Title: Twelfth Night or What You Will

Author: William Shakespeare

Genre: Classic Plays

Pages: 92

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Shakespeare; Book2Movies

Play

I've always been a fan of Twelfth Night.  I am going to say it's because of the mistaken identify.  I love the interplay between the characters and their identities.  Viola is an amazing female character for Shakespeare.  I feel for her.  I understand her.  I admire her wit and intelligence.  I may say that she is my favorite of Shakespeare's women.  The best scenes are the interplay between her and the Lady Olivia.  We see this great back and forth of wits.  With my love of characters, I do have a few issues with the play.  What happens to Malvolio?  How does Olivia feel about marrying Cesario's (Viola's) dead brother mistakenly?  I might have some issues with the consequences.  I also have an issue with the unresolved Clown.  What happen's after?  It seems that Shakespeare ended the play a bit too early.

Extra fun note curtesy of IMDB: The play was referenced in the movie V For Vendetta. The character V quotes: "Conceal me what I am, and be my aid...for such disguise as haply shall become the form of my intent" as he's dancing with Evey.

Movie Adaptation -- 1988 Kenneth Branagh directed production

This isn't a movie adaptation, it's a filmed stage production.  I love that the audience gets the feel of being in the theater.  However, I do not love the set design.  Everything is gray and white and a barren graveyard.  I just so not a fan of the stark set.  A bit more color would have been nice.  Plus, the clown was very tiring and his hair just distracted me.  It was an interesting adaptation, but not my favorite (and definitely not my favorite Branagh Shakespeare.  I much prefer Much Ado About Nothing or Othello.