Summary
After a shipwreck separates twins Viola and Sebastian, Viola washes ashore in the land of Illyria, believing her brother to be dead. To survive, she disguises herself as a young man named Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino.
Orsino sends "Cesario" to woo the noble Lady Olivia on his behalf—but Olivia falls in love with the charming messenger instead.
Meanwhile, Viola has fallen for Orsino, creating a tangled love triangle of misplaced identities and unspoken desires.
Add in a prank on Olivia’s pompous steward Malvolio, a drunken uncle (Sir Toby Belch), a foolish suitor (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), and the clever maid Maria, and Illyria becomes a swirling carnival of love, laughter, and mistaken identity.
When Sebastian arrives—very much alive—the chaos reaches its height before all is revealed in one of Shakespeare’s most joyful and satisfying endings.