The tale of a young woman who disguises herself as a man and becomes entangled in the courtship of two local aristocrats upends conventions of romance and gender roles. First staged in 1602, Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays. Read a character analysis of Viola, plot summary, and important quotes.

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in Twelfth Night and in-depth analyses of Viola, Orsino and Olivia, Malvolio, Sir Toby, Maria, Sebastian, and Antonio.

Literary Devices

Here's where you'll find analysis of the literary devices in Twelfth Night, from the major themes to motifs, symbols, and more.

Essays

Get ready to ace your Twelfth Night paper with our suggested essay topics, helpful essays about historical and literary context, a sample A+ student essay, and more.

Further Study

Go further in your study of Twelfth Night with background information, movie adaptations, and links to the best resources around the web.