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Introduction
Twelfth Night or What You Will A comedy by Shakespeare probably written 1601; it
was first printed in the *folio of 1623. Shakespeare’s immediate source for the
main plot was ‘The History of Apolonius and Silla’ in Barnaby *Rich’s Riche his
Farewell to Military Profession (1581). The play is set in Illyria
and a pub named “The elephant”.
The play’s gentle melancholy and lyrical atmosphere is captured in two of Feste’s songs ‘Come away, come away, death’ and
When that I was and a little tiny boy,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain.
Important Quotes from Twelfth Night
1“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
2. “If
music be the food of love, Play on,
Give me
excess of it; that surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.”
3.
“Journeys end in lovers meeting,
Every wise man’s doth know.”
4.
“Dost, thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and
ale?”
Note:
The title of Somerset Mugham’s novel “Cakes and Ale” (1930) has been taken from
this line.
5. “By innocence I swear, and my youth, I have
one heart, one bosom and one truth. And that no woman has, nor never none
shall mistress be of it, save I alone. And so adieu, good madam; never more
will I my master’s tears to you deplore.”
6. M.O.A.I – These alphabets appears on the
forged letter of Olivia made by Maria for Malvolio. Malvolio thinks it to
be his own name.
