Twelfth Night - Characters - CCEA

The characters in Twelfth Night can be divided into different groups:

Nobility

• Orsino – Duke of Illyria
• Olivia – A wealthy countess
• Viola – A noblewoman shipwrecked in Illyria; disguises herself as Cesario
• Sebastian – Viola’s twin brother

Lower gentry

• Sir Toby Belch – Olivia’s uncle
• Sir Andrew Aguecheek – A foolish knight

Courtly servants

• Maria – Olivia’s gentlewoman
• Malvolio – Olivia’s steward
• Feste – Olivia’s licensed fool
• Fabian – A servant in Olivia’s household
• Curio – One of Orsino’s attendants
• Valentine – Another of Orsino’s attendants

Lower‑class characters

• The Captain – Helps Viola after the shipwreck
• Other servants, attendants and officers

Duke Orsino rules Illyria and is strongly associated with love and emotion…

Words to describe Duke Orsino

• Romantic
• Melancholic
• Self indulgent
• Passionate
• Idealistic
• Musical
• Changeable
• Reflective
• Privileged
• Indecisive

Key quotations for Duke Orsino

Orsino indulging in the excess of his own romantic melancholy:
“If music be the food of love, play on.”
(Act 1, Scene 1)
This opens the play as Orsino luxuriates in his unrequited love for Olivia. It highlights his self‑dramatising, indulgent approach to love, establishing him as a character driven more by emotion than action.

Orsino praising Cesario/Viola’s emotional sensitivity:
“Diana’s lip / Is not more smooth and rubious…”
(Act 1, Scene 4)
Orsino describes Cesario’s youthful beauty while explaining why he trusts ‘him’ to woo Olivia on his behalf. This moment foreshadows Orsino’s growing attraction to Viola beneath her disguise and reveals his fluid, idealised view of love.

Orsino reacting with jealousy and possessiveness when he believes Cesario has betrayed him:
“I’ll sacrifice the lamb that I do love, / To spite a raven’s heart within a dove.”
(Act 5, Scene 1)
Orsino lashes out when he thinks Cesario has married Olivia, threatening violence in a moment of emotional turmoil. This exposes the volatility beneath his romantic persona and shows how quickly his love can turn to anger, setting the stage for his eventual recognition of Viola.

Olivia is a wealthy countess…

Words to describe Olivia

• Independent
• Wealthy
• Passionate
• Impulsive
• Proud
• Assertive
• Emotional
• Romantic
• Deceptive
• Vulnerable

Key quotations for Olivia

Olivia rejecting Orsino’s courtship and asserting her independence:
“I cannot love him: let him send no more…”
(Act 1, Scene 5)
Olivia firmly tells Viola (as Cesario) that she will not return Orsino’s love. This shows her strength of will and her refusal to be controlled by others’ expectations.

Olivia falling instantly in love with Cesario:
“Even so quickly may one catch the plague?”
(Act 1, Scene 5)
After Viola leaves, Olivia admits to herself how suddenly she has fallen for Cesario. This reveals her impulsive, passionate nature and sets up the play’s central love‑triangle confusion.

Olivia joyfully accepting what she believes is Cesario’s love:
“Blame not this haste of mine.”
(Act 4, Scene 1)
Olivia urges Sebastian (mistaking him for Cesario) to marry her without delay. This highlights her decisiveness in love and contributes to the comic chaos of mistaken identity.

Viola is a noblewoman who disguises herself as man (Cesario) to help her survive when shipwrecked…

Words to describe Viola/Cesario

• Resourceful
• Intelligent
• Loyal
• Disguised
• Compassionate
• Perceptive
• Patient
• Courageous
• Adaptable
• Self controlled

Key quotations for Viola/Cesario

Viola deciding to disguise herself for safety in Illyria:
“Conceal me what I am…”
(Act 1, Scene 2)
Viola asks the Captain to help her hide her identity by dressing as a man. This establishes her resourcefulness and sets up the central dramatic irony of the play.

Viola admitting her secret love for Orsino while speaking to him as Cesario:
“Yet a barful strife! / Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife.”
(Act 1, Scene 4)
After Orsino sends Cesario to woo Olivia, Viola reveals her private feelings. This highlights the emotional tension created by her disguise and deepens the audience’s sympathy for her.

Viola trying to explain her impossible situation to Olivia without revealing her identity:
“I am not what I am.”
(Act 3, Scene 1)
Olivia declares her love for Cesario, and Viola hints at the truth she cannot openly share. This line captures the play’s themes of disguise, identity and mistaken love.

Malvolio is Olivia’s steward…

Words to describe Malvolio

• Ambitious
• Self important
• Rigid
• Controlling
• Proud
• Gullible
• Humiliated
• Isolated
• Serious
• Resentful

Key quotations for Malvolio

Malvolio scolding the household for their late‑night revelry:
“My masters, are you mad? or what are you? Have you no wit, manners, nor honesty…?”
(Act 2, Scene 3)
Malvolio interrupts Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Feste as they drink and sing loudly. This shows his self‑righteous, puritanical nature and explains why the others later target him for humiliation.

Malvolio imagining the power he would have if he married Olivia:
“To be Count Malvolio!”
(Act 2, Scene 5)
Spying on what he believes is Olivia’s letter, Malvolio fantasises about rising above his social position. This reveals his ambition and vanity, making him an easy victim for Maria’s trick.

Malvolio vowing revenge after his imprisonment and humiliation:
“I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you!”
(Act 5, Scene 1)
After being released from the dark room, Malvolio storms out in fury. This highlights the cruelty of the prank and leaves the audience questioning whether the comedy has gone too far.