Hi everyone! Here is a plot summary of Twelfth Night based on the exercise we did on Sunday. Let me know if you have any questions!

Character names are in bold. When a character loves someone, have the actor look at that person throughout the exercise to help tell the story. If they get married, they can hold hands or link arms.

In Illyria, Duke Orsino is desperately in love with Countess Olivia, who refuses to marry him.

Olivia is in mourning for her father and brother, who have both recently died. Her uncle, Sir Toby, is visiting, along with foppish Sir Andrew, who also hopes to marry Olivia. Also in Olivia’s household are her lady in waiting, Maria (in love with Sir Toby), the Fool (Feste), and Malvolio, the steward, who is in charge of running the house. Malvolio does not approve of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and the Fool, who stay up late making noise and partying. Malvolio is also in love with Olivia.

Meanwhile, twins Viola and Sebastian are in a shipwreck. Viola washes up on the shore of Illyria and, thinking Sebastian is dead, decides to disguise herself as a boy and work for Duke Orsino. She calls herself Cesario.

Duke Orsino asks Viola/Cesario to try and win Olivia for him. When Viola/Cesario meets Olivia, Olivia falls in love with Viola/Cesario, who in turn is in love with Orsino.

Olivia confesses her love to Viola/Cesario, who refuses her.

In revenge for Malvolio’s party-pooper attitude, Maria, Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew play a trick on him: they write a love letter to Malvolio pretending to be Olivia. Malvolio believes the letter, which tells him to do silly things, like wear yellow stockings and smile a lot.

Viola’s brother, Sebastian, is alive and finds his way to Illyria. He meets Olivia, who mistakes him for Viola/Cesario and proposes marriage. Sebastian accepts, and they get married.

Malvolio comes to Olivia smiling and wearing yellow stockings. Olivia believes he is insane and leaves his care to Sir Toby. Sir Toby, and Maria lock Malvolio in a dark room, and Feste helps them try to convince Malvolio that he really is crazy.

Finally, Orsino comes to see Olivia, who reveals that she has married Viola/Cesario (not realizing it was really Sebastian); Sebastian enters and everyone realizes that Viola/Cesario is really a woman. Orsino realizes Viola must be in love with him, and asks her to marry him. Feste delivers a letter from Malvolio, who then enters and confronts Olivia with the love letter. Olivia tells Malvolio that Maria wrote the letter, and Feste says, “thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.” Malvolio swear to “be revenged on the whole pack of you” and leaves. Orsino asks someone to follow him and “entreat him to a peace,” while the happy couples leave to get married.