Twelfth Night
– William Shakespeare
Who was Antonio? Why did he draw out a sword to save Viola from the stranger? Who was the stranger?
Answer : In the text Twelfth Night, Antonio was the captain of a ship who rescued Sebastian from shipwrecked.
After the shipwrecked Sebastian came to Illyria. The land was totally unknown to him. To be known with the land Antonio gave him a purse so that Sebastian could use it freely in visiting the town. Sebastian was unable to return within scheduled time. That is why Antonio set out to trace him. On his way the captain found the identical twin sister Viola in the disguise of a man. Instantly he mistook her to be Sebastian. He drew out his sword to save him from the attack of a stranger.
The stranger was the rejected lover of Olivia. He was a rival to the Duke Orsino in their courtship for Olivia.