Penguin Classics : Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

'If music be the food of love, play on,

Give me excess of it'

 

Separated from her twin brother Sebastian after a shipwreck, Viola disguises herself as a boy to serve the Duke Orsino. Wooing a countess on his behalf, she is stunned to find herself the object of her affections. Amorous intrigues, practical jokes, sexual confusion and riotous disorder ensue in this lyrical, hugely popular romantic comedy, which shows both the delights and the perils of desire.

 

Used and Recommended by the National Theatre

 

General Editor Stanley Wells

Edited by M. M. Mahood

Introduction by Michael Dobson