Original: If music be the food of love, play on;
Modern: If music feeds love, then keep playing;

Original: Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
Modern: Give me too much of it, so that by overindulging,

Original: The appetite may sicken, and so die.
Modern: My desire for love will become sick and die.

Original: That strain again! it had a dying fall:
Modern: Play that melody again! It had a soft, fading ending:

Original: O, it came o’er my ear like the sweet sound,
Modern: Oh, it came to my ear like the sweet sound

Original: That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Modern: That blows gently across a hill of violets,

Original: Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more:
Modern: Taking and giving fragrance! That’s enough; no more:

Original: ‘Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
Modern: It’s not as sweet now as it was before.

Original: O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou,
Modern: Oh, spirit of love! How quickly you change and how new you always seem,

Original: That, notwithstanding thy capacity
Modern: Even though your ability

Original: Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there,
Modern: To receive is as vast as the sea, nothing enters there,

Original: Of what validity and pitch soe’er,
Modern: No matter how valuable or high in quality,

Original: But falls into abatement and low price,
Modern: Without losing its value and becoming worthless,

Original: Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy
Modern: Even in just a minute: love is so full of different forms

Original: That it alone is high fantastical.
Modern: That love by itself is extremely imaginative and unrealistic.

In the opening scene of “Twelfth Night,” Duke Orsino of Illyria appears in his court surrounded by his attendants and musicians. He calls for music to feed his love-sick soul, declaring the famous line “If music be the food of love, play on.” However, he quickly grows weary of the music and dismisses the musicians, revealing his fickleness and the excessive nature of his romantic melancholy. Orsino is deeply infatuated with Countess Olivia, though his love appears to be more with the idea of being in love than with Olivia herself.

Curio, one of Orsino’s gentlemen, suggests they go hunting, but Orsino declines, stating that his thoughts are consumed entirely with Olivia. Valentine, another attendant, returns from attempting to deliver Orsino’s message of love to Olivia’s household. Valentine reports that Olivia has refused to see him and has vowed to mourn her deceased brother for seven years, during which time she will wear a veil and avoid the sight and company of men. Rather than being discouraged by this news, Orsino becomes even more enamored, imagining how intensely Olivia must be capable of loving if she can grieve so deeply for a brother. The scene establishes Orsino’s romantic obsession and Olivia’s self-imposed isolation, setting up the central romantic complications that will drive the play’s plot.

Twelfth Night, Or What You Will opens with Viola and her twin brother Sebastian being separated in a shipwreck off the coast of Illyria. Believing Sebastian to be dead, Viola disguises herself as a young man named Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino, who is desperately in love with the Countess Olivia. Olivia, however, is in mourning for her dead brother and refuses to receive Orsino’s advances. When Orsino sends Cesario (Viola) to woo Olivia on his behalf, Olivia instead falls in love with the disguised messenger.

Meanwhile, in Olivia’s household, her uncle Sir Toby Belch lives as a disruptive houseguest alongside his drinking companion Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who foolishly hopes to win Olivia’s hand. Olivia’s clever waiting-woman Maria, the witty Fool Feste, and these two knights conspire against Malvolio, Olivia’s pompous steward. They forge a letter supposedly from Olivia declaring her love for Malvolio and instructing him to wear yellow stockings, cross-gartered, and to smile constantly. Malvolio follows these instructions, leading Olivia to believe he has gone mad.

The confusion deepens when Sebastian, who has survived the shipwreck and arrived in Illyria with the sea captain Antonio, is mistaken for Cesario by various characters. Sir Andrew challenges Cesario to a duel, but when Antonio intervenes believing Sebastian to be Viola, he is arrested by officers who recognize him as a wanted man. The climax occurs when Sebastian encounters Olivia, who mistakes him for Cesario and persuades him to marry her immediately.

All confusions are resolved when Viola and Sebastian are finally reunited, revealing their true identities. Orsino, realizing that Viola loves him, proposes marriage to her. Sebastian and Olivia remain married despite the mistaken identity that led to their union. Malvolio is released from imprisonment but storms off angrily when the trick played on him is revealed, while the other characters celebrate the multiple unions and the restoration of order.