1. Introduction to or
What You Will

2. 12 Days of Christmas
The title refers to the last 12 days of Christmas. In Shakespeare’s day, the 12th night was one of celebration and foolishness. Much like Mardi Gras here is the U.S., the 12th night was a festival where normal rules of behavior were suspended.

3. Twelfth Night Traditions
In Shakespeare’s day, Twelfth Night was celebrated with masquerades, feasts, and games.
A “Lord of Misrule” was appointed every year.
He and his assistant “the Fool” acted as the grandmasters of festivities.
A Twelfth Night cake was baked. Inside it was a pea or a bean. If your piece contained it, you became the “Lord of Misrule.”

4. Twelfth Night Traditions Continued
Costumes were common to celebrate the Twelfth Night of Christmas.
It was quite common for men to dress as women, and vice versa.
These celebrations died out by the mid-Victorian era.

5. The Other Title: What You Will
This is one of Shakespeare’s more ambiguous titles.
It sounds like the more current “whatever” used to more or less say, “I don’t care.”
When asked for a title, perhaps Shakespeare said, “Twelfth Night or call it what you will.”