45 pages • 1 hour read
William ShakespeareTwelfth Night
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1602A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Letters and Messages
Twelfth Night is filled with letters changing hands among characters, most notably Maria’s letter to Malvolio written in Olivia’s hand. There’s also the letter that Malvolio writes back to Olivia, as well as the letter that Andrew writes to Cesario ordering a duel (which Toby does not deliver). Beyond written letters, characters also deliver messages on behalf of others, as when Cesario tells Olivia of Orsino’s love and when Olivia sends Malvolio to deliver a ring to Cesario and tell them to return to see Olivia.
These messages are a way to facilitate communication between the characters and make their feelings known: Malvolio delivering the ring makes Viola realize that Olivia loves Cesario, for instance, while Malvolio’s letter back to Olivia allows him to assert that he’s not insane and believes Olivia has wronged him.
Furthering the play’s themes of deception and trickery, though, the letters and messages also facilitate miscommunication. Maria’s letter tricks Malvolio into believing Olivia is in love with him, and Sir Toby delivers false messages to Sir Andrew and Cesario, telling them that the other man is a valiant fighter determined to duel—even though both are actually cowardly and want to avoid a fight.
Jewelry and Tokens
Jewels or other tokens of affection are also frequently exchanged in Twelfth Night. Olivia gives Cesario multiple items, including the ring that she pretends he has left with her (which is what makes Viola realize Olivia loves Cesario). Later, Olivia gives Cesario another piece of jewelry as a present, saying, “Here, wear this jewel for me. ‘Tis my picture,” (III.4.216). Orsino also gives Cesario a jewel to deliver to Olivia on his behalf.
The jewels, then, symbolize Olivia and Orsino’s love for Cesario and Olivia, respectively, as they are given as an act of love to woo the objects of their affection. While not a piece of jewelry, Antonio lending his purse to Sebastian is also an act of affection that represents Antonio’s love. Love, for the characters, is represented by the objects they can afford to give to their beloveds.
Mistaken Identities
Identities are frequently concealed and mistaken in Twelfth Night. Viola hides her identity when she dresses as Cesario; later, when her twin brother Sebastian arrives in Illyria, the two are frequently mistaken for each other. This causes problems, such as when Antonio believes Sebastian has betrayed him by not recognizing him (though it is in fact Cesario who honestly says he doesn’t know Antonio).
Sir Toby and his friends also play with identity, albeit in a much more purposely deceitful way. The group sends Feste the Fool to disguise himself as Toby and speak to Malvolio when the servant is being held in a dark room, causing Malvolio to believe that he is, in fact, speaking with Toby. More indirectly, there is also a case of mistaken identity at the heart of Malvolio’s predicament, as he mistakes Maria’s letter to have been written by Olivia (as Maria intended).
While the matter of Viola and Cesario’s identity is happily resolved with the reunion of Viola and Sebastian and the engagement of Viola and Orsino, Malvolio’s subplot ends less happily, suggesting that some acts of performance are permissible (those having to do with gender, sexuality, and romance) and others are not (those having to do with class, status, and station).
Clothing and Costume
Costuming would have been an essential part of any performance during Shakespeare’s time. Because all the actors were male, dress was an important part of a character’s gender presentation on the stage. The text of Twelfth Night reflects this. Clothing and costume are of great importance in representing identity and abetting the play’s themes of performance and identity.
Viola disguises herself as Cesario primarily through clothing; when she reveals herself as Viola, she specifically refers to her disguise as her “masculine usurped attire” (V.1.262), and they discuss the importance of fetching back her “maid’s garments” that the ship captain still holds (V.1.288). Olivia also uses a black veil to disguise herself when Cesario first arrives at her estate, and Feste the Fool disguises himself as Toby by donning a costume of a gown and beard (IV.2.1).
Though not a disguise—but still part of a deceitful act—clothing is also a key part of Maria and Toby’s prank on Malvolio, as her letter directs him to wear yellow cross-gartered stockings. “He will come to [Olivia] in yellow stockings, and ‘tis a color she abhors, and cross-gartered, a fashion she detests,” Maria explains about the clothing choice (II.5.203-204). The yellow stockings, Malvolio believes, are a way of associating himself with a higher class in life (and thus a new identity)—though they look foolish on him and convince Olivia that he has lost his mind.
At the play’s end, Orsino tells Viola that he still views her as the male Cesario while she is in male clothing. “Cesario, come, / For so you shall be while you are a man,” he says. “But when in other habits you are seen, / Orsino’s mistress, and his fancy’s queen” (V.I.408-411). Orsino’s refusal to regard Viola as herself when she is still wearing Cesario’s clothes is not a reproof or a reprimand—rather, it shows that Orsino has found a way to be to still enjoy Cesario’s company and companionship in addition to Viola’s.
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