At the time the Plothole to the Isle of Sycorax opens:

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A ship carrying several Italian nobility, royalty and aristocracy crashes on the Illyrian shore, on the Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea; The ship contains twins Sebastian and Viola, as well as their elder brother, Alonso, King of Naples, who once helped Antonio (also onboard) to usurp his brother Prospero and become the Duke of Milan.

 

Alonso has two children, and has recently celebrated the wedding of his daughter (Sebastian and Viola’s niece Claribel) to the King of Tunis; Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio and Viola are all enroute home to Italy, along with Alonso’s son Ferdinand and several others, when they are shipwrecked.

 

Until this shipwreck in Illyria, it had been Antonio’s intention to visit his brother Leonato, who is raising Antonio’s daughter Beatrice alongside her cousin Hero in Messina, Sicily, rather than heading directly home to his stolen Dukedom of Milan.

 

Separated, and believing both her brothers (including her twin, Sebastian), to be dead, Viola disguises herself as a young man, calling herself “Cesario”, and quickly finds work in the household of Duke Orsino, as his page and confidante.

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Antonio and Sebastian also believe themselves to be the sole survivors of the shipwreck, and the two are inseparably close. No other survivors of this shipwreck are found dead or alive in Illyria at this time.

 

Viola (disguised as Cesario) falls in love with Duke Orsino, who in turn is in love with Countess Olivia. Countess Olivia had been rejecting Duke Orisno’s suit - nominally because she was still grieving the death of her own brother, but in reality it becomes clear that she simply has no interest in Duke Orsino, as when Viola (disguised as Cesario) brings her loveletters on behalf of Duke Orsino, Countess Olivia swiftly falls in love with Viola (disguised as Cesario), who rejects Countess Olivia’s advances, having eyes only for her master, Duke Orisno.

 

Countess Olivia’s chief of staff is Malvolio - a self-righteous man who takes himself very seriously. However, after a prank from Countess Olivia’s waiting woman Maria, he has been tricked into believing that his mistress is harbouring secret romantic affection for him, her servant, and, following instructions in teasing letters left by Maria that he believes to be from Countess Olivia, Malvolio is now making a fool of himself with bizarre behaviour - inappropriately smiling far too much for Countess Olivia’s liking, and wearing garish and ridiculous yellow clothing in a fashion style that she detests.

 

Also in Countess Olivia’s household is Sir Toby Belch, Countess Olivia’s drunken uncle who enjoys loud partying with Maria, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and the clown Feste Fabian, much to Malvolio’s chagrin. Sir Toby Belch and Maria share a boisterous wit and the two work together to make a mockery of both Malvolio and Sir Andrew Aguecheek; Sir Toby Belch and Maria both have romantic interest in the other, but neither has ever dared state as such and do not know of each other’s requited affections.

 

Sir Andrew Aguecheek is very wealthy but is an idiot. He is funding Sir Toby Belch’s non-stop drinking party, whilst fruitlessly attempting to woo Countess Olivia. He considers himself a worthy rival to Duke Orsino as a suitor, and, upon hearing that Countess Olivia is actually in love with Viola (disguised as Cesario), whom everyone believes to be a young man, has challenged Viola (disguised as Cesario) to a duel.

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Feste Fabian, the clown, is often the go-between between Countess Olivia and Duke Orsino’s households. With great talent as a witty entertainer, he himself is no “fool” and possesses great wisdom. Still, he is a mischief-maker, and is also involved in and encourages Maria’s plot to make Malvolio’s life miserable.