Off the coast, a ship is wrecked and a set of twins are separated by the raging winter storms - each believing the other to have perished. The sister, Viola, finds herself in the company of a Duke of the strange land, Orsino, who has sworn to woo and marry the Lady Olivia - a famous beauty of the region. Olivia, however, has sworn a life of celibacy, mourning the loss of her father - a matter of great discrepancy between the two.
Finding herself in a land both cold and joyless, Viola disguises herself as a boy and integrates herself into Orsino's household fast becoming a favourite with the love-lorn duke, and unexpectedly warming the dispassionate heiress - unfortunately with unforeseen consequences.