Julie Tagg| Think and Write for CSEC English

During the period when Shakespeare was writing Twelfth Night, there was no actual place called Illyria. However, in ancient times, the region of Illyria existed off the Adriatic Coast, which now encompasses parts of Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia, among other regions. The kingdom of Illyria ceased to exist as an independent kingdom when it was conquered by the Romans in the 2nd Century BCE and was reorganized as a Roman province called Illyrium. This province was subsequently re-divided and renamed in 10 BCE.

Despite the fact that the kingdom no longer existed, people still referred to the region as Illyria as a general reference point. Shakespeare chose this setting for various reasons. First, the ancient history of the location allowed the era to remain unclear, which enabled him to play with the timeline of the events. Second, the foreign and exotic nature of the place would have piqued the audience’s curiosity, and this would have made the play more interesting to them. Third, just like Viola, who was unsure of what to expect from this fantastical land, the audience would have been more willing to suspend disbelief about the characters’ over-the-top adventures.

At the beginning of the play, Viola laments, “And what should I do in Illyria?” (1.2.). As an unknown stranger, she can do whatever she wants, and this propels the fantastical plot. Shakespeare blends real and invented place references in the play. Although many of Shakespeare’s comedies are set in Italy, most of the characters in Twelfth Night have Italian names, indicating that the play is set in the vicinity of Italy. Viola and Sebastian refer to their homeland as Messaline. Some scholars believe that Messaline corresponds to either Mytilene in Greece or Messina in Italy, which would reinforce a more familiar Mediterranean context for the play.

However, other references suggest a decidedly un-Mediterranean locale. When Antonio and Sebastian split up to explore the area separately, Antonio suggests they meet “In the south suburbs / At the Elephant / Is best to lodge” (3.3.). During Shakespeare’s time, the Globe Theatre, where many of his plays were performed, was located south of central London, and a well-known pub named the Elephant was nearby and frequented by actors and playwrights. This reference was probably a joke to contemporary London audiences, and it reinforces the idea that the play’s setting is meant to create opportunities for comedic developments rather than to align with a single real-world location.