How is the way shakespeare begins the play Twelfth Night important?

Answer 1

Shakespeare often started plays with lesser characters rather than main ones and with some kind of splash to settle down the audience and get their attention. In Twelfth Night, the splash in question is music, which must start before Orsino can deliver the first line, "If music be the food of love, play on". The first scene, which establishes Orsino's love for Olivia, is not really essential, as this point will be made several times further on--indeed in the next scene, the Captain explains to Viola that Orsino is a bachelor who "seeks the love of the fair Olivia". The purpose of the throwaway scene is merely to capture the audience's attention; the real action starts with scene two.

Incidentally this is reflected in some film versions of the play which start with scene 2 and move the food of love line to scene four.