Twelfth Night Critical Essays

Originally published in 1986. Among the most frequently performed and high admired of Shakespeare’s plays, Twelfth Night is examined here in this collection of writings from well-known essayists and scholars. The chapters present to the modern reader discussions of the play to enhance understanding and study of both the text and performances. Opening essays address individual characters; then some accounts of its potential and theatrical reviews are included; finally followed by critical studies looking at various parts and themes. The editor’s introduction explains the usefulness of each chapter and gives an overview of the selection.

Preface Joseph Price Introduction Stanley Wells 1. The Illyrians J. B. Priestley 2. Feste the Jester A. C. Bradley 3. Directions for Twelfth Night John Russell Brown 4. "Twelfth Night" from Shakespeare and the Actors Arthur Colby Sprague 5. On Some of the Old Actors Charles Lamb 6. Samuel Phelps as Malvolio (1857) Henry Morley 7. Beerbohm Tree’s Twelfth Night Max Beerbohm 8. Twelfth Night at the Vieux Colombier (1921) Harley Granville Barker 9. Twelfth Night at the Old Vic (1933) Virginia Woolf 10. Peter Hall’s Production of Twelfth Night (1958) Roy Walker 11. Illyria for Whitehall Leslie Hotson 12. Testing Courtesy and Humanity in Twelfth Night C. L. Barber 13. The Fruits of the Sport Bertrand Evans 14. The Underplot of Twelfth Night Harry Levin 15. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night Harold Jenkins 16. The Design of Twelfth Night L. G. Salingar 17. "Twelfth Night", from Shakespeare’s Comedies of Love A. S. Leggatt 18. Plays and Playing in Twelfth Night Karen Greif 19. The Dramaturgy of the Ending of Twelfth Night Jorg Hasler 20. Shakespeare’s Sense of an Ending in Twelfth Night Anne Barton