Exploring Castles In Shakespeare
Now divided among present day Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovnia, the land of Illyria has long since been forgotten. Shakespeare chose this area as his setting for Twelfth Night, because its distance from London meant very few had visited it. This created a sense of mysticallity that helped bolster the overall confusion and strange happenings that occured in the play
Illyria, Present day Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovnia
Pictured to the right is a popular tourist location in present day Croatia known as Klis Fortress. Once home to an Illyrian king, this fortress portrays where the play might have taken place. Duke Orsino could have lived in a castle very similar to this. In the distance the coast is visible where a shipwrecked Viola could have been found. The town of Klis serves as a perfect example to the lands in which Twelfth Night could have taken place.
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