Twelfth Night
Will Tosh on the Hidden Queer Lives of William Shakespeare
Scholar Will Tosh explores the hidden queer lives in Shakespeare’s works, revealing how early modern gender fluidity and same-sex desire influenced the Bard’s plays and characters.
Sebastian and Antonio's hidden queer lives
In an excerpt from Straight Acting: The Hidden Queer Lives of William Shakespeare, Will Tosh uses lines from Twelfth Night to trace Sebastian and Antonio’s relationship.
Judi Dench's take on Viola in Shakespeare's Twelth Night
What’s going through Viola’s head as she woos Olivia on Orsino’s behalf? Dame Judi Dench reflects on this key scene in this excerpt from her newly published book.
5 things to look for when you watch Twelfth Night
We ask a few of our favorite Shakespeareans what you should keep an eye out for when you watch Twelfth Night.
Order It: "If music be the food of love" from Twelfth Night
“If music be the food of love, play on.” Take this quiz to see if you can correctly order the lines of the opening speech of Twelfth Night, with its memorable reference to a bank of violets.
ENCORES: ‘Shakespeare’s Virtues’ Lecture by Julia Reinhard Lupton (2018)
Folger Public Programs is pleased to present ENCORES, a weekly online series highlighting past performances and recalling the rich history of programming on the historic Folger stage. See an excerpt of Julia Reinhard Lupton’s lecture “Shakespeare’s Virtues,” the 2018 Shakespeare…
ENCORES: ‘Twelfth Night’ produced by Folger Theatre (2013)
Folger Public Programs presents ENCORES, a weekly online series highlighting past performances and recalling the rich history of programming on the historic Folger stage. See a clip of ‘Twelfth Night’ from Folger Theatre’s 2013 production.
Twelfth Night: The Hamlet of the comedies
Austin Tichenor suggests that “Twelfth Night” is the “Hamlet” of the comedies, dealing with loss, separation, and death and using some surprisingly similar elements — but in a far happier way.
Shakespeare, improvisation, and the art of rhetoric
Shakespeare characters like Viola and Iago are masters of improvisation, says Folger Director Michael Witmore in this excerpt from the 2017 Shakespeare’s Birthday Lecture.
A recipe for Twelfth Night cake
Park’s Shakspearean Twelfth-Night Characters. Handcolored print, ca. 1830. Folger Shakespeare Library. Twelfth Night is a Christian holiday typically celebrated on January 5 or 6, concluding the 12 days of Christmas and celebrating the visit of the Magi (the three kings). Twelfth…
A beautiful Twelfth Night
Folger Finds delivers delightful and insightful moments with the Folger collection. Sarah Hovde, a cataloger at the Folger Shakespeare Library, reveals a 1932 edition of Twelfth Night with beautiful engravings by Eric Ravilious. Twelfth Night, the last of the twelve…