Friday, December 31, 2010

Is the title of "Twelfth Night" related to the theme of the play?

This question has actually been in answered in a full length book by Dr. Leslie Hotson, 'The First Night of Twelfth Night' (1954). Dr. Hotson argues that Twelfth Night is the 'working title' of the play, as the play was written to be performed on Twelfth Night (that is Epiphany - the twelfth day of Christmas - and a day of huge festivity in Elizabethan times) at the court of Queen Elizabeth.

It is difficult to find any evidence within the body of the play itself that explains or even hints at the reason for calling it 'Twelfth Night' otherwise. Scholars, prompted by Dr. Hotson, largely agree now that its subtitle, 'What You Will' (meaning 'Whatever you like', or 'What you wish for') was probably the title it was known by in Shakespeare's day.

'What you will' fits far better with the theme within the play of wishing for something to happen (Viola wishes for Sebastian to be alive, Malvolio for Olivia's love, Orsino for Olivia's love, Maria for Toby's love... and so on) - it also makes far more sense within the pattern of some of Shakespeare's other comedy titles: 'As You Like It', 'Much Ado About Nothing', and 'All's Well That Ends Well'.

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