Casey Charles’ article, “Gender Trouble in Twelfth Night” focuses on Viola/Cesairo and Olivia, Orsino and Viola/Cesairo and Antonio and Sebastian’s relationships …show more content…
This relates to the gender identity conflict that arises from Viola’s cross-dressing. Her cross-dressing makes her gender unapparent when she is building relationships with Olivia and Cesairo, thus confusing the other characters as well as herself. Initially, in Act 5, when Sebastian arrives in Illyria and Viola reveals herself, the audience sees how Viola’s cross-dressing has caused her to become conflicted regarding her sexuality due to her relationships with Olivia and Cesairo. However, she always remains sure of her gender identity as a woman, allowing her to remember why relationships that would go against the heteronormative beliefs cannot …show more content…
Charles uses their relationship, predominantly, to portray the “constructed categories of sex” (123) and therefore question the heteronormative beliefs of the time. In Nancy Lindheim’s article, “Rethinking Sexuality and Class in Twelfth Night” she argues that Antonio and Sebastian are presented as close friends throughout the play but they both (though primarily Antonio) feel a stronger connection and, are likely leaning towards a romantic relationship. During the Renaissance homosexual relationships were considered shameful as they went against the social order, thus Antonio and Sebastian cannot act, publicly, on their feelings for one