Twelfth Night

(or What You Will)

Abridged Version

Aparna Dwivedi, Saanvi Singh and Shruti Yadav

GRADE- IX
School- Seth Anandram Jaipuria School
Character List :

1. Viola/Cesario-Saanvi
2. Duke Orsino-Aparna
3. Olivia-Shruti
4. Sebastian- Diivit
5. Malvolio-Kashvi
6. Fabian-Shreeja
7. Maria-Mugdha
8. Sir Toby Belch-Anjali
9. Sir Andrew Aguecheek-Romen
10. Feste-Shivanshu
11. Antonio-Vedika

Added Characters:

1. Narrator 1
2. Narrator 2
Narrator 1: The play begins with Duke of Illyria, Orsino,
pining for the love of the Countess Olivia.

ACT 1 SCENE 1

(Music is playing. Enter Duke Orsino, Curio, and other

Lords.)

Duke: 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.

Curio: Will you go, hunt the hart my lord?

Duke: Why so I do, the noblest that I have. O when

mine eyes did see Olivia first that instant was I turned
into a hart.

(Enter Valentine.)

Valentine: I might not be admitted, But from her

handmaid I return this answer: The element itself, till
seven years’ heat, Shall not behold her face at ample
view. But like a cloistress she will veilèd walk, And water
once a day her chamber round With eye-offending brine.
Duke: O she that hath a heart of that fine frame To pay
this debt of love but to a brother, How will she love,
when the rich golden shaft Hath killed the flock of all
affections else That live in her?

(They all exit.)

ACT 1 SCENE 2

Narrator 1: On the seacoast Viola has confirmation that

she also has lost a brother, her twin Sebastian. Now in
Illyria, she learns from a sea captain that the Duke
Orsino is the ruler of the country and—an important
piece of information dropped into the conversation—that
he is a bachelor who loves Olivia. Viola decides that she
wants to serve as a page to the Countess. When the
captain makes it clear that Olivia is in seclusion, Viola
decides to disguise herself as a man and seek to serve
as a page in Orsino’s court.

ACT 1 SCENE 3

Narrator 2: The action shifts to Olivia’s home, where we

meet her uncle,Sir Toby Belch.

(Enter Sir Toby and Maria)

Sir Toby: What a plague means my niece to take the

death of her brother thus?
Maria: Your cousin, my lady, takes great exceptions to
your ill hours.You must confine yourself within the
modest limits of order.

Sir Toby: These clothes are good enough to drink in.

Maria: That quaffing and drinking will undo you along

with that prodigal mate of yours.

Sir Toby: Who,Sir Andrew Augcheek! He plays o’ th’

viol-de-gamboys, and speaks three or four languages
word for word without book.

Maria: Whatever you say.

(Enter Sir Andrew.)

Sir Andrew: How now, Sir Toby Belch?

Sir Toby: Sweet Sir Andrew.

Sir Andrew [To Maria.]: Bless you fair shrew.

Sir Andrew [To Sir Toby.]: What’s that?

Sir Toby [To Sir Andrew.]: My niece’s chambermaid.

Narrator 2: In the foolishness that follows, Sir Toby
persuades Sir Andrew to continue seeking the hand of
Olivia, and each of them in slightly different ways show
that they mostly love parties and festivities.

(They all exit.)

ACT 1 SCENE 4

Narrator 1: The play moves quickly ahead, as Viola

enters, now dressed as a page and using the name
Cesario. Viola as Cesario has become a favourite of the
Duke Orsino.

(Duke and Cesario enter.)

Cesario (Viola): Say I do speak with her my lord, what

then?
Orsino: O then, unfold the passion of my love, Surprise
her with discourse of my dear faith.
Cesario (Viola): I’ll do my best To woo your lady.
[Aside.] Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife!

(They all exit.)

ACT 1 SCENE 5
Narrator 1: Back at Olivia’s we meet Feste, the Clown,
who will, from time to time, comment ironically on the
characters and action; and Malvolio, the head of Olivia’s
household a grumpy person.

[Enter Olivia,Feste and Malvolio.]

Olivia: Take the Fool away.

Feste: Do you not hear, fellows? Take away the Lady.

Olivia: Go away, you’re a dry Fool.

Olivia: What think you of this Fool, Malvolio? Doth he

not mend?

Malvolio: Yes, and shall do till the pangs of death shake

him.

[Enter Maria.]

Maria: Madam, at the gate a young gentleman much

desires to speak with you.

Olivia: What’s a drunken man like, Fool?

Sir Toby: There’s one at the gate.

Feste Like a drowned man, a fool, and a madman.

Malvolio: Madam, a young fellow swears he will speak
with you.

Olivia: Let him approach.

Maria: Will you hoist sail sir?

Cesario(Viola): I am a messenger.

Narrator 2: After Viola unsuccessfully represents

Orsino’s love and leaves, the Countess discovers that
she is falling in love with—not the Duke—but Viola as
Cesario and sends Malvolio to carry a ring to Viola and
ask her to return the next day.

ACT 2 SCENE 1

Narrator 2: Back on the sea coast, Viola’s twin brother,

Sebastian, who has re-named himself Roderigo,
considers himself cursed to suffer more bad luck, and
sets off for Orsino’s court with Antonio, a sea captain.

[Enter Antonio and Sebastian]

Antonio: Will you stay no longer?

Sebastian: No,my stars shine darkly over me.I

may bear my evils alone. My name is Sebastian, which I
called Roderigo. My father was that Sebastian of
Messaline whom I know you have heard of.

Antonio: Alas!

ACT 2 SCENE 2

(Enter Cesario (Viola disguised as a man), and Malvolio,

at different doors.)

Malvolio: Were you even now with the Countess Olivia?

Caesrio(Viola): Even now sir. On a moderate pace I

have since arrived but hither.

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. [Throwing
down the ring.]

[He exits.]

Cesario(Viola): She made good view of me.She loves

me sure! Poor lady, she were better love a dream.My
master loves her dearly.What will become of this?
 [She exits]

ACT 2 SCENE 3

(Enter Sir Toby and Sir Andrew.)

Sir Toby: Let us eat and drink. Maria, I

say, a stoup of wine!

Narrator 2: Back at Olivia’s, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and

Feste wander in after midnight still deep in partying.

(Enter Maria)

Maria: What caterwauling do you keep here!

Sir Toby: [Singing.]

Maria: For the love of God, peace!

(Enter Malvolio)

Malvolio: Have you no wit, manners, nor honesty, but to

gabble like tinkers at this time of night?

Sir Toby: Sneck Up!

Malvolio: Mistress Mary, if you prized my lady’s
favour.She shall know of it, by this hand.

(He Exits)

Maria: Go shake your ears!

(She Exits)

Sir Toby: Let’s go to bed now.

(They Exit)

ACT 2 Scene 4

(Enter Orsino, Cesario (Viola in disguise), Curio, and

others.)

Narrator 1:Back at the Duke’s, Viola delivers the

rejection from Olivia to the Duke. The two discuss love,
its pain and joy; and Viola shares her own sadness,
pretending it is the story of her sister. The scene ends,
with the Duke sending Viola back to Olivia with a jewel
and a new message of love.

(All except Orsino and Viola exit.)

Orsino: Once more, Cesario,tell her my love.

Cesario(Viola): You cannot love her.

Orsino: Make no compare, I owe Olivia.

Viola: So what shall I say?

Orsino: [Handing her a jewel.] Give her this jewel. Say

‘My love can give no place, bide no denay.’

ACT 2 SCENE 5

Narrator 1: Having given the plot against Malvolio a

chance to develop, Maria drops the forged letter in
Olivia’s garden, where Malvolio is bound to find it.
Malvolio then enters and, as Sir Toby and Sir Andrew
listen, talks of how things would be if he married Olivia,
whom, we discover, he already suspects is in love with
him. He finds the letter and reads it aloud. Completely
taken in, he leaves, having resolved to smile and smile
as the forged letter suggests he should and dress in a
fashion the letter praises but, in fact, Olivia dislikes.