Twelfth Night or What You Will

Twelfth Night or What You Will is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Nights entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola (who is disguised as Cesario) falls in love with Duke Orsino who in turn is in love with Countess Olivia. Upon meeting Viola Countess Olivia falls in love with her thinking she is a man.The play expanded on the musical interludes and riotous disorder expected of the occasion with plot elements drawn from the short story Of Apollonius and Silla by Barnabe Rich based on a story by Matteo Bandello. The first recorded public performance was on 2 February 1602 at Candlemas the formal end of Christmastide in the years calendar. The play was not published until its inclusion in the 1623 First Folio.