Twelfth Night - Arden Shakespeare : Second Series - Paperback (Arden Shakespeare)

Rating:
Summary: A warm and delightful comedy - great edition
Review: To call this a good natured comedy would be true as far as that goes, but would work against convincing you about its many delights. It is indeed full of many preposterous situations, which are tied into a converging and almost insane plot.

Let me give the broad strokes of the plot. Duke Osrino is infatuated by Countess Olivia who wants nothing to do with him. Viola and Sebastian are twins who are separated in a shipwreck that has happened before the play began. Both are alive, but think the other dead. Viola sees the Duke and is attracted to him and wants to win him over, but cannot approach him as a woman from her station in life. So, she dresses as a man, Cesario, and offers her (his) services to the Duke. He is taken with this young man and uses him as a go between to help him win Olivia's heart.

When Cesario (Viola) approaches Countess Olivia, she dismisses the Duke's entreaties, but is taken with Cesario. She finds reasons to have Cesario return several times without furthering the Duke's intentions.

Malvolio, one of the Countess's stewards, is taken with her and flatters himself that she is interested in him despite his lowly station. Others in the Countess's entourage note this and forge a letter from Countess Olivia that expresses interest and asks him to dress in cross-gartered yellow stockings (which was, apparently, a ridiculous form of dress in the time of the play). He does and becomes the object of even more ridicule.

Viola's twin-brother, Sebastian, comes to town with the sea captain who had saved him, Antonio. In one of the several duels or near duels in the play, Viola as Cesario is being put upon by one of the play's foolish characters. Antonio steps in to save Sebastian, but it is really Viola as Cesario. In the meantime Sebastian has met Countess Olivia who takes him for Cesario. She is so smitten she makes a direct proposal of marriage to Sebastian (assuming he is Cesario). He, for some reason unknown to us, is so smitten upon meeting Olivia he accepts and they make an agreement to marry in front of a Priest.

Anyway, you get the idea and can assume that all is finally revealed and there is a happy ending for everyone, except poor Malvolio. And this summary says nothing of the delightful Clown, Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Fabian, or Maria.

This wonderful edition also has a wonderful opening essay (half the book), on the play's origins, textual problems, performance history, and performance issues. The appendices also include the likely source story for the play and the music for the songs sung in the play. There are also the usually wonderful textual helps and notes.

Fine edition of a wonderful play.