Act 1 (Scene 1)

NARRATOR

Our story begins with Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, expressing his deep love and infatuation with
Countess Olivia in front of his servant. He's pining for her, but she's not interested.

Duke ORSINO

If music be the food of love, play on!

Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,

The appetite may sicken, and so die.

That strain again! it had a dying fall:

O, it came o’er my ear like the sweet sound,

That breathes upon a bank of violets,

Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more!

‘Tis not so sweet now as it was before.

O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou.

(Calling out.)

Who saw Cesario?!

Act 1 (Scene 2)

NARRATOR
On the other side, two identical twins, Viola (a young woman) and Sebastian (a Young man) are
separated at sea when a violent storm destroys their ship. But as fate would have it, they both survive
and wash up on the shore of an island, called: Illyria. However, they wash up on different sides of the
island and each think that the other was killed in the storm. See you soon, Sebastian! We will get to
know Viola first…

Viola- What a terrible shipwreck!!!

Sailor- That was awful!!! Is everyone ok?

Viola- Oh my poor-

Sailors- Groan

Viola- Oh my poor-

Sailors- Groan

Viola- Oh my poor-

Sailors- Groan
Viola- WILL YOU BE QUIET!!!

Sailor- Sorry!

Viola- Oh my poor twin brother Sebastian may have drowned, Captain, do you think there’s any chance
he made it?

Captain- Could be Viola, let’s stay optimistic

Viola- Where are we?

Captain- This is Illyria my Lady, ruled by the noble Duke Orsino.

Viola- I heard my father name him; he then was bachelor hearing he was single… and cute!

Captain- Yes but he is in love with the fair Olivia

Viola- Hey! I’m going to disguise myself like a man and serve this duke, he’ll like me because I’m a really
good singer ‘I came in like a wrecking ball, mumble mumble’

Sailors- Groan

Captain- Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Stop! Do me a favour, don’t sing… just stick to the disguise thing, trust
me.

In order to make enough money to get back home, she borrows men’s clothing from a sea
captain (perhaps indicates himself) and works as a “page-boy” for Duke Orsino, the most powerful
man in Illyria…

(Enter VIOLA. She goes to Orsino, and he cries on her shoulder as the NARRATOR speaks.)

NARRATOR

Viola, at Count Orsino’s palace, is now disguised as a boy named Cesario. Orsino arrives and tells
'Cesario' to go and talk to Olivia for him. He tells 'Cesario' not to take no for an answer. By this way,
Viola quickly becomes his favorite worker and confidant. So, he gives her the all-important task of
delivering a fancy love letter to a beautiful duchess, named Olivia…

Duke Orsino

Cesario, thou know’st no less but all; I have un-clasp’d

To thee the book even of my secret soul:

Therefore, good youth, address thy gait unto her;

Be not denied access, stand at her doors,

And tell them, there thy fix-ed foot shall grow

'Cesario' reluctantly agrees, but Viola shares with the audience her own love for Orsino,

‘Yet, a barful strife!

Who’er I woo, myself would be his wife’.

Act 1 (Scene 3)

Add that at Olivia’s house, Sir Toby Belch (Olivia's uncle) indulges in drinking and convinces Sir Andrew
Aguecheek, a foolish knight, to pursue Olivia despite her disinterest.

Act 1 (Scene 4)
Olivia’s house.

(NARRATOR takes center stage and addresses the audience. OLIVIA stays off to one side, kneeling and
praying, as if in front of two grave headstones; she is in black mourning clothes, perhaps with a veil
over her face.)

NARRATOR
Olivia has vowed a life of private mourning for seven years, because within the past year, both her
father and her brother have died. But the arrival of this dashing and witty “page-boy” named Cesario
sends Olivia and her court of characters into quite a stir!

(Exit NARRATOR. Enter SIR TOBY BELCH, stumbling; the court jester, FESTE; the court maid, Maria lead
him. SIR TOBY is drunk.)

Lady Olivia

By my honour, half drunk. What’s he is at the gate, uncle?

SIR TOBY BELCH (Burping.)

Madam, there is at the gate a young gentleman much desires to speak with you.

Lady OLIVIA
What gentleman?

SIR TOBY BELCH

Let him be the devil, I care not!

(Exits, stumbling.)

Lady OLIVIA
What’s a drunken man like, fool?

(Enter MALVOLIO, Olivia’s stuffy, no-fun steward.)

MALVOLIO
Madam, yond young fellow swears he will speak with
you. I told him you were sick; he takes on him to
understand so much, and therefore comes to speak
with you. I told him you were asleep; he seems to
have a foreknowledge of that too,and therefore
comes to speak with you. What is to be said to him, lady?

Lady OLIVIA
Tell him he shall not speak with me.

MALVOLIO
Has been told so; and he says, he’ll stand at your
door like a sheriff’s post, and be the supporter to
a bench, but he’ll speak with you.

Lady OLIVIA
Hmm… Let him approach: call in my gentlewoman.

(Enter MARIA, a head attendant. She’s a spicy meatball.)

Lady OLIVIA
We’ll once more hear Orsino’s embassy.
(Maria puts a veil over Olivia’s face, and both stand side-by-side.
Enter VIOLA, as Cesario, of course.)

VIOLA (dressed as Cesaro)

The honourable lady of the house, which is she?

Lady OLIVIA
Speak to me; I shall answer for her.
Your will?

VIOLA (dressed as Cesaro)

(Reciting Orsino’s love letter from memory.)
“Most radiant, exquisite and unmatchable beauty,—”;

Lady OLIVIA
Come to what is important in your speech:
I forgive you the praise.

MARIA (Trying to shoo VIOLA back out the door.)

Will you hoist sail, sir? here lies your way.

VIOLA (dressed as Cesaro)

No, good swabber; I am to hull here a little
longer!

Lady OLIVIA (She is impressed by Viola’s sauciness.)

Speak your office.
VIOLA (dressed as Cesaro)
It alone concerns your ear.

Lady OLIVIA
Hmm… Give us the place alone: we will hear this divinity.
(Exit MARIA)

As their conversation proceeds, Olivia becomes more intrigued by 'Cesario' and agrees to speak to
'him' alone. 'Cesario' asks to see Olivia's face without the veil and she agrees saying

‘we will draw the curtain and show you the picture’.

'Cesario' accuses her of being ‘the cruellest she alive’ if she intends to ‘leave the world no copy’ of her
beauty by not marrying and having children.

Olivia jokes that she will leave a copy of her beauty in the form of a list and insists that, despite all
Orsino’s good qualities, ‘I cannot love him’.

'Cesario' says that if 'he' loved Olivia as Orsino does, ‘I would Make me a willow cabin at your gate’
and sing constantly of 'my' love.

Olivia is impressed. She sends 'Cesario' away but then confesses to the audience that she has fallen in
love with the messenger saying

‘Methinks I feel this youth’s perfections

With an invisible and subtle stealth

To creep in at mine eyes.’

She calls Malvolio to ‘Run after that same peevish messenger’ to return a ring to 'him', even though
'Cesario' left no ring with Olivia.

Act 2 (Scene 1)

Note: Add Sebastian’ survival…

Act 2 (Scene 2)

As 'Cesario' heads back to Orsino’s house, Malvolio catches up with 'him' and holds out the ring Olivia
gave him to return to 'Cesario'.

MALVOLIO

She returns this ring to you, sir: you might have

saved me my pains, to have taken it away yourself.
She adds, moreover, that you should put your lord
into a desperate assurance she will none of him:
and one thing more, that you be never so hardy to
come again in his affairs, unless it be to report
your lord's taking of this. Receive it so.

(but after Malvolio leaves, Viola tells the audience)

VIOLA

I left no ring with her: what means this lady?

Fortune forbid my outside have not charm'd her!
She made good view of me; indeed, so much,
That sure methought her eyes had lost her tongue,
For she did speak in starts distractedly.
She loves me, sure; the cunning of her passion

How will this fadge? my master loves her dearly;

And I, poor monster, fond as much on him;

Viola realizes that Olivia must have fallen in love with ‘Cesario’.

Act 2 (Scene 3)

It is after midnight and Sir Toby and Sir Andrew are drinking. Feste joins them and they ask him to sing:

‘there is sixpence for you. Let’s have a song’. (Feste sings a sad love song,)

[Sings]
O mistress mine, where are you roaming?
O, stay and hear; your true love's coming,
That can sing both high and low:
Trip no further, pretty sweeting;
Journeys end in lovers meeting,
Every wise man's son doth know.

they all sing a raucous catch until Maria interrupts, telling them to quieten down.

MALVIO then appears asking

My masters, are you mad? or what are you? Have ye

no wit, manners, nor honesty, but to gabble like
tinkers at this time of night? Do ye make an
alehouse of my lady's house? Is there no respect of place, persons, nor
time in you?

(The men continue to sing in defiance of Malvolio.)

Narrator
After he leaves, Sir Toby Belch, her servant, Maria, and Sir Toby's friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek hatch a
plan to embarrass and get rid of Malvolio. Sir Andrew also happens to be seeking the hand of Olivia.

Note: Add their intrigue…

Act 2 (Scene 4)

(DUKE ORSINO's palace.)

Enter DUKE ORSINO, VIOLA, His servant, and others

Narrator

Orsino calls for ‘That old and antic song we heard last night’ to be played. He sends his servant to fetch
Feste to sing the song and, meanwhile, talks to 'Cesario' about love.

Orsino. What kind of woman is't?

Viola. Of your complexion.

Orsino. She is not worth thee, then. What years, i' faith?

Viola. About your years, my lord.

Orsino:

"My boy, if you want your love to last, choose for you someone younger. Women are like roses - once
they've bloomed, they quickly lose their beauty."

Viola. But if she cannot love you, sir?

Orsino. I cannot be so answer'd.

Viola. Sooth, but you must.

Say that some lady, as perhaps there is,
Hath for your love a great a pang of heart
As you have for Olivia: you cannot love her;
You tell her so; must she not then be answer'd?

Orsino. There is no woman's sides

Can bide the beating of so strong a passion
As love doth give my heart; no woman's heart
So big, to hold so much; they lack retention
Alas, their love may be call'd appetite,
No motion of the liver, but the palate,
That suffer surfeit, cloyment and revolt;
But mine is all as hungry as the sea,
And can digest as much: make no compare
Between that love a woman can bear me
And that I owe Olivia.

Viola. Ay, but I know—

Orsino. What dost thou know?

Viola. Too well what love women to men may owe:

In faith, they are as true of heart as we.
My father had a daughter loved a man,
As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman,
I should your lordship.

Narrator

'Cesario' admits that 'his' eye ‘Hath stayed upon some favor that it loves’.

After listening to Feste’s song about unrequited love, Orsino tells 'Cesario' to go to Olivia again.

'Cesario' suggests he should accept Olivia’s answer that ‘she cannot love you’, as he would expect a
woman ‘as perhaps there is’ who loved him to accept his rejection. Orsino protests that no woman
could love with ‘so strong a passion’ as he can but 'Cesario' disagrees, saying

Viola: ‘My father had a daughter whom loved a man’, she never told of her great love and instead ‘sat
like patience on a monument, / Smiling at grief’.

Orsino is moved and thinks 'Cesario' is talking of a sister. As Orsino questions 'him' about who 'he'
loves, it is clear to the audience, but not to Orsino, that 'Cesario' is describing him.

Act 2 (Scene 5)

Add that Malvolio discovers Maria’s forged letter…and believes Olivia loves him…

Act 3

Scene 1: Cesario (Viola) meets Feste and then Olivia, who confesses her love for Cesario. Viola gently
rejects her while trying to maintain her disguise.

Scene 2: Sir Andrew, jealous of Cesario, decides to challenge him to a duel after being egged on by Sir
Toby.

Scene 3: Antonio gives Sebastian his purse for safekeeping and warns him about the dangers of Illyria.

Scene 4: Malvolio appears before Olivia, behaving bizarrely according to the letter’s instructions. Sir
Toby arranges for Cesario and Sir Andrew to duel, leading to a comic confrontation. Antonio
intervenes, mistaking Cesario for Sebastian, and is arrested.
 Act 4

Scene 1: Sebastian encounters Feste, Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew, who mistake him for Cesario. Olivia
rescues Sebastian, and he begins to fall for her.

Scene 2: Maria, Sir Toby, and Feste torment Malvolio further, locking him in a dark room and
pretending he is mad.

Scene 3: Sebastian, confused but delighted by Olivia's affection, agrees to marry her.

Scene 5

Scene 1: Ending unfolding scene should be added