Twelfth Night is generally regarded as one of Shakespeare’s best comedies and a fine exposition of his genius at the height of its powers. Written in his maturity, probably in or around 1601, it was presumably meant to be performed on the Twelfth Night of Christmas, also known as Epiphany. This was a holiday often associated with the revolution of social order (at least for one day) when masters became servants and women could rule over men. As such, it represented a splendid opportunity to investigate the nature of society when things are turned upside down, shaken about a bit and then returned to the prevailing order.

The play centres on the character of Viola, who is shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria and believes herself to be alone and friendless. Her brother Sebastian appears to have drowned (of course, this is a comedy and he turns up safe and sound later on). Realising her vulnerable state and the limited ways in which a woman alone could earn money to support herself, Viola sensibly decides to pretend to be a man and names herself Cesario. Then she goes to obtain work with the Duke, Orsino, who is pining for the Lady Olivia who is busy mourning and will not receive his advances. The Duke takes refuge in music (“If music be the food of love, play on and give me excess of it”) in a rather self-indulgent manner that people who do not have to work for a living often adopt. Viola/Cesario rapidly becomes a catalytic object of sexual desire, both in her male and female aspects. Olivia falls in love with her male aspect and marries Sebastian, who resembles him/her, while the Duke succumbs to her hidden female aspect and they too become married. Along the way, there is buffoonery with Sir Toby and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who is also courting Lady Olivia with no prospect of success. A third sub-plot concerns the prudish steward Malvolio, who is persuaded by a simple ruse to act as if he is mad (i.e. by behaving in a bizarre way without explaining his actions) and in due course is proclaimed legally insane by the Ducal Fool, who is masquerading as a medical doctor. Malvolio is ultimately freed from his confinement but is, understandably, unwilling to join in the celebrations for the various weddings that conclude the play.

This is another of Shakespeare’s most well-loved plays and is often staged by both professional and amateur players alike. The Malvolio sub-plot is, especially for amateurs and schoolchildren, usually played as broad farce and the character himself as a sour-faced busybody who refuses to take a joke. However, the treatment of Malvolio is cruel and highlights the vagaries of chance and misfortune which can strike at a moment’s notice. Viola is successful in her quest for security and love but, as reversals of fortune demonstrate, it could all have ended very badly for her and the other characters. That this sense of luck and deliverance is associated with the Festival of the Birth of Christ and the fortuitous arrival of the three kings is no coincidence, of course.