Twelfth Night: Abridged and Illustrated

By William Shakespeare

Stocked with inventive and witty dialogues, Twelfth Night is a tale of twin siblings separated by a shipwreck and stuck in a farcical world, upholding mistaken identities. Shakespeare' s writing inspires young minds to contemplate concepts represented by the comic interplay of wise characters, emotional conflicts, and fatal realities. The tale has been retold using simple language and beautiful illustrations to make it easier for the kids to grasp and enjoy. The book also has interesting, application-based and memory-based questions, along with an introduction to the themes in the story for better understanding.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wonder House Books
• Release date: Nov 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9789390093885

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, on England’s Avon River. When he was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. The couple had three children—an older daughter Susanna and twins, Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, Shakespeare’s only son, died in childhood. The bulk of Shakespeare’s working life was spent in the theater world of London, where he established himself professionally by the early 1590s. He enjoyed success not only as a playwright and poet, but also as an actor and shareholder in an acting company. Although some think that sometime between 1610 and 1613 Shakespeare retired from the theater and returned home to Stratford, where he died in 1616, others believe that he may have continued to work in London until close to his death.

Book preview

"

Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.

"

― Fool, A

ct

I, S

cene

5

In the beautiful kingdom of Illyria, every morning was filled with the chirping of birds and soothing music.

The Duke of Illyria, Orsino, was a tall and handsome nobleman. Loved and adored by everyone, the Duke would get a lot of marriage proposals from beautiful girls in his kingdom. However, he was madly in love with Lady Olivia, who was one of the most beautiful and affluent ladies in all of Illyria. Being shy at heart, Orsino barely expressed his love for Olivia­­­­—except when he listened to sad songs.

One morning, Orsino was lazing around listening to the musicians playing in his court. Just like every other day, he sent his attendant, Valentine, to convince Lady Olivia to accept his proposal. The attendant came back with bad news, as usual. Lady Olivia was mourning the loss of her brother and refused to even show her face to anyone for the next few years.

Far away from Orsino’s palace, a storm was raging in the sea. It disturbed the peace of Illyria.

Viola, a young noblewoman, was on a voyage with her twin brother, Sebastian, when the storm hit their ship. Soon, they were shipwrecked, and were washed ashore. Seemingly, only Viola, the captain, and a few sailors had survived the storm.

As soon as they gained consciousness, Viola asked the captain where they were. The captain replied, We are in Illyria, my lady!

Viola asked, Captain, what should I do here? My brother might be dead. What if he could not survive the storm?

She started mourning for her brother. The captain consoled her. Sweet lady, I saw your brother climbing the broken mast of the ship. I am sure he is safe now. Don’t worry.

Viola regained her composure and gave some coins to the captain as a reward for predicting such good news. The captain further told her that he knew the land of Illyria quite well as he was born on a nearby island. You can seek help from Duke Orsino of Illyria.

Viola replied, Orsino! Hmm… I think I have heard this name before. Long back, my father told me about Orsino. Tell me, is he still a bachelor?

The captain confirmed that he was. Viola asked the captain, Does he love someone?

Yes, it is rumoured that Duke Orsino loves Lady Olivia. But the lady refuses to accept his proposal as she is in mourning for her dead brother.

Viola felt sad for Lady Olivia and empathised with her. She expressed her desire to work for Olivia. The captain informed her that Olivia was living in isolation and wouldn’t welcome any strangers into her palace.

Viola thought for a moment. Then she said, Oh good captain, can you help me conceal my identity? I will proceed to the Duke’s palace and introduce myself to him as a eunuch. I will sing to him and entertain him. I’ll make him very happy. Help me with the disguise, please captain.

The captain agreed to help Viola with her disguise and promised to keep