions for revelry, like other Christian feast days. Servants often dressed up as their masters, men as women, and so forth. This history of festive ritual and carnivalesque reversal,{{efn|The carnival-like atmosphere is based on the then-1,000&nbsp;-year earlier, [[ancient Rome|ancient Roman]] festival of the [[Saturnalia]] held at the same time of year. The Saturnalia was characterized by drunken revelry and inversion of the social order: Mastersmasters became servants for a day, and vice versa.}} is the cultural origin of the play's gender-confusion-driven plot. The Epiphany celebrations werePuritans often opposed byEpiphany Puritanscelebrations, much as Malvolio opposes the revelry in the play.<ref>{{cite journal |last=van den Brink |first=Bret |date=2023 |title=What You Will: Double Predestination and the Plot of ''Twelfth Night''|url=http://sinestesieonline.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Sinestesieonline_40_VanderBrink.pdf |journal=Sinestesieonline |volume=40 |page=4}}</ref>

The actual Elizabethan [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|festival of Twelfth Night]] would involveinvolved the antics of a [[Lord of Misrule]], who, before leaving his temporary position of authority, would callcalled for entertainment, songs, and [[Mummers Play|mummery]]; the play has been regarded as preserving this festive and traditional atmosphere of licensed disorder.<ref name=Laroque-1991>{{cite book |author=[[Laroque, François]] |year=1991 |title=Shakespeare's Festive World: Elizabethan seasonal entertainment and the professional stage |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref>{{rp|page=153}} This leads to the general inversion of the order of things, most notably gender roles.<ref name=Laroque-1991/>{{rp|page=227}} The embittered and isolated Malvolio can be regarded as an adversary of festive enjoyment and community.<ref name=Laroque-1991/>{{rp|page=254}} That community is led by Sir&nbsp; Toby Belch, ''"the vice-regent spokesman for cakes and ale"'', and his partner in a comic stock- duo, the simple and constantly exploited Sir&nbsp; Andrew Aguecheek.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Clayton |first=Thomas |date=Autumn 1985 |title=Shakespeare at the Guthrie: ''Twelfth Night'' |journal=Shakespeare Quarterly |volume=36 |issue=3 |page=354 |doi=10.2307/2869718 |jstor=2869718}}</ref>

Viola is not alone among Shakespeare's cross-dressing heroines; in Shakespeare's theatre, convention dictated that adolescent boys play the roles of female characters, creating humour in the multiplicity of disguise found in a female character who for a while pretended at masculinity.<ref name=greenblatt>{{cite book |last=Shakespeare |first=William |author2=Stephen Greenblatt |author3=Walter Cohen |author4=Jean E. Howard |author5=Katharine Eisaman Maus |author6=Andrew Gurr |title=The Norton Shakespeare |edition=First |pages=[https://archive.org/details/nortonshakespear00shak/page/40 40, 1090] |location=New York |publisher=W.W. Norton |year=1997 |isbn=0-393-97087-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/nortonshakespear00shak/page/40}}</ref> Her cross -dressing enables Viola to fulfil usually male roles, such as acting as a messenger between Orsino and Olivia or serving as Orsino's confidant. SheBut she does not, however, use her disguise to enable her to intervene directly in the plot (unlike other Shakespearean heroines, such as Rosalind in ''As You Like It'' and Portia in ''The Merchant of Venice''), remaining someone who allows "Time" to untangle the plot.<ref>Hodgdon, Barbara: "Sexual Disguise and the Theatre of Gender" in ''The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Comedy'', edited by Alexander Leggatt. Cambridge University Press, 2002, p. 186.</ref> Viola's persistence in [[transvestism]] through her betrothal in the final scene of the play often engenders a discussion of the possibly [[homoerotic]] relationship between Viola and Orsino.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

As the very nature of ''Twelfth Night'' explores gender identity and sexual attraction, having a male actor play Viola enhanced the impression of androgyny and sexual ambiguity.<ref name="Charles, p. 124">Charles, Casey. "Gender Trouble in Twelfth Night". Theatre Journal. Vol. 49, No. 2 (1997): 121–141 [124].</ref> Some modern scholars believe that ''Twelfth Night'', with the added confusion of male actors and Viola's deception, addresses gender issues "with particular immediacy".<ref>Smith, Bruce R. "Introduction". ''Twelfth Night''. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001.</ref> They also accept that theits depiction of gender in ''Twelfth Night'' stems from the era's prevalent scientific theory that females are simply imperfect males.<ref name="Charles, p. 124"/> This belief explains the almost indistinguishable differences between the sexes reflected in the play's casting and characters of ''Twelfth Night''.

At Olivia's first meeting with "Cesario" (Viola) in Act I, Scene v she asks her "Are you a comedian?" (an Elizabethan term for "actor").<ref>Lothian and Craik, p. 30.</ref> Viola's reply, "I am not that I play", epitomising her adoption of the role of "Cesario" (Viola), is regarded as one of the play's several references to theatricality and "playing" within the play.<ref>Righter, Anne. ''Shakespeare and the Idea of the Play''. Chatto & Windus, 1962, p. 130.</ref> The plot against Malvolio revolves around these ideas, and Fabian remarks in Act III, Scene iv: "If this were play'd upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction".<ref>Righter, p. 136.</ref> In Act IV, Scene ii, Feste (The Fool) plays both parts in the "play" for Malvolio's benefit, alternating between adopting the voice of the local [[curate]], Sir Topas, and his own voice. He finishes by likening himself to "the old Vice" of English Morality plays.<ref>Righter, p. 133.</ref> Other influences of the English folk tradition can be seen in Feste's songs and dialogue, such as his final song in Act V.<ref>Weimann, Robert. ''Shakespeare and the Popular Tradition in the Theater: Studies in the Social Dimension of Dramatic Form and Function'', p. 41. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.</ref> The last line of this song, "And we'll strive to please you every day", is a direct echo ofechoes similar lines from several English folk plays.<ref>Weimann, p. 43.</ref>

Some scholars argue that ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' (to give the play its's full title) was probably commissioned for performance as part of the Twelfth Night celebrations held by [[Elizabeth_I|Queen Elizabeth I]] at [[Whitehall Palace]] on 6 January 1601 to mark the end of the embassy of the Italian diplomat, the Duke of Orsino.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hotson |first=Leslie |title=The First Night of Twelfth Night |edition=First |location=New York |publisher=Macmillan |year=1954 |oclc=353282}}</ref> Others dispute this, arguing that the "rigid etiquette of Queen Elizabeth's court" would have made it "impossible" for Shakespeare to name a main character in a comedy for the very diplomat attending the performance, and that it is more likely that Shakespeare used the name from the 1601 diplomatic visit when writing his play, which premiered the next winter.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mahood |first=M.M. |title=Twelfth Night |location=Middlesex |publisher=Penguin |year=1968 |quote=We only have to translate the episode into modern terms - a Royal Command performance on the occasion of a State Visit - to see how unthinkable it would be to use the important visitor's name for the chief character in a comedy.}}</ref> It was again performed at Court on Easter Monday in 1618 and on [[Candlemas]] night in 1623.

The earliest public performance took place at [[Middle Temple Hall]], one of the [[Inns of Court]], on 2 February (Candlemas night) in 1602. recorded in an entry in the diary of theThe lawyer [[John Manningham]], whowrote wrotein his diary:

Clearly, Manningham enjoyed the Malvolio story most of all, and noted the play's similarity withto Shakespeare's earlier play, as well as its relationship with one of its sources, the ''Inganni'' plays.

The play was also one of the earliest Shakespearean works acted at the start of the [[English Restoration|Restoration]]; Sir [[William Davenant]]'s adaptation was staged in 1661, with [[Thomas Betterton]] in the role ofas Sir Toby Belch. [[Samuel Pepys]] thought it "a silly play", but saw it three times anyway during the period of his diary on 11 September 1661, 6 January 1663, and 20 January 1669. Another adaptation, ''[[Love Betrayed|Love Betray'd, or, The Agreeable Disappointment]]'', was acted at [[Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre|Lincoln's Inn Fields]] in 1703.<ref name=halliday/>

After holding the stage only in the adaptations in the late 17th century and early 18th century, the original Shakespearean text of ''Twelfth Night'' was revived in 1741, in a production at [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane|Drury Lane]]. In 1820 an operatic version by [[Frederic Reynolds]] was staged, with music composed by [[Henry Bishop (composer)|Henry Bishop]].

[[Lilian Baylis]] reopened the long-dormant [[Sadler's Wells Theatre]] in 1931 with a notable production of the play starring [[Ralph Richardson]] as Sir Toby and [[John Gielgud]] as Malvolio. The [[Old Vic Theatre]] was reopened in 1950 (after suffering severe damage in the [[The Blitz|London Blitz]] in 1941) with a memorable production starring [[Peggy Ashcroft]] as Viola. [[John Gielgud|Gielgud]] directed a production at the [[Shakespeare Memorial Theatre]] with [[Laurence Olivier]] as Malvolio and [[Vivien Leigh]] playing both Viola and Sebastian in 1955. The longest -running [[Broadway theatres|Broadway]] production by far was [[Margaret Webster]]'s 1940 staging starring [[Maurice Evans (actor)|Maurice Evans]] as Malvolio and [[Helen Hayes]] as Viola. It ran for 129 performances, more than twice as long as any other [[Broadway theatres|Broadway]] production.

A memorable production directed by [[Liviu Ciulei]] at the [[Guthrie Theater]] in Minneapolis, October–November&nbsp;in 1984, was set in the context of an archetypal circus world, emphasising the play's convivial, [[carnival]]esque tone.{{refn|The production was extensively reviewed by Clayton<ref>{{cite periodical |first=Thomas |last=Clayton |date=Autumn 1985 |title=Shakespeare at ''The Guthrie'': ''Twelfth Night'' |periodical=Shakespeare Quarterly |volume=36 |issue=3 |pages=353–359}}</ref>}}

When the play was first performed, all female parts were played by men or boys, but it has been the practice for some centuries now to cast women or girls in the female parts in all plays. The company of [[Globe Theatre|Shakespeare's Globe]], London, has produced many notable, highly popular all-male performances, and a highlight of their 2002 season was ''Twelfth Night'', with the Globe's artistic director [[Mark Rylance]] playing the part of Olivia. This season was preceded, in February, by a performance of the play by the same company at Middle Temple Hall, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the play's première, at the same venue. [[Stephen Fry]] played [[Malvolio]]. Thewhen the same production was revived in 2012–20132012–13, andlater transferredtransferring to sell-out runs in the [[West End theatre|West End]] and [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]; it ran in [[repertory]] with ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]''.<ref name=Costa-2012-10-01/>

InterpretationsMany ofrenowned theactresses rolehave ofplayed Viola have been given by many well-renowned actresses in the latter half of the 20th&nbsp; century, and havetheir performances been interpreted in the light of how far they allow the audience to experience the transgressionstransgression of stereotypical gender roles.<ref name=Gay-1994>{{cite book |author=Gay, Penny |year=1994 |title=As She Likes It: Shakespeare's unruly heroines |place=London, UK |publisher=Routledge}}</ref>{{rp|style=ama|p= 15}} This has sometimes correlated with how far productions of the play go towards reaffirming a sense of unification,; for example, a 1947 production concentrated on showing a post-World War&nbsp; II community reuniting at the end of the play, led by a robust hero / heroine in Viola, played by [[Beatrix Lehmann]], then 44&nbsp; years old.<ref name=Gay-1994/>{{rp|style=ama|pp= 18–20}} The 1966 [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] production played on gender transgressions more obviously, with [[Diana Rigg]] as Viola showing much more physical attraction towards the duke than previously seen, and the court in general being a more physically demonstrative place, particularly between males.<ref name=Gay-1994/>{{rp|style=ama|p= 30}} [[John Barton (director)|John Barton]]'s 1969 production starred [[Donald Sinden]] as Malvolio and [[Judi Dench]] as Viola; their performances were highly acclaimed and the production as a whole was commentedsaid onto as showingshow a dying society crumbling into decay.<ref name=Gay-1994/>{{rp|style=ama|p= 34}}

Malvolio is a popular character choice among stage actors; othershe whohas havebeen takenportrayed the part includeby [[Ian Holm]] many times, [[Simon Russell Beale]] ([[Donmar Warehouse]], 2002), [[Richard Cordery]] (2005), [[Patrick Stewart]], ([[Chichester]], 2007), [[Derek Jacobi]] (Donmar Warehouse, 2009), [[Richard Wilson (Scottish actor)|Richard Wilson]] (2009),<ref>{{cite news |last=Costa |first=Maddy |date=20 October 2009 |title=Malvolio – the killjoy the stars love to play |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/oct/20/twelfth-night-malvolio-richard-wilson |access-date=17 November 2012}}</ref> and [[Stephen Fry]] (The Globe, 2012).<ref name=Costa-2012-10-01>{{cite news |last=Costa |first=Maddy |date=1 October 2012 |title=Stephen Fry's ''Twelfth Night'': This all-male affair is no one-man show |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/oct/01/stephen-fry-twelfth-night-all-male |access-date=2 July 2012}}</ref>

In March&nbsp;2017, the [[Royal National Theatre]]'s production of ''Twelfth Night''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/twelfth-night |title=Twelfth Night – National Theatre |website=www.nationaltheatre.org.uk|date=4 November 2016 }}</ref> changed some of the roles from male to female, including Feste, Fabian (whichwho became Fabia), and, most notably, Malvolio – whichwho became Malvolia – played by [[Tamsin Greig]] to largely positive reviews.<ref>{{cite news |first=Susannah |last=Clapp |author-link=Susannah Clapp |date=26 February 2017 |title=''Twelfth Night'' review – on high gender alert with Tamsin Greig |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/feb/26/twelfth-night-tamsin-greig-national-theatre-olivier-review}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Billington |date=23 February 2017 |title=Twelfth Night review – Tamsin Greig is brilliant in a show full of fun |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/feb/23/twelfth-night-review-olivier-national-theatre-tamsin-greig}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cavendish |first=Dominic |date=23 February 2017 |title=''Twelfth Night'', National's Olivier Theatre review: Tamsin Greig shines in a production otherwise at sea |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/twelfth-night-nationals-olivier-theatre-review-tamsin-greig/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/twelfth-night-nationals-olivier-theatre-review-tamsin-greig/ |archive-date=11 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=Dowell, Ben |date=23 February 2017 |title=''Twelfth Night'' theatre review: Tamsin Greig brings dazzling comic brio to a gender-bending production |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-02-23/twelfth-night-theatre-review-tamsin-greig-brings-dazzling-comic-brio-to-a-gender-bending-production}}</ref> As a result, the production played with sexuality as well as gender.

In 2017–20182017–18, the Royal Shakespeare Company staged ''Twelftha Night'', which wasproduction directed by Christopher Luscombe; [[Adrian Edmondson]] played Malvolio, [[Kara Tointon]] played Olivia, and [[Dinita Gohil]] played Viola.<ref>{{cite web |title=Christopher Luscombe's production ''Twelfth Night'' |year=2017 |website=[[Royal Shakespeare Company]] |url=https://www.rsc.org.uk/twelfth-night/past-productions/in-focus-christopher-luscombe-2017}}</ref>

In 2022, Liverpool-based Theatre Company Old Fruit Jar Productions staged a 1980s -inspired twist on the Shakespeare classicplay at [[Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool|Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre]], swapping Lordslords and Ladiesladies of stately homes for rowdy [[Benidorm]] bars and booze-fuelled escapades, serving as an introduction to Shakespeare for new audiences unfamiliar with his work.

In *1910,: [[Vitagraph Studios]] released the ninja silent, short adaptation ''Twelfth Night'' starring actors [[Florence Turner]], [[Julia Swayne Gordon]], and [[Marin Sais]].

In 1957, another adaptation of the play was presented by [[NBC]] on U.S. television's ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]'', with Maurice Evans recreating his performance as Malvolio. This was the first colorcolour version ever produced on TV. [[Dennis King (actor)|Dennis King]], [[Rosemary Harris]], and [[Frances Hyland]] co-starred.

In 1937, an adaptation was performed on the ''CBS Radio Playhouse'' starring [[Orson Welles]] as Orsino and [[Tallulah Bankhead]] as Viola. A year later, Welles played Malvolio in a production with his Mercury Theater Company.

The play consistently ranks among the greatest plays ever written<ref>{{cite web |title=The 50 Best Plays of All Time |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/best-plays-of-all-time |website=timeout |date=11 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Michael Billington's 101 Greatest Plays of All Time |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/sep/02/michael-billington-101-greatest-plays |website=thegurdian |date=2 September 2015}}</ref> and has been dubbed as "The Perfect Comedy".<ref>{{cite web |title=Best Shakespeare Productions |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/apr/21/best-shakespeare-productions-twelfth-night |website=thegurdian|date=21 April 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The best Shakespeare comedies |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/best-shakespeare-comedies |website=timeout |date=12 October 2016}}</ref> The Danish philosopher [[Søren Kierkegaard]] opens his 1844 book ''[[Philosophical Fragments]]'' with the quote "Better well hanged than ill wed" which is, a paraphrase of Feste's comment to Maria in Act 1, Scene 5: "Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage". [[Nietzsche]] also refers passingly to ''Twelfth Night'' (specifically, to Sir Andrew Aguecheek's suspicion, expressed in Act 1, Scene 3, that his excessive intake of beef is having an inverse effect on his wit) in the third essay of his ''[[Genealogy of Morality]]''.

The protagonists of [[Vita Sackville-West]]'s 1930 novel ''[[The Edwardians]]'' are named Sebastian and Viola, and are brother and sister. [[Victoria Glendinning]] comments, inIn her introduction to the novel, [[Victoria Glendinning]] writes: "Sebastian is the boy-heir that Vita would like to have been... Viola is very like the girl that Vita actually was."<ref>The Edwardians, Introduction p. xi, Virago Modern Classics, 1983.</ref>