Twelfth Night and Crossdressing - 1429 Words

An Imitation of Ignorance The play Twelfth Night encapsulates what it meant to be a man and women throughout the 16th century. The roles of each gender were set in stone, and one could not publicly cross over under any circumstances. During Shakespearean times women were not even allowed to portray themselves on stage, men played their roles instead. In my opinion Shakespeare uses the play to show the hypocrisy of the status quo that held people from expressing their true identity. Twelfth Night demonstrates that professions should not be given on a gender basis, skill should be the only consideration. During the play one sees that only through imitation of another gender can a person reverse the roles, which they are bonded to. In†¦show more content†¦This leaves her to question if she will ever find true love. Yet come again; for thou perhaps mayst move that heart which now abhors, to like his love. Through this ordeal Orsino also becomes confused by his sexuality. He sees past Viola/Cesario c lothing and falls in love with her. After a few moments were Viola/Cesario and Orsino are very close he comes to realize that it would not be morally right to have sexual passion for another man. He slowly moves away and begins to question his feelings. When all is resolved true feelings are finally brought to light, and the characters see both their fates had true love in the future. It is unfortunate though that heartache was due to a simple societal structure that holds no basis in the world. Malvolio, a servant of Olivia, is also hurt by an imitation. Contrary to Viola/Cesarios imitation this one was not done out of necessity. The imitation is executed by acquaintances of Malvolio that seek revenge at the way he had been treating them. Feste the jester, Maria, Olivias uncle Sir Toby Belch, and Sir Tobys friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek--who scheme to undermine the high-minded, pompous Malvolio. Malvolio is tricked into believing Olivia is in love with him because of a letter that said just that. Malvolio believes the imitation letter, and his character suddenly changes from arrogant to joyful. Sad lady? I could be sad. This does makeShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s The Merchant Of Venice1616 Words   |  7 PagesThe Merchant of Venice offers another unique perspective on crossdressing as it existed on the English Renaissance stage. Howard suggests that Portia’s crossdressing is â€Å"more disruptive than Viola’s† (Howard, p. 433) because Portia herself was an unruly woman to begin with. Portia has become the master of her own destiny with the passing of her father, for she is referred to as the Lord of Belmont now that no man exists to fill such a role. What remains of the patriarchal authority, particularlyRead MoreEssay about Comparing Shakespeare’s Women in Disguise2920 Words   |  12 Pagesheroine, he tried something di fferent. He cleverly varied each motif in which each play turned out to have different reactions as well as outcomes. All of the heroines, Julia in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Portia in The Merchant of Venice, and Viola in Twelfth Night, all come from aristocratic and wealthy families, were well-educated and courageous enough to disguise themselves in order to enter the masculine world. â€Å"Adoption of disguise also implied the inevitability of undisguising, and with it the assuranceRead MoreThe Twelfth Night By William Shakespeare1167 Words   |  5 Pagesthey achieve that power, they are still female and still manage to fulfill their goals. So, for a woman to have power does not mean she needs to stop being female but to stop being perceived as a female so she can be treated differently. In ‘The Twelfth Night,’ Viola disguises herself as a man in order to find her brother and in ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’ Julia also dresses as a man to travel to Mila n and visit Proteus. Both of these women find themselves in challenging situations, who use uniqueRead MoreTwelfth Night And Queen Elizabeth Lends1334 Words   |  6 Pagestop, and the husband’s patriarchal role as governor of his family and household... the family was seen as the secure foundation of society and the patriarch’s role as analogous to that of God in the universe and in the king in state.† The text Twelfth Night and Queen Elizabeth lends itself to the theme of gender and sexuality and presents its message as a challenge to the expectation of the society at that time. Because it goes against societal views of gender through androgyny, it is presented asRead MoreGender Roles And Roles Of William Shakespeare s The Merchant Of Venice 1837 Words   |  8 Pagesin his comedies. Hamlet may proclaim â€Å"Frailty thy name is woman†, but even the merest of character analyses of Portia in The Merchant of Venice, or Viola in The Twelfth Night conclu sively proves that they are anything but. In this paper we begin by examining the prevailing gender stereotypes in Elizabethan England. Taking The Twelfth Night as the basis, we try to find out how much conformity or deviation Shakespeare observes in the depictions of gender to the general trend of the day. Cross dressingRead More Cross-dressing in Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and The Merchant of Venice3276 Words   |  14 PagesCross-dressing in Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and The Merchant of Venice Any theatrical performance requires a two-fold exchange. The performers must act in such a way as to engage the audience and draw them into the story of the stage. However, the audience itself must yield to the imagination, allowing at times the irrational to take precedent over rational expectations. This exchange between performers and audience creates the dramatic experience; one cannot exist without the otherRead MoreTwelfth Night by William Shakespeare2088 Words   |  8 PagesTwelfth Night, or, What You Will by William Shakespeare is a comedy that was written for the Christmas season. Twelfth Night presents many different topics throughout the play like: crossdressing, homosexuality, unknown same sex desires, and undertones of talk about genitals. Although some are more noticeable than others, they are all present. I will be focusing mainly on the homosexuality of some of the characters and what the difference between that and just having a ‘male friendship.â€℠¢ I will alsoRead MoreTwelfth Night By William Shakespeare1937 Words   |  8 Pages Twelfth Night channelizes the spirit of festivity and celebration associated with the ‘Feast of Epiphany’, which in Elizabethan England was marked as the finale of Christmas jubilations. In it’s own way mirroring the society and it’s indulgence in feasting, drinking and the carnal pleasures which in their own right undermined the teachings of the church. It is hard to overlook the emphasis laid on indulgence and the excess of it