Viola

Valentine, read by Nathaniel W.C. Higgins.

Viola, read by Elizabeth Klatt.

A Sea Captain, read by Alan Matchstone.

Sir Toby Belch, read by Bruce Peary.

Come, throw it o'er my face.

We'll once more hear Orsino's embassy.

Enter Viola and attendants.

The honourable lady of the house, which is she? Speak to me.

Spot on.

Viola is shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria, believes her twin brother Sebastian has drowned, and decides to don men's clothing to navigate a patriarchal society as a young man named Cesario.

And chaos ensues.

D- she enters the service of Duke Orsino, becomes entangled in a complex web of romantic misunderstandings, and has to constantly guard the secret of her gender identity while proving her competence in a man's world.

I am fascinated by the mechanics of this translation because the Illyrian royal court of the 1600s is so steeped in rigid etiquette and unspoken societal rules.

Very structured.

Taking Viola out of that court and putting her on a loud, muddy dirt bike track feels almost sacrilegious.

But does stripping away the royal court actually clarify the gender theory for a modern audience?

They really studied the roles.

Shakespeare wouldn't have written parts like Viola and Rosalind and Ophelia for people who couldn't act.

They were obviously very, very good, especially Cleopatra.

Imagine a young man playing Cleopatra.

And the only way a young woman could get away with anything was to get into male drag, to disguise herself as a man.

And then she had some authority.

That's like Rosalind does that, and Viola does it, and Portia does it, passes herself off as a judge.

It's only when they get into male costume that they have that authority.

left this ring behind him, she said, taking one from her finger.

tell him i will none of it malvolio did as he was bid and then viola who of course knew perfectly well that she had left no ring behind her saw with a woman's quickness that olivia loved her then she went back to the duke very sad at heart for her lover and for olivia and for herself It was but cold comfort she could give Orsino, who now sought to ease the pangs of despised love by listening to sweet music, while Cesario stood by his side.

"'Ah!' said the Duke to his page that night, "'you too have been in love.' "'A little,' answered Viola.

"'What kind of woman is it?' he asked.

"'Of your complexion,' she answered." what years of faith was his next question to this came the pretty answer about your years my lord too old by heaven cried the duke let still the woman take an elder than herself and viola very meekly said i think it well my lord by and by orsino begged cesaria once more to visit olivia and to plead his love-suit but she thinking to dissuade him said if some lady loved you as you love olivia ah that cannot be said the duke but i know viola went on what love woman may have for a man my father had a daughter loved a man as it might be she added blushing perhaps were i a woman i should love your lordship and what is her history he asked a blank my lord viola answered she never told her love but let concealment like a worm in the bud feed on her damask cheek she pined in thought and with a green and yellow melancholy she sat like patience on a monument smiling at grief was not this love indeed but died thy sister of her love my boy the duke asked and viola who had all the time been telling her own love for him in this pretty fashion said i am all the daughters my father has and all the brothers sir shall i go to the lady to her in haste said the duke at once forgetting all about the story and give her this jewel so viola went and this time poor olivia was unable to hide her love and openly confessed it with such passionate truth that viola left her hastily saying never more will i deplore my master's tears to you but in vowing this viola did not know the tender pity she would feel for others suffering so when olivia in the violence of her love sent a messenger praying cesario to visit her once more cesario had no heart to refuse the request but the favours which olivia bestowed upon this mere page aroused the jealousy of sir andrew aguecheek a foolish rejected lover of hers who at that time was staying at her house with her merry old uncle sir toby This same Sir Toby dearly loved a practical joke, and knowing Sir Andrew to be an arrant coward, he thought that if he could bring off a duel between him and Cesario, there would be brave sport indeed.

The poor page, in great terror, said, "'I will return again to the house.

I am no fighter.' back you shall not to the house said sir toby unless you fight me first and as he looked a very fierce old gentleman viola thought it best to await sir andrew's coming and when he at last made his appearance in a great fright if the truth had been known she tremblingly drew her sword and sir andrew in like fear followed her example happily for them both at this moment some officers of the court came on the scene and stopped the intended duel viola gladly made off with what speed she might while sir toby called after her a very paltry boy and more a coward than a hare now while these things were happening sebastian had escaped all the dangers of the deep and had landed safely in illyria where he determined to make his way to the duke's court on his way thither he passed olivia's house just as viola had left it in such a hurry and whom should he meet but sir andrew and sir toby sir andrew mistaking sebastian for the cowardly cesario took his courage in both hands and walking up to him struck him saying there's for you why there's for you and there and there said sebastian hitting back a great deal harder and again and again till sir toby came to the rescue of his friend sebastian however tore himself free from sir toby's clutches and drawing his sword would have fought them both but that olivia herself having heard of the quarrel came running in and with many reproaches sent sir toby and his friend away then turning to sebastian whom she too thought to be cesario she besought him with many a pretty speech to come into the house with her sebastian half dazed and all delighted with her beauty and grace readily consented and that very day so great was olivia's haste they were married before she had discovered that he was not cesario or sebastian was quite certain whether or not he was in a dream meanwhile orsino hearing how ill cesario sped with olivia visited her himself taking cesario with him olivia met them before her door and seeing as she thought her husband there reproached him for leaving her while to the duke she said that his suit was as fat and wholesome to her as howling after music still so cruel said orsino still so constant she answered then orsino's anger growing to cruelty he vowed that to be revenged on her he would kill cesario whom he knew she loved come boy he said to the page and viola following him as he moved away said ay to do you rest a thousand deaths would die a great fear took hold on olivia and she cried aloud cesario husband stay her husband asked the duke angrily no my lord not i said viola call forth the holy father cried olivia and the priest who had married sebastian and olivia coming in declared cesario to be the bridegroom o thou dissembling cub the duke exclaimed farewell and take her but go where thou and i henceforth may never meet At this moment Sir Andrew came up with bleeding crown, complaining that Cesario had broken his head and Sir Toby's as well.

"'I never hurt you,' said Viola, very positively.

And as you say, comedy of errors.

Twelfth Night, of course, Viola thinks Sebastian is dead.

So we do seem to have this

Can I just jump in and just say another thing I really love about this and this notion of twinning is it's a beautiful place where Shakespeare and O'Farrell both think about the way that we are, what we would say is intersubjective people, creatures, that our identity is not just our own, but it's sort of integrated with other people whom we love and with whom we share an identity and So the twins share in a much more kind of almost deeply embodied way, a shared sense of self.

admirable, but also heartbreaking.

I'm also that quote, a beautiful quote about two halves of a walnuts.

It just reminded me again of Twelfth Night, Antonio at the end, when Viola and Sebastian are revealed to be twins and two different people.

Antonio says, an apple cleft in two is not more twin than these two creatures.

Read by Jen Broda.

Viola.

Read by Joanna Michael-Hoyt.

Desdemona: Becomes a suffragist after eloping with the Moor.

It ill becomes any one of you to rake up a noble lady's past.

But what can you expect of-

This speech is interrupted by the entrance of Viola right.

More kissing.

Any door, the right support.

he left this ring behind him she said taking one from her finger tell him i will none of it malvolio did as he was bid and then viola who of course knew perfectly well that she had left no ring behind her saw with a woman's quickness that olivia loved her then she went back to the duke very sad at heart for her lover and for olivia and for herself it was but cold comfort she could give orsino who now sought to ease the pangs of despised love by listening to sweet music while cesario stood by his side ah said the duke to his page that night you too have been in love a little answered viola what kind of woman is it he asked of your complexion she answered what years of faith was his next question to this came the pretty answer about your years my lord too old by heaven cried the duke let still the woman take an elder than herself and viola very meekly said i think it well my lord by and by orsino begged cesaria once more to visit olivia and to plead his love-suit but she thinking to dissuade him said if some lady loved you as you love olivia ah that cannot be said the duke but i know viola went on what love woman may have for a man my father had a daughter loved a man as it might be she added blushing perhaps were i a woman i should love your lordship and what is her history he asked a blank my lord viola answered she never told her love but let concealment like a worm in the bud feed on her damask cheek she pined in thought and with a green and yellow melancholy she sat like patience on a monument smiling at grief was not this love indeed but died thy sister of her love my boy the duke asked and viola who had all the time been telling her own love for him in this pretty fashion said i am all the daughters my father has and all the brothers sir shall i go to the lady to her in haste said the duke at once forgetting all about the story and give her this jewel so viola went and this time poor olivia was unable to hide her love and openly confessed it with such passionate truth that viola left her hastily saying never more will i deplore my master's tears to you but in vowing this viola did not know the tender pity she would feel for others suffering so when olivia in the violence of her love sent a messenger praying cesario to visit her once more cesario had no heart to refuse the request but the favours which olivia bestowed upon this mere page aroused the jealousy of sir andrew aguecheek a foolish rejected lover of hers who at that time was staying at her house with her merry old uncle sir toby this same sir toby dearly loved a practical joke and knowing sir andrew to be an arrant coward he thought that if he could bring off a duel between him and cesario there would be brave sport indeed so he induced sir andrew to send a challenge which he himself took to cesario the poor page in great terror said i will return again to the house i am no fighter back you shall not to the house said sir toby unless you fight me first and as he looked a very fierce old gentleman viola thought it best to await sir andrew's coming and when he at last made his appearance in a great fright if the truth had been known she tremblingly drew her sword and sir andrew in like fear followed her example happily for them both at this moment some officers of the court came on the scene and stopped the intended duel viola gladly made off with what speed she might while sir toby called after her a very paltry boy and more a coward than a hare now while these things were happening sebastian had escaped all the dangers of the deep and had landed safely in illyria where he determined to make his way to the duke's court on his way thither he passed olivia's house just as viola had left it in such a hurry and whom should he meet but sir andrew and sir toby sir andrew mistaking sebastian for the cowardly cesario took his courage in both hands and walking up to him struck him saying there's for you why there's for you and there and there said sebastian hitting back a great deal harder and again and again till sir toby came to the rescue of his friend sebastian however tore himself free from sir toby's clutches and drawing his sword would have fought them both but that olivia herself having heard of the quarrel came running in and with many reproaches sent sir toby and his friend away then turning to sebastian whom she too thought to be cesario she besought him with many a pretty speech to come into the house with her sebastian half dazed and all delighted with her beauty and grace readily consented and that very day so great was olivia's haste they were married before she had discovered that he was not cesario or sebastian was quite certain whether or not he was in a dream meanwhile orsino hearing how ill cesario sped with olivia visited her himself taking cesario with him olivia met them before her door and seeing as she thought her husband there reproached him for leaving her while to the duke she said that his suit was as fat and wholesome to her as howling after music still so cruel said orsino still so constant she answered then orsino's anger growing to cruelty he vowed that to be revenged on her he would kill cesario whom he knew she loved come boy he said to the page and viola following him as he moved away said ay to do you rest a thousand deaths would die a great fear took hold on olivia and she cried aloud cesario husband stay her husband asked the duke angrily no my lord not i said viola call forth the holy father cried olivia and the priest who had married sebastian and olivia coming in declared cesario to be the bridegroom o thou dissembling cub the duke exclaimed farewell and take her but go where thou and i henceforth may never meet At this moment Sir Andrew came up with bleeding crown, complaining that Cesario had broken his head and Sir Toby's as well.

"'I never hurt you,' said Viola, very positively.

"'You drew your sword on me, but I bespoke you fair and hurt you not.' Yet, for all her protesting, no one there believed her, but all their thoughts were on a sudden change to wonder when Sebastian came in.

"'I am sorry, madam,' he said to his wife.

Pardon me, sweet, even for the vows we made each other so late ago.' one face one voice one habit and two persons cried the duke looking first at viola and then at sebastian an apple cleft in two said one who knew sebastian he's not more twin than these two creatures which is sebastian i never had a brother said sebastian i had a sister whom the blind waves and surges have devoured were you a woman he said to viola i should let my tears fall upon your cheek and say thrice welcome drownd viola then viola rejoicing to see her dear brother alive confessed that she was indeed his sister viola as she spoke orsino felt the pity that is akin to love boy he said thou hast said to me a thousand times thou never shouldst love woman like to me and all those sayings will i over-swear viola replied and all those swearings keep true.

Give me thy hand, Orsino cried in gladness, thou shalt be my wife, and my fancy's queen.

Thus was the gentle Viola made happy, while Olivia found in Sebastian a constant lover, and a good husband, and he in her a true and loving wife.

My duty, madam, and most humble service.

What is your name? Cesario is your servant's name, fair princess.

My servant, sir? T'was never merry world since lowly feigning was called compliment.

Your servant to the Count Orsino youth.

So for those of you who have lived under the rock for the past 20 years, here's a synopsis of this movie.

After the girls' soccer team is cut from their high school, a young high schooler named Viola Hastings decides to disguise herself as her twin brother who got kicked out of her high school and is going to the rival school.

And... be her brother and try to make the boys soccer team at the other school.

So that is basically what happens throughout the plot of this movie.

Let's go through the cast.

All right.

So this movie stars Amanda Bynes as Viola Hastings.

It also introduced us to Channing Tatum.