Plays are one of the most subtle forms of literature: while a novel reveals almost everything in its text and description, much of a play depends on the matter between the lines, or the behavior and interpretation of the actors who play the roles. And these influences are invisible, unless we examine the context of the play: its sources, the circumstances of its composition and performance. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is one such play: in examining …showed first 75 words of 3745 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3745 total…most clearly of all English playwrights, the directions he wishes his plays to take, through the alterations and enhancements he makes to his sources. Research into the originals of the plot, or even to the intended audience, "the quality of persons, and the time" (III.i.61) can help produce a fuller-flowering production. And with that aid, Twelfth Night can more fully realize Feste's parting claim, "And we'll strive to please you every day." (V.i.397)