‎‘For what saies Quinapalus?’‎ Paper for Twelfth Night Seminar

Abstract

Mark Houlahan ‘For what saies Quinapalus?’ John Manningham, the first person to report a performance of Twelfth Night (Feb 2, 1602), also began the discussion of the play’s sources. Scholars since then have linked the play to a network of sixteenth century plays and prose fictions in Italian, French and Latin. How much of these Shakespeare had read, seen or heard tell of we cannot say. This paper traces some (potential) threads from these sources, in particular those underpinning the flight of the twins and their arrival in Illyria. In several sources the disasters of war have dispersed the family. The play chooses not to directly represent this but the violence of war (by land and sea) erupts at key points in the action. When Viola and Sebastian finally meet in Act V they experience a combination of grief, trauma and relief. Two refugees finally arriving, alive, at a safe haven, is the emotional centre of the play; though in live performance and other adaptations this is often downplayed.