1. What is Twelfth Night? In Elizabethan times, the twelve days after Christmas up to Twelfth Night were a time of holiday and festival. Twelfth Night marked the end of both the Christmas holiday and the holiday season. During this brief period, people could do as they pleased and indulge their fantasies. All kinds of folly and pranks were allowed, and a never-never land was created. Comedy, disguise, and carnival were the norm.

2. Where is Illyria? Illyria is not a physical place, but a state of mind. A capricious world of disguise and identity A place where fantasy and every-day life are juxtaposed A place where Language itself is unreliable –words slip and slide into confusion A place where folly abounds A place where common sense is mocked- nothing is quite what is seems. The subtitle of the play, What You Will, was a common phrase in Shakespeare’s time. Perhaps it means make of it what you like, it’s make-believe, but don’t take it too seriously because nothing is of consequence.

3. Themes in Twelfth Night Love Disguise Music Disorder Time