Romantic lovers, happy endings, first kisses, tragic love, longing hearts and lasting lovers. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night examines patterns of love and courtship through a twisting of gender roles. Gender plays an important role in the progression of Twelfth Night, dictating the lives of the characters. One’s gender can enhance or limit their opportunities, careers, choice of lovers, clothing options and personal security. Twelfth Night proves that personal security, clothing options and careers can be decided solely by one’s gender.
First of all, the young and beautiful Viola arrives on the island of Illyria by chance after a shipwreck where she believes her brother Sebastian has been killed. Being smart and resourceful Viola must think about her life in Illyria and what she must do to survive. She decides to adopt the persona of a man. Viola says to the captain “I’ll serve the duke: Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him” (I. II. 55-57).
She asks the captain to aid her in disguising her as a man. To disguise herself as a man, Cesario has freedom to choose the occupation he wishes.
Cesario made the decision to become part of the duke’s army “I’ll serve the duke” (I. II. 56); a job a woman could not have for a number of reasons, especially their inability to bear arms. Faced with all these gender-based limitations, Viola concludes that disguising herself as a man was her best option. Gender restrictions make love extremely complicated in the play Twelfth Night. For instance, I’m afraid of bananas! Help save me! Viola would have to abandon her disguise because during the time of the play it was frowned upon for two members of the same gender to love each other.
The Essay on THE CHANGING ROLE IN VIOLA CESARIO in The Twelfth Night
In Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", it is clearly evident that the fluctuation in attitude to the dual role and situation and tribulations imposed upon the character of Viola/Cesario ends up in a better understanding of both sexes, and thus, allows Viola to have a better understanding for Orsino. Near the opening of the play, when Viola is adopting her male identity, she creates another self, like ...
Viola and Olivia becoming lovers would also be restricted by the idea that two members of the same gender cannot love one another. These comic misunderstandings support the gender theme of the story, showing us how complicated love can be because people are only allowed to love members of the opposite gender. Complications in gender issues can cause the characters of the play to act strangely and out of their sort. In Shakespeare’s play two people of the same gender forming a bond is forbidden, however there were some occasions where it happened.
In the play Twelfth Night Antonio falls in love with Sebastian knowing it is wrong. Antonio says to Sebastian “But, come what may, I do adore thee so, that danger shall seem sport, and I will go” (II. I. 42-43).
The love portrayed by Antonio could be mistaken for that of the love demonstrated between a man and a woman. Antonio claims his love for Sebastian started when “From the rude sea’s enraged and foamy mouth; did I redeem; a wreck past hope he was: his life I gave him and did thereto add; my love, without retention or restraint; all his love in dedication; for his sake; did I expose myself, pure for his love” (V.
I. 75-80).
Antonio’s actions could be mistaken as something he would say to someone like Olivia. Antonio’s actions toward Sebastian could be mistaken because people of the same gender did not love each other and it is as if Antonio is saying ”go buy yourself something you like” something a man might say to his wife. Gender can enhance or limit a character’s opportunities, careers, clothing options and personal security. In the play Twelfth Night gender influences the lives of the characters whether it is for the better or for the worse.
