Contextual Overview

When John Manningham saw Twelfth Night performed at the Middle Temple Hall on 2 February 1602, he noted the following in his diary: At our feast wee had a play called “Twelue Night, or What You Will,” much like the Commedy of Errores, or Menechmi in Plautus, but most like and neere to that in Italian called Inganni . 1 A good practise in it to make the Steward beleeve his Lady widdowe was in love with him, by counterfeyting a letter as from his Lady in generall termes, telling him what shee liked best in him, and prescribing his gesture in smiling, his apparaile, &c., and then when he came to practise making him beleeue they tooke him to be mad. 2