When Viola and her brother Sebastian were sailing down the coast of Illyria, a violent storm
arose, and their ship split on a rock. After the shipwreck, Viola managed to reach the shore
safely in a small boat, together with the captain and a few sailors.
When Viola landed safely, her first thought was for her brother, Sebastian. He was separated from her. She began to lament her brother’s loss.
The captain comforted her with the assurance that when the ship was wrecked, he had seen her brother floating away, tied to a mast. The captain also said that as long as he could see him, Sebastian was afloat on the waves. Viola believed that her brother had survived and that she could find him one day.
