Twelfth Night (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)
At a glance:
- Author: William Shakespeare
- First Published: 1623
- Type of Work: Drama
- Type of Plot: Comedy
- Time of Work: Sixteenth century
- Genres: Drama, Comedy
- Subjects: Love or romance, Marriage, Mistaken or secret identity, Servants, Shipwrecks, Sixteenth century
- Locales: Adriatic Sea, Illyria (fictive)
Places Discussed
*Illyria. Region on the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, between Italy and Greece. Its history is marked by waves of conquering invaders, from early Slavs to Ottoman Turks. In William Shakespeare’s time, Illyria—still part of the Ottoman Empire—was a group of city-states controlled by Venice. In the play, Illyria is distinctly Italianate, making for an atmosphere that is congenial to romance, with the seacoast providing an apt setting for plot conveniences of shipwreck, separated twins (Viola and Sebastian), and exotic adventures. At Illyria, fantasies and...
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