William Shakespeare 's Twelfth Night

In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare contradicts vapid stereotypes about gender. Through Viola’s disguise as Cesario, he is able to prove that a woman is able to fulfill a man 's role in society. She is able to fool the other characters and is even able to woo another woman. This reinforces ideas about how invalid the rules and regulations society has made since Viola easily broke through them. Later on in the story, Sir Andrew challenges Viola to a duel. Viola expects Sir Andrew to be a great fighter, and he expects the same from her. This creates a comedic situation since they both are too afraid of each other to engage in the fight. (3.4, 223-298)

Though Orsino seems to have his eyes set solely on Olivia, he also looks at “Cesario” with some interest, commenting, “Diana’s lip is not more smooth and rubious, thy small pipe is as the maiden’s organ, shrill and sound, and all is semblative a woman’s part” (I. iv. 34-37). He recognizes some key features in Viola that pique his interest, but does not show his love for her because she disguises herself as a man. Shakespeare presents him by showing his ability to notice Viola’s masculine and feminine features, unlike with what he does with Olivia which he only looks at the broad characteristics that consist only on her shallowest features. Later on, he goes as far as to propose to Viola, “Meantime, sweet sister, we will not part from hence. -Cesario, come, for so you shall be while you are a man…Orsino’s mistress, and his fancy’s queen” (V. i. 407-411). To contrast Olivia’s swift rejection of her own love for Cesario because of “his” gender, Shakespeare presents Orsino as a character who quickly accepts Viola’s love for him, regardless of her current state of gender. However, unlike his stubborn, selfish desire for Olivia, Orsino’s blossoming relationship with Viola transfers his desire into a more selfless aspect of true love.

Twelfth Night, a romantic piece by William Shakespeare expresses a complex love triangle in the village of Illyria. One of the primary protagonists, Viola is washed up onto the shores during violent storms that separate her and her biological twin brother Sebastian. Viola is uncertain if her brother Sebastian survived. It is a coincidence, that the tragic shipwreck carried Viola to the enemy state (Illyria). Unfortunately, this forces the character to go into disguise in order to survive on the male dominated land. Viola is perhaps the strongest character in this work, maintaining her roles and ignoring temptations. The character uses Sebastian strength in his absence. On the other hand, when in Sebastian’s presence Viola becomes weak

Even Though she pretended to be a man and is practically is a nobody in Illyria, she desires to win Orsino’s heart. In Act 1, Scene 4, Viola tells her true feelings for Cesario by saying, "yet a barful strife! Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife (1.440-42). " This statement becomes correct when she reveals her true identity. Cesario (Viola) and Orsino have a very good friendship, therefore, making the switch from friend to a wife was easy.

The play opens with Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, expressing his deep love for the Countess Olivia. Meanwhile, the shipwrecked Viola disguises herself as a man and endeavors to enter the Duke’s service. Although she has rejected his suit, the Duke then employs Viola, who takes the name of Cesario, to woo Olivia for him. As the

From the difference in character and personality between Viola and Orsino, we can see that Viola is displayed as a rational, witty, yet manipulative woman, who loves deeply and sincerely. This is shown from, “If I did love you in my master’s flame/With such a suff’ring/such a deadly life”, as it implies that Viola’s love towards Orsino, is true, and has depth, and other-centred. This is in comparison to Orsino’s love towards Olivia, displayed in his portrayal of love towards her. This can be seen from, “With adorations, fertile tears/With

Romantic desire is struggle ingrained within William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, strained by the nature of homosexual love. The depths of human sexuality are explored in Twelfth Night through the relationships between Duke Orsino and Viola as Cesario, Olivia and Viola, and Sebastian and Antonio. Twelfth Night represents homoerotic love in both radical and conservative ways, while furthermore questioning the boundaries of gender and disguise depicted by the relationships featured in the play. Shakespeare’s work is profound, since the play acknowledges homosexual love without punishment, and challenges if love is truly determined by gender, while also upholding

Through great commotion it is created between the characters of the romantic drama and drives this Shakespeare’s play forward. As one of the main plot twists, it leads to the misunderstandings and the love triangle between Duke Orsino, Viola (Cesario) and Countess Olivia. The role of ‘identity’ begins when the noblewoman Viola, has just been shipwrecked near Illyria and therefore seeks employment in Duke Orsino’s court while searching for her lost (perhaps dead) brother. Duke Orsino accepts her, and soon becomes close to the male version of herself (Cesario), whom she had presented to the duke originally. Viola quickly falls for her master, and at times does not know how to act as her concealed gender, expressing words such as: “My father had a daughter loved a man, /As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman,/ I should your lordship.” (Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, 2.4.105-107) and hinting of “his” real identity. Although, Duke Orsino loves Lady Olivia, even if she does not return the love. Nevertheless, Viola is not the only character to conceal who she truly is. Lady Olivia does not love Duke Orsino because she will mourn her dead brother for seven years. She understands that the Duke is respected, handsome and rich however, cannot love him. Therefore, she hides behind a veil to refuse the Duke confessions of love. However, when meeting Cesario, the countess immediately forgets her grief and falls instantly for “him” and

love when actually they just loved the idea of it. One such a man is

through his vanity is easily fooled into thinking it is he who she loves although

In Act 2 Scene 4 of “Twelfth Night” Duke Orsino was claiming that women were incapable of having feelings as strong as those of a man, Viola did not hesitate to disagree: “Too well what love women to men may owe: In faith, they are as true of heart as we. My father had a daughter loved a man, As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman, I should your lordship.” (Shakespeare 94). Though she was disguised as Cesario at the time Viola showed no shame in expressing her opinion, and not only did she explain her point she also admitted her love for Orsino without him realizing. When she says “My father had a daughter loved a man, As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman, I should your lordship”, she is saying that if she were a woman, which she is, she would love him immensely. Viola is not your typical Elizabethan woman; she does not shy away from arguments, and is willing to dress as man to achieve her goals. However, Viola isn’t the only bold, untraditional woman is “Twelfth Night”; Olivia, Orsino’s main love interest, seems to be anything but bold but in Act 4 Scene 3 she makes a bold, unexpected move toward Sebastian, Viola’s twin brother and her (Olivia’s) love interest at the end of the play, that showcases her character: “Blame not this haste of mine. If you mean well, Now go with me and with this holy man Into the chantry by: there, before him,

Viola, one of the main protagonists, experiences suffering when she falls in love with Orsino, whom she cannot pursue or express her true feelings for. After a shipwreck, Viola finds herself stranded in the country of Illyria. In order to work for the Duke Orsino, she disguises herself as a man named Cesario, which makes romance with the duke impossible. After spending three days with him, she falls in love. Not only does she have to repress her feelings toward Orsino, but to add to her pain, Orsino assigns her to spend her time trying to persuade Lady Olivia to marry him. Viola says to the audience, “whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife” (1.4.42), because she wishes to marry Orsino.

A key interaction occurs between Orsino and Viola regarding the capacity of a woman's love. Orsino speaks to Viola (who is currently disguised as Cesario):

Viola sacrificed who she was and expressing her love to Orsino so that she could create her voice in the world and be accepted in a dominate male society. Act one, scene two, lines 53 and 54, Viola says, “Conceal me what I am, and be my aid for such disguise as haply shall become.” She portrays her courage when she decides to disguise herself as a young man. She does not have to mask her inner bravery while dressed as a man, because it’s acceptable for a male to be openly courageous constantly, while Desdemona showed moments of her strength which I will discuss. Viola becomes “Cesario” and Olivia becomes infatuated with him because he is unlike any other man she has encountered. Act one, scene five, lines 296-298, Olivia speaks to herself after Cesario has exited, “Methinks I feel this youth’s perfections with an invisible and subtle stealth to creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be.” Cesario acts as a close female friend would, because he is actually a female. He listens, cares, and makes Olivia a priority. I believe that this is Shakespeare’s way of convincing or proving to 1600’s men in the audience that if they show compassion and understanding toward women, young ladies will fall in love with them easier.

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a play with themes that parallel the folly of the festival it is named after. The main storyline of the plot plays on this a lot by mixing up the stereotypes around gender that were very present at the time. However, a sub-plot involving secondary characters defines this theme even more. It takes the idea even further by relating servants’ attempts to blur the lines between social classes. Twelfth Night’s Maria and Malvolio both have great aspirations to rise above their social class. However, Maria succeeds where Malvolio fails because of her capability to make use of the satiric ambiance of her mistress’s household to achieve her goals.