Twelfth Night

Main Ideas

• Love and its diversity: the play explores various forms of love, including romantic, platonic, and sibling love, along with their complex and often comedic manifestations.
• Gender roles and disguise: a central theme of the play involves Viola's disguise as a man, leading to confusion and an exploration of gender roles and identity.
• Illusion and reality: Shakespeare plays with the idea of illusion, showing how characters are deceived by appearances and their own misconceptions.
• Social classes and ambitions: the play touches on issues of social status and ambition, particularly through the character of Malvolio, who seeks to climb the social ladder.
• Comedy of errors: numerous misunderstandings and coincidences create comedic situations, highlighting the theme of human folly and chance.