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Primary sourceBookc. 1601-1602

Twelfth Night

William Shakespeare · c. 1601-1602

A romantic comedy by Shakespeare about shipwrecked twins, mistaken identity, and disguise, first performed around 1602.

Shakespeare wrote this festive comedy, whose early performance is recorded by a contemporary eyewitness.

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What it is

Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed written around 1601–1602 as entertainment for the end of the Christmas season. It follows twins Viola and Sebastian, separated by shipwreck, with Viola disguising herself as a man and becoming caught in a tangle of mistaken love. It was first published in the 1623 First Folio, and its first recorded public performance, at Candlemas in 1602, was described by an eyewitness.

Why it matters

The play shows Shakespeare's mastery of comic plotting, disguise, and music, and its recorded early performance gives rare evidence of how his plays were actually watched and enjoyed by contemporary audiences.

Look closer

  • Why might disguise and mistaken identity have been such popular subjects for comedy at this time?
  • What does the existence of an eyewitness account of a performance tell historians that the printed text alone cannot?
  • How does the play use confusion between characters to create both humour and tension?

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