Twelfth Night begins at the court of Count Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, where he expresses his love for the Lady Olivia. A messenger, Valentine, enters and tells Orsino that Olivia is mourning the death of her brother and plans to stay hidden from view for the next seven years, but Orsino vows to win her love regardless.

The second scene takes place on the coast of the Adriatic Sea in Illyria, where Viola has been saved from a shipwreck with the ship’s captain and some sailors. She believes that her brother has drowned in the shipwreck, but the captain tells her that he saw Viola’s brother “bind himself/ […] To a strong mast that lived upon the sea” and “hold acquaintance with the waves/ So long as I could see” (I.2.13-18).

Viola asks the captain about Illyria and he tells her about Orsino, a bachelor who “seek[s] the love of fair Olivia” (I.2.35), who “abjured the sight/ And company of men” (I.2.41-42). Viola thinks it would be a good idea to serve Olivia until she’s ready to reveal her own high social class, but the Captain says Olivia will not allow anyone to see her, not even Orsino’s messengers.