Twelfth Night is a comedy by William Shakespeare, named after the Twelfth Night holiday of the Christmas season. It was written around 1601, and was first published in the First Folio in 1623. Twelfth Night's full title is Twelfth Night, or What You Will; Subtitles for plays were fashionable in the Elizabethan period, though this is the only Shakespeare to be donned with one. "Twelfth Night" is a reference to the twelfth night after Christmas Day which was called the Feast of Epiphany. It was originally a Catholic holiday, but prior to Shakespeare's play, the day had become a day of revelry. Servants often dressed up as their masters, men like women, and so forth. This is an important basis for the shenanigans of the play. The play was probably finished between 1600 and 1601. The name of its male lead, Orsino, was likely suggested by Orsini, Duke of Bracciano, an Italian nobleman who visited London in the winter of 1600 to 1601. The play was not printed until its inclusion in the First Folio in 1623. (Quote from wikipedia.org) About the Author William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 - 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three chil