Twelfth Night - Softcover

Shakespeare, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553213083 ISBN 13: 9780553213089

Publisher: Bantam Classics, 1988

Synopsis

Set in a topsy-turvy world like a holiday revel, this comedy devises a romantic plot around separated twins, misplaced passions, and mistaken identity. Juxtaposed to it is the satirical story of a self-deluded steward who dreams of becoming “Count Malvolio” only to receive his comeuppance at the hands of the merrymakers he wishes to suppress. The two plots combine to create a farce touched with melancholy, mixed throughout with seductively beautiful explorations on the themes of love and time, and the play ends, not with laughter, but with a clown’s sad song.

Each Edition Includes:
· Comprehensive explanatory notes
· Vivid introductions and the most up-to-date scholarship
· Clear, modernized spelling and punctuation, enabling contemporary readers to understand the Elizabethan English
· Completely updated, detailed bibliographies and performance histories
· An interpretive essay on film adaptations of the play, along with an extensive filmography

About this title

Book Description:

Using the complete, unabridged New Cambridge Shakespeare edition text of the play, this recording of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (available on cassette or CD) uses a full professional cast, sound effects and accompanying music. Starring Stella Gonet as Viola, with Christopher Godwin as Malvolio, Lucy Whybrow as Olivia, Jane Whittenshaw as Maria, Benjamin Soames as Sebastian and Adam Kotz as Antonio.

From the Back Cover:

A delightfully comic tale of mistaken identities, "Twelfth Night" revolves around the physical likeness between Sebastian and his twin sister, Viola, each of whom, when separated after a shipwreck, believes the other to be dead. The theatrical romp begins when Viola assumes the identity of Cesario, a page in the household of the Duke of Orsino. The Duke is enamored of the Countess Olivia, who spurns him for the newly arrived young page. The comical machinations of Malvolio, Sir Toby Belch, the maid Maria, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek add to the ensuing confusion all of which is pleasantly resolved when Viola and Sebastian meet once again. Filled with some of the finest comedic scenes in the English language, this entertaining masterpiece remains one of Shakespeare's most popular and most performed comedies."

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam Classics
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0553213083
• ISBN 13: 9780553213089
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256
• Editor: Bevington David, Kastan David Scott