Gender And Sexual Identity In Twelfth Night
In William Shakespeare’s a Twelfth Night a major subject is gender and sexual identity as a whole. Shakespeare takes on a vision that implies that gender to some degree can be subjective depending on how you present yourself rather than something you are due to the sexual parts you were given at birth. Viola early on in the story disguises herself as a male, named Cesario, and almost instantly Olivia falls in love with her. The overall alteration of Viola into Cesario is thought-provoking because Olivia’s unbearable affection for him/her suggests that discrepancies amongst gender or sexuality are not as secure as one might reason. Olivia says, “I love thee so…Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide…For that I woo thou therefore has no cause…Love
sought is good, but given unsought is better” (pg.1222). Oliva is going against gender norms by taking control of the male role and trying to earn the love of disguised Viola. The love that Olivia has for Viola is considered unordinary for Shakespeare’s time, the idea that two women could love each other, but Shakespeare tries to convey reasoning for this behavior by claiming that Olivia truly does not know Cesario is a woman. At times it seems that Olivia may have an idea that Cesario is in fact a woman and when she says, “Wit nor reason can my passion hide” proposes the thought that even if it went against all judgement she would still love Cesario perhaps even if they were both females(1222).
It is evident that Viola is not comfortable in the male body when Sir Andrew challenges Viola to a duel because she says, “Pray god defend me. A little thing would make me tell them how much I lack of a man” but the offering of this duel to Viola shows that Shakespeare was trying to convey the message that perhaps courage is not based on being physically male and this questions the customary thoughts on men and masculinity (pg.1233).
sought is good, but given unsought is better” (pg.1222). Oliva is going against gender norms by taking control of the male role and trying to earn the love of disguised Viola. The love that Olivia has for Viola is considered unordinary for Shakespeare’s time, the idea that two women could love each other, but Shakespeare tries to convey reasoning for this behavior by claiming that Olivia truly does not know Cesario is a woman. At times it seems that Olivia may have an idea that Cesario is in fact a woman and when she says, “Wit nor reason can my passion hide” proposes the thought that even if it went against all judgement she would still love Cesario perhaps even if they were both females(1222).
It is evident that Viola is not comfortable in the male body when Sir Andrew challenges Viola to a duel because she says, “Pray god defend me. A little thing would make me tell them how much I lack of a man” but the offering of this duel to Viola shows that Shakespeare was trying to convey the message that perhaps courage is not based on being physically male and this questions the customary thoughts on men and masculinity (pg.1233).