Set in a topsy-turvy world like a holiday revel, this comedy devises a romantic plot around separated twins, misplaced passions, and mistaken identity. Juxtaposed to it is the satirical story of a self-deluded steward who dreams of becoming Count Malvolio only to receive his comeuppance at the hands of the merrymakers he wishes to suppress. The two plots combine to create a farce touched with melancholy, mixed throughout with seductively beautiful explorations on the themes of love and time, and the play ends, not with laughter, but with a clown’s sad song.

Each Edition Includes: * Comprehensive explanatory notes
* Vivid introductions and the most up-to-date scholarship
* Clear, modernized spelling and punctuation, enabling contemporary readers to understand the Elizabethan English * Completely updated, detailed bibliographies and performance histories
* An interpretive essay on film adaptations of the play, along with an extensive filmography