Twelfth Night: Plot Summary (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

Twelfth Night: Plot Summary

One of the most useful ways to prepare for the exam is to get to grips with the plot of Twelfth Night. If you are familiar with the key events and the order in which they occur, then you will find it easier to connect ideas in response to broader questions on character or theme. Having an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the text will also help you to gain confidence to find the most relevant references to support your response.

Below you will find:

• An overview of the play

• A plot summary broken down into sections of the play

Overview

Twelfth Night is a dramatic comedy in five acts written by William Shakespeare and first performed in 1602. At the beginning of the play, Viola, the protagonist, finds herself shipwrecked on the unfamiliar shores of Illyria. She believes that her twin brother, Sebastian, has drowned. Viola disguises herself as a young man named Cesario, and finds employment in the court of Duke Orsino. Orsino enlists Cesario to woo the Countess Olivia on his behalf. Olivia is enamoured by Viola’s disguise and falls in love with Cesario and Viola secretly falls in love with Duke Orsino. Events develop, leading to ever more ridiculous and humorous situations involving mistaken identities, romantic delusions and trickery. 

In the play’s subplot, Olivia’s butler, the puritanical Malvolio, disapproves of the rest of Olivia’s household. Led by Olivia’s uncle, Sir Toby Belch, Olivia’s household plays a practical joke on Malvolio that leads to Olivia believing him to be mad and having him locked up. 

The chaos and confusion is resolved in the final scene, when the truth of Viola’s identity emerges and Sebastian is revealed to be alive and well. The play ends with three marriages, Malvolio being released, and a song. 

Act-by-Act Plot Summary

Act I

• The play opens with Orsino, Duke of lllyria, pining for the love of the Countess Olivia

• However, Olivia has vowed to mourn her late brother’s death and deny all male company for seven years:

  • Orsino, a pastiche of the traditional courtly lover, regards it as proof of Olivia’s love for him

• Meanwhile, in a shipwreck off the coast of Illyria, two identical twins have been separated

• The female twin, Viola, is rescued by sailors, but believes that her brother, Sebastian, has drowned 

• Feeling vulnerable and in need of work, Viola disguises herself as a man and adopts the name of Cesario:

  • In this guise, she goes to work as a page for Duke Orsino

• In Olivia’s household, her uncle, Sir Toby Belch, is outraged by the solemnity of a house in mourning

• Sir Toby encourages his gullible friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, to seek Olivia’s hand in marriage

• Orsino is impressed by Cesario, and employs his new page to act as a love-messenger between him and Olivia

• Viola secretly falls in love with the duke, but in her disguise must say nothing

• Cesario attempts to woo Olivia on Orsino’s behalf, but Olivia falls in love with Cesario:

  • To ensure that Cesario returns, Olivia sends her butler, Malvolio, after him with a ring that she pretends he has left behind

Act II

• The audience learns that Viola’s twin brother, Sebastian, survived the shipwreck with his friend Antonio:

  • Sebastian believes Viola to be dead and, in despair, he resolves to go to Orsino’s court

  • Antonio is intensely loyal to Sebastian; he accompanies his friend despite being an old enemy of Duke Orsino

• In Olivia’s household, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Feste (Olivia’s Fool) and Maria (Olivia’s servant) have their revelry interrupted by Malvolio, who disapproves of their behaviour

• Believing Malvolio to be vain and arrogant, Sir Toby and his cronies plot to play a trick on Malvolio

• Maria forges a letter and a love poem in Olivia’s handwriting and leaves it for Malvolio to find:

  • The plan is to trick him into believing Olivia loves him so he humiliates himself in front of her

  • The letter details how much Olivia wants Malvolio to dance for her in yellow stockings with cross-garters  

• Malvolio finds the letter and imagines being married to his mistress:

  • He reveals his hypocrisy by fantasising about rising above his station and mistreating others 

• Orsino finds himself trusting and liking Cesario greatly; the two discuss the differences between men and women, and Viola comes close to admitting her feelings for the Duke

Act III

• Olivia confesses to Cesario that she has fallen in love with him; Cesario rejects her, but is unable to reveal the reason why

• Sir Andrew Aguecheek grows jealous of Cesario over Olivia’s affections

• He is persuaded to challenge Cesario to a duel to determine who will win Olivia’s love

• Malvolio, also desperate to win Olivia’s love, performs a ridiculous dance for her while wearing his yellow stockings:

  • Olivia believes Malvolio to be mad and, fearing for his health, has him imprisoned for his own safety

• Sir Toby Belch brings Cesario and Sir Andrew together for their duel

• He makes up a rule that they must fight to the death, however neither participant wishes to fight

• Antonio enters, sees Cesario, and believes him to be Sebastian:

  • He threatens to attack Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, before Orsino’s officers arrive and arrest him

  • Antonio is left confused as to why “Sebastian” does not seem to recognise him

  • On hearing the name of her brother, Viola begins to hope that he might be alive after all

Act IV

• The real Sebastian arrives and is attacked by Sir Andrew, who thinks that Sebastian is Cesario:

  • Sebastian, a trained soldier, skilfully wins the fight 

• The Countess Olivia appears, also believing Sebastian to be Cesario, and she invites him to her home:

  • Sebastian is confused, but decides to continue with Olivia’s delusion

• Maria and Feste decide to play another trick on the imprisoned Malvolio:

  • Feste disguises himself as a priest, Sir Topas

  • He tries to convince Malvolio that he is actually mad by performing a mock-exorcism on Malvolio

• Sir Tony and the tricksters eventually think they may have taken it too far; fearing punishment, they resolve to explain to Olivia that Malvolio is not actually mad

• Olivia summons a priest to her home and marries Sebastian

Act V

• Antonio is brought before Duke Orsino, who recognises him and accuses him of piracy:

  • Antonio explains that he rescued Sebastian, and accuses Cesario (whom he believes to be Sebastian) of disowning and betraying him 

• Olivia enters to finally reject Orsino in person and she explains that she has married “Cesario”:

  • Orsino is heartbroken, feeling betrayed by both Cesario and Olivia

  • He threatens to kill Cesario, before deciding instead to banish the newlyweds

• Sir Andrew and Sir Toby enter to claim that Cesario has assaulted them

• At this point, Sebastian enters to visit the Duke and apologises for his fight with Sir Andrew:

  • Recognising her lost brother, Viola rejoices and reveals her true identity 

• Feste arrives to reveal the truth about how Malvolio was tricked, and Olivia calls for Malvolio to be released:

  • Maria’s fake letter is exposed, and Olivia shows some sympathy for her butler

  • However, Malvolio declares that he will seek revenge on Sir Toby, Maria, and the others for their tricks; he then storms out

• The events end on a merry note, with a series of marriages:

  • Orsino allows Olivia and Sebastian to remain happily married once Sebastian’s identity becomes clear

  • Maria marries Sir Toby Belch, having fallen in love during their trickery of Malvolio in the dungeons

  • Duke Orsino realises that he fell in love with Viola while she served him as Cesario, and pledges to marry her 

• The Duke’s proposal is contingent upon Viola returning to women’s clothes:

  • Viola remains silent on the matter; she takes Orsino’s hand, implying a happy ending, but the audience do not see her return to gender-appropriate clothing

• The denouement concludes with a bittersweet song by Feste about the fallibility of humans, the changing of the seasons, and “the wind and the rain”