Illyria, Nicaea's Exile for Arians, Thomas Kyd, and Twelfth Night
Why did Shakespeare use Illyria as a setting for Twelfth Night? Is there any historical meaning to Illyria that may have made this a creative, illuminating, and relevant setting for Early Modern England, still in the throes of the Reformation? Consider: On JUNE 19, 325 A.D., at the end of the Council of Nicaea, Arian schismatics were exiled to Illyria, 1700 years ago this year. IF ALL WE KNEW ABOUT ILLYRIA and Twelfth Night was two things: 1. That it was where Arius and his schismatic followers were exiled by Emperor Constantine and the First Council of Nicaea; and 2. That Shakespeare’s contemporary, playwright Thomas Kyd, was arrested in 1593, tortured, and falsely accused of the heresy of Arianism [1]; these facts would color our reading of Shakespeare’s play–set in Illyria. [2] What happened after Arians were exiled to Illyria? After Nicaea, Constantine’s successors flip-flopped, opposing or supporting Arianism (337-378 AD). Flash-forward: Du...