Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Disguise, Gender Roles,

and Goal-Setting

Senior Paper

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For a Degree Bachelor of Arts with
A Major in Literature at The University of North
Carolina at Asheville Fall 2006

By Stephen Travis Crowder

Director Dr. Dee

James

Thesis Advisor
Dr. Gary Ettari
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Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Disguise, Gender Roles, and Goal Setting

Shakespeare is perhaps the greatest playwright that ever lived. His plays were

fascinating and brilliantly written. In Shakespeare's plays, one notable character

wears a literal disguise to accomplish a goal, while others use figurative disguises

(Markels 63). These ideas are best exemplified in Twelfth Night, written by

Shakespeare between 1599 and 1601 (Eastman 747). In this comedy, Viola, the

main female protagonist, dresses as a man in order to search the country of

Illyria for her brother, Sebastian, who was lost at sea during a storm. In order to

fulfill the goal of finding her brother, Viola disguises herself as a man in order to

fulfill the goal of finding her brother, and as a result, causes confusion among

Illyria's aristocracy.

Twelfth Night opens in a scene with Orsino, Duke of Illyria. The Duke is

"love-sick," and pining for the affections of Lady Olivia (1.1). Orsino states "If

music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it..." (1.1). Later, in the same

scene, it is learned that Olivia is the subject of that "love-sickness," and that

nothing can quench his love like she. From the above quote, it is apparent that

the Duke's love is superficial. He describes possible emotion that he can think of

at the moment, but never expresses why he loves her. Thus, Orsino, through his

love-sick state, has created a disguise for himself. He is not in love with a person,

but in "love with love."

Orsino does not understand what love truly is; and, therefore, remains

locked in a state of helplessness. Joseph Summers, in "The Masks of Twelfth

Night," from Twentieth Century Interpretations of Shakespeare, argues that

although Orsino is "A noble duke, in nature as in name" (1.2), he is bound by his
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own mask of love. The mask is a distorted sense of love and is fed by boredom,

lack of physical love, and excessive imagination (16-17).

The falseness of Orsino's love is compounded by the real emotion that

Viola feels for her brother, Sebastian. It is no surprise that she is the next

character the audience is introduced to after Orsino. At the beginning of the play,

Viola walks ashore after a violent storm destroys the ship that she and her

brother, Sebastian, were sailing upon. Her brother is now missing and she begins

to inquire concerning his whereabouts. Confronting the captain, she hears that

Illyria is the most probable place that her brother could be, and he assures her

that Sebastian did not perish. The captain states:

"...to comfort you with chance, assure yourself, after our ship did

split,

When you, and those poor number saved with you,

Hung on our driving boat, I saw your brother, Most

provident in peril, bind himself— Courage and hope

both teaching him the practice-To a strong mast that

lived upon the sea... I saw him hold acquaintance with

the waves So long as I could see" (1.2)

Viola appears to believe the captain regarding her missing brother. More

importantly, Viola is hopeful that her brother is still among the living. Anyone

else would have done the same in the given situation.

After hearing the captain's assuring words, she inquires after Lady Olivia,

the first Illyrian that the captain alludes to in his speech. Viola states: "O, that I
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served that lady / And might not be deliver'd to the world..." (1.2). Viola later

decides that it would be better for her to seek for service in Duke Orsino's court,

the second Illyrian that the captain mentions. It is interesting to note that Viola

does not seek service with Olivia. If Viola sought service with Olivia, the play

would not have had the effective comedy of a woman in a man's disguise. Also,

Viola would not have had the freedom, or the chance to view life from the male

perspective.

In order to do so, she must disguise herself as a man, later known as

Cesario, to assist her in finding her brother. She comments:

"I prithee,—and I'll pay thee bounteously,--

Conceal me what I am; and be my aid

For such disguise as haply shall become

The form of my intent. I'll serve this duke..." (1.2). Dressing as a man

would ensure her safety, especially against sexual dangers, and Viola would have

access to certain parts of the city that might be closed to females. In addition, the

disguise would preserve her virtue. She is new in Illyria, and being new and

female at the same time would pose a problem for a female. A man, however,

would be safer because of his gender, and Viola needs this safety, as well as

sexual acceptance so that her goal can be properly fulfilled. Of course, it is notable

that Viola's decision to dress as a male adds to the comedy of the play. Donning a

male costume, she becomes Cesario, a page in Duke Orsino's court.

Feminist critics adore Viola's adoption of a male disguise. Written by

essayists Carol Neely, Gayle Greene, and Carolyn Lenz, The Woman's Part:
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Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare, focuses on the societal restraints that Viola

was able to break. Carol Neely in the article "Shakespeare's Cressida: A Kind of

Self published in the above-mentioned book, states that it was important for

Viola to assume a male role if she wanted to successfully break the barriers that

Elizabethan society had forced upon her sex (45-46). "Viola forgets that society

has bound her sex by regulations regarding proper roles; therefore, she sets out

on a quest, trans-gendered, removing all restraints, and becomes a liberated

individual" (48). Such liberation is found by dressing as a man, as well as

showing characteristics of a man in her actions.

Regarding Viola, New Critic L.G. Salingar, in, "The Design of Twelfth

Night," agrees that disguise helps create a barrier from dangers, especially the

sexual advances of men (16). Salingar, however, names the disguise a "mask,"

and asserts that in society, one must adopt a mask for self-preservation (17).

Viola's masculine mask is adopted quickly because she understands her "estate".

This estate is a dangerous one: she is shipwrecked, a virgin, and in a strange land.

Nothing could be more dangerous at this time in her life (17).

While Viola's disguise gives her access to a different world, it also causes

many problems. It can be speculated that Orsino does have romantic feelings for

Viola as they have a close relationship. Viola falls in love with Orsino at sight, but

her disguise keeps her from acting on this feeling. Instead, the relationship

becomes a "friendship" and the characters divulge personal romantic information

to one another. Viola's disguise gives her the chance to work as a page in Orsino's

court, a situation in which she is privy to Orsino's feelings considering Lady

Olivia. Orsino says: "...I have unclapst / To thee the book even of my secret
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soul..." (1.4) According to the text, Orsino's soul is open to Viola. He later tells her

to "...unfold the passion of my love..." (1.4) to Olivia. Only someone with an

intense connection with another's feelings could possibly hold such intimate

information. In this passage, Shakespeare offers a commentary on the

relationship between love and disguise: perhaps disguise is necessary for

romance to blossom.

Could it be that a romance will spark between Orsino and Cesario? If

Shakespeare's commentary is read correctly, will Viola's disguise create a

romantic atmosphere? Orsino comments that he has bared his soul and his

feelings to Cesario. "Thou know'st no less but all..." (1.4). Viola, according to

Orsino, knows his deepest passions, something that no one else knows. Had

Viola kept her feminine costume, she would never have been privy to Orsino's

intimate feelings; but, as Cesario, and as a male, she has a seemingly physical

connection with Orsino. Orsino recognizes the connection and is willing to share

his affections with Cesario.

Viola's goal and the donning of a male disguise cause some problems

within the world of Illyria. In the beginning, Viola's intention was to use her

disguise to search for Sebastian as it would give her access to the kingdom. Her

disguise still serves its original purpose, but is also taking on other functions.

Because of the new function of her disguise, Viola must interact with

Olivia not as a woman, but as a man. Orsino, concerning Olivia, remarked to

Cesario:

Once more, Cesario,

Get thee to yond same sovereign cruelty;

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Tell her my love more noble than the world

Prizes not quantity of dirty lands;

But 'tis that miracle and queen of gems,

That nature pranks her in, attracts my soul (2.4)

It is now Viola's job to be the mediator between Orsino and Olivia. Here, Viola

has experienced a barrier: her disguise is causing her to undertake a job that she

had not considered. Obviously, Viola had not thought she would be the

messenger for Orsino because her thoughts had been consumed by concern for

her missing brother. Fate, however, takes a turn and causes Viola to be the page

that delivers love messages.

While Cesario is delivering messages to Olivia, Olivia becomes keenly

attracted to Cesario, another circumstance that Viola had not anticipated. Viola's

intention had been to dress as Cesario so that she could find her brother, but

now, another woman is attracted to the disguise of Cesario. It is also ironic that

Viola ends up in the house of the Lady that she had first considered working for.

Nonetheless, Viola's goal is on temporary stand-by while she ushers

memorandums concerning Orsino's emotions to Olivia.

Orsino is the character who suffers from his disguise—the disguise that he

creates concerning love. He suffers from a severe case of love-sickness, stating

that he is in love with Lady Olivia. Ordering his musical players to "play on," he

is obviously enjoying his depressed state, using the music as a metaphor for his

"love." "If music be the food of love, play on / Give me excess of it..." (1.1) says

Orsino. The conclusion drawn is that he is more caught up in the idea of being in

love as opposed to loving someone.

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"O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound

That breathes upon a bank of violets,

Stealing and giving odour!" (1.1)

The love that he feels came upon him quickly, and he later describes how this

quick love has made him feel: "Away before me to sweet beds of flowers / Love-

thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers" (1.1). He is not interested in

finding true love—he only appears to be happy in his love-sick state. Cesario, at

this time in Orsino's life, offers a remedy. Perhaps Cesario can win Olivia's

affections for Orsino and bring him out of this state; but, that becomes a hardship

in itself as Cesario falls in love with Orsino. On the surface, this relationship can

not take place. Heterosexual views of Elizabethan England would not have

permitted it.

Northrop Frye on Shakespeare is a series of essays that critiques the

characters in Twelfth Night. Frye's publication is the first that addresses self-

knowledge, more specifically the self-knowledge of Orsino, Olivia, and Viola.

According to Frye's essay, "Shakespeare's Romances" from Northrop Frye on

Shakespeare, Orsino and Olivia are in search of self-knowledge. Orsino has no

"real" concept of self-knowledge because he falls in love with the idea of being in

love. Such a character, says Frye, could never understand who he is because he

has refused to look deep within himself to discover what he truly wants in a

companion. Olivia, states Frye, takes up her own form of "love-sickness" and

pines for the affections of a man who is really a woman. Both are out of touch

with emotion, moping around in sorrows, longing for something that they can
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never have (177-78). Olivia's search for self-knowledge is created because she is

possibly discovering her feelings for a woman, an idea that will be discussed later.

In these essays, Frye explains that these characters temporarily lose their

identity in order to achieve a sense of self-knowledge (180). They are out of touch

with who they are, and are unknowingly searching for true meaning. Frye also

argues that marriage ultimately allows for the achievement of self-knowledge. In

the end, a new feeling / identity is "crystallized," as the characters seem happy

with their new-found identities. He explains that Olivia finds a "new identity" by

marrying Sebastian, who she thought was Cesario. Perhaps, states Frye, Olivia

did not know herself as well as she thought she did as her attraction changes at

the end of the play (206).

One of the larger problems with Frye's work is that it fails to adequately

discuss Viola as a character. Earlier in his career, in "The Argument of Comedy"

that discusses Viola more deeply than his later essays, Frye explains that Olivia

has a poor sense of self-knowledge because of her sudden change in emotions

(63). Viola, however, has a clear concept of self-knowledge and how it relates to

her specific situation. Her emotions and feelings are not altered at all during the

course of the play (64).

Self-knowledge was an aspect of characterization that Larry Champion,

another New Critic, in The Evolution of Shakespeare's Comedies, also focused on.

Champion asserts that in Twelfth Night, Viola gains self-knowledge through a

change in identity (23-24). Changing surface appearance gave Viola a chance to

see the world through a different lens. Through this lens, Viola was able to see

romance from a male perspective. She saw the pain Orsino was experiencing as
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well as the passion that Olivia had for Cesario. Without changing identity, it

would have been impossible for Viola to effectively view the male world through a

male lens (25). It is noticeable that Viola is seeing the world from a male

perspective; but, is she ever able to completely remove the female lens that she

has looked through so many times before? Champion's main argument is that

Viola learns more about herself by seeing the world through a different set of

eyes. Each perspective has to pass through the "mind's eye/' a lens that cannot be

altered with a change in appearance.

John Russell Brown echoes these thoughts in the article "Shakespeare

Survey" in 1955. Brown noted that Viola's placement in Orsino's court eventually

led to personal enjoyment because she fell in love with him (152). Orsino hires

Viola; therefore, he gives himself access to the woman with whom he eventually

falls in love. This access can be construed as fate, but it is coincidental that

Orsino hires the "woman" that he eventually adores. Brown's main assertion is

that Orsino finds a new self-identity because of he finds himself loving

Cesario/Viola (Brown 152). Orsino's new identity is characterized by his passion

for Cesario.

New Criticism tends to reject claims of Orsino's homosexual tendencies.

Brown's criticism was ahead of its time; it was written in the i95O's and focused

on a taboo topic of that time period, namely homosexuality. In the i97O's, C.L.

Barber, also a New Critic who examined characterization in Twelfth Night, had a

different opinion concerning its characters. He conjectures that the characters in

Twelfth Night are "celebrants of their love", and want to obtain happiness

through the "release of their energies" (203). Finding a new self-identity is

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irrelevant, states Barber (203). At the end, the characters are perfectly willing to

return to their prior states. They want "normalcy," not "newness" (204-205). A

new self-identity would have forced Orsino to re-evaluate his situation, perhaps

realizing that he is not after love, but after the "thought" of being in love. Olivia is

in the same position as Orsino. Loving Cesario in the beginning, her attraction

shifts to Sebastian, Viola's brother when she realizes that Cesario is really a

woman in disguise. Actually, Barber also argued that Viola does not gain a new

self-identity because she is willing to return to the man that she loved at the

beginning of the play (Orsino). Her affections have not changed, and Barber

states that Viola does not obtain a new identity.

Does this mean that one must have a complete mental make-over in order

to obtain a new identity? Would Viola have had to realize that her new-found

identity was sexual freedom and to fall in love would only compromise that

freedom? Barber's discourse seems to lean towards these ideas; however, a new

identity is not limited to something that can be measured physically. Viola did

find, as Brown noted, a new identity. She was comfortable in her guise as a male,

and because of this comfortable feeling, she found love in Orsino.

Comfortableness on Viola's part allowed her to share her feelings. The sharing of

these feelings, the information that she gives to Orsino regarding her true desires

made it possible for her to fall in love with him.

Mysteriously, she confesses her love to him. Cesario recounts a story

about his father's daughter (in actuality, Viola) stating:

She never told her love, But let concealment,

like a worm I'th'bud,

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Feed on her damasked cheek: she pined in thought She sat like Patience on a

monument Smiling at grief (2.4). Viola pines for the love of Orsino, and is waiting

patiently to reveal this love. She would not have had this intimate session with

Orsino had he known she was a woman. Here, they are able to confide in one

another without the trivialities of a courtship. Neither is trying to impress the

other, as many people do during courtship. Viola is able to see Orsino for the

person that he really is, not the person that he would have been had they been

"courting." With this new identity, Viola is able to pursue Orsino.

Character analyses continue to be a subject of interest, especially to the

New Historicists. Differing from the New Critics, the Historicists analyze

literature based on the cultural context in which it was written. Robert

Kimbrough, a New Historicist, offers a different critique of sexuality in Twelfth

Night. In his article, "Androgyny Seen Through Shakespeare's Disguise"

Kimbrough explains that during the staging of the play, boys would have played

the parts of the female characters, and sexuality would not have been an issue

with the Elizabethan audience (22). Such thinking is almost impossible for the

contemporary audience. Fueled by constant sexual agendas in the media, a

contemporary audience cannot help but notice the sexual attraction that occurs

between Olivia and Viola without regard to the idea that, in these moments, Viola

is Cesario, a man. But, the erotic atmosphere that develops would not have been

fully noticed by the Elizabethan audience, states Kimbrough (25-27).

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Stephen Greenblatt, the most famous of the New Historicist critics, details his

feelings regarding sexuality in Shakespeare's play. In his article, "Fiction and

Friction/' from Shakespearean Negotiations, Greenblatt discusses how homo-

eroticism is definitely an issue within Twelfth Night (142). Conservative views

allow the coupling of heterosexual beings only. Greenblatt states: "The coupling

of Orsino and Cesario is an impossible coupling. Olivia and Cesario is an

impossible coupling as well. Viola's disguise has not only created sexual

confusion, but Elizabethan conservatism is being challenged as well." (142-143).

It is apparent how disguise has confused the characters. These characters

are able to continue being attracted to Viola because of the disguise that she

wears. As long as Viola wears the male disguise, Olivia is able to be attracted to

her. Disguise changes the appearance of reality for the audience as well as for the

characters (Greenblatt 145). Olivia believes that she is attracted to Cesario, and

the audience is perfectly willing to allow that to happen as long as Olivia is not

aware that Cesario is truly a woman (Greenblatt 147).

It was evident earlier in Greenblatt's writing that disguise helped to

abolish any bias that an audience may have concerning a character. In "Invisible

Bullets," from Shakespearean Negotiations, Greenblatt states that cultural

perceptions could easily be destroyed through disguise as well as drama (88).

The Elizabethan audience would not have given considerable thought to the

homoerotic nature of the play. They would have been aware that Cesario was a

woman in disguise, and this would destroy any serious thought regarding

homoeroticism.
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Greenblatt continues his analysis by stating that the audience realizes the

relationship between Olivia and Cesario is set up to fail. A homosexual

relationship is impossible when regarding the time period (90). With the

removal of the disguise, the romantic problems will be solved, but Viola is unable

to remove the disguise until her goal is fulfilled. An early removal of the disguise

would compromise the search for her brother (Greenblatt 90).

According to the text, Viola is sent to Lady Olivia to woo her for Orsino.

Ironically, Olivia falls in love with Cesario (Viola) instead. Olivia says, "Stay: I

prithee, tell what thou think'st of me" (3.1) Cesario is there to tell about Orsino's

undying affection, but Olivia is concerned with how Cesario perceived her. Is it

merely that Olivia was attracted by Cesario's charm? Olivia tells Cesario: "I

would you were as I would have you be" (3.1). Ironically, Olivia begins

conversing with Viola about the true nature of her identity. Viola reproaches

Olivia, stating that Olivia does not know herself. After a reproach from Olivia,

Viola states: "I am not what I am" (3.1). Olivia's discourse gives me the opinion

that she desperately wants Cesario to return the love she feels. Cesario announces

that no woman will hold the key to his heart (3.3), but Olivia continues to woo

him, hopeful of his submission.

Regarding gender roles and the confusion associated therewith, Joseph

Summers, in "The Masks of Twelfth Night," states that Olivia becomes aggressive

in her pursuit of Cesario. The love that she has for Cesario's "male exterior"

causes Olivia to transform from the socially acceptable "weak" female and into

the aggressive male (17). Olivia's transformation makes Orsino look weak in his

depressed state. He should be the aggressive character, chasing after Olivia, if he

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desires her as passionately as he describes (18). Orsino, thus, becomes

"feminine" and his character enters a state of gender confusion (18-19).

Are these characters to continue in this new role that they have begun to

identify with? Or, will they be saved from the gender confusion that Viola's

disguise has offered? Olivia desperately wants Cesario, but cannot have him

because "he" is really a woman. Viola, dressed as Cesario, is unable to express her

emotions for Orsino because of the trust that he has placed in her as a page in his

court. Her goal is to find her brother, but this goal is temporarily ignored to sort

through the problems that her disguise has created.

Was this what Viola had envisioned when she arrived in Illyria? More than

likely, she was unable to foresee the problems that her disguise would cause. In the

beginning, the issues surrounding the disguise could not be seen. I feel that Viola

did not fully comprehend the repercussions that a "mask" would have. The idea

behind the male disguise was to use it to search for Sebastian, and Viola did not

realize that she would be later intimately linked with two of Illyria's most

prominent citizens. Her goal of finding her brother has been impeded because

she now has to find a way to work out the problems that she has created.

Twelfth Night, because of the gender confusion, creates suspense regarding

the outcome of Olivia's attraction to Cesario. Reviewing earlier events, Olivia

falls in love with Cesario, and the love is deep enough for her to ponder thoughts

of marriage. Olivia tells Cesario: "...I love thee so, that, maugre all thy pride /

Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide..." (3.1). At this point, Olivia is not in

love with a disguise, but in love with the actual person (Viola) that wears the

disguise. Although Viola is wearing a disguise, it is the person underneath the

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disguise that is participating in the discourse. Perhaps it was okay for Olivia to

like the disguise, but now the admiration has deepened. Olivia continues,

Do not extort thy reasons from this clause For that I woo, Thou therefore

hast no cause; But, rather, reason thus with reason fetter—, Love sought is

good, but given unsought is better (3.1). Olivia is seeking an answer from

Cesario. Does he, or does he not, return her affections? Cesario is not at all

reluctant in his answer, and replies,

By innocence I swear, and by my youth, I have

one heart, one boson, and one truth,— And that

no woman has; nor never none Shall mistress

be of it, save I alone. And so adieu, good

madam; never more Will I my master's tears to

you deplore (3.1).

With this answer, Cesario makes his case plain to Olivia. Cesario is rejecting

Olivia's love, and by using abstract terms such as "one heart" and "one truth,"

Cesario maintains an emotional distance from her. Olivia falls in love, but it is a

saddening experience because it is a relationship that is doomed. If Viola

revealed her identity to save the awkwardness that she is feeling, she would

compromise her search. Necessity forces her to remain in disguise, although it

has created this issue.

From Viola's discourse with Olivia, it is apparent how great she is as an

actress. Today, in contemporary cinema, there is a distinction between those

actors and actresses that can discriminate between the character they are playing,
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and the character that they are in reality. Wearing a costume masks the character

that one truly is, and helps the individual obtain a new identity.

There are critics who reject this claim, stating that acting is not the

contributing factor to effective characterization; but, that it is from the costume

that one wears. Such a view is offered by Peter Stallybrass, a New Historicist who

focused on the costumes of the Elizabethan stage in the iQSo's-QO. His

fascinating article, "Worn Worlds: Clothes and Identity on the Renaissance

Stage" conjectures that it is imperative that "an actor have the perfect costume for

his part" (290). The clothing, according to Stallybrass, will make the individual;

the individual does not create the costume (292). With this view, Stallybrass

states that Viola contributes nothing to her male identity. It is the costume that

shapes Viola's character, and the audience better understands Viola because of

the costume that she wears (292-293).

If Stallybrass is accurate in his attempt to analyze Viola, why then was

Olivia so keenly attracted to Cesario? It is obvious that Olivia found a kinship in

Viola, and used that kinship to feed her passion for Viola's companionship. This

kinship is found because both characters are women. They connect on an

intimate level because they understand the romantic anguish that each is

experiencing. Harold Bloom, however, rejects this claim.

Bloom, from Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, feels that Viola,

as a character, is perhaps the greatest actress that ever lived in the realm of the

imagination (228). Viola not only takes on the costume, but speaks in such a way

that demands someone to hearken. She is the only character who offers true

feeling, as she comments: "Write loyal cantons of contemned love / And sing
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them loud even in the dead of night..." (1.4). Not only is she poetic, but she is

demanding in her tone: "O, You should not rest / Between the elements of air and

earth / But you should pity me" (1.4). In a monologue, she expresses such a

poetic version of her love. Bloom is correct in stating that Viola is a great actress.

Her speech and unwavering affection make her the only "true" character in the

play.

Susan Fischer backs up this claim in her article "Some are Born

Great...Comic Resolution in Twelfth Night." From a New Historicist perspective,

Fischer uses her 1989 article to describe how costume affects one's ability to fully

become the character he or she is trying to portray. According to Fischer, the

costume that Viola wears only causes confusion for others outside the costume,

never for Viola who is in it (80). Because Viola is an excellent actress, the

transformation is a successful one (83). Although the costume affects how other

characters perceive her, this perception does not affect Viola personally. Viola is

not deceived by her own costume. There is one more lingering question

regarding Fischer's analysis. Could Viola have been confused about her identity? I

feel that because Viola is aware that she is a woman, and comments on her

sexuality to Olivia (no woman will be mistress of her heart), she is not confused

about her identity.

The arrival of Sebastian creates the solution. Sebastian appears on the

scene; he will free Viola from the chains of the disguise. Once she realizes that

Sebastian is alive, there is no need for her to remain dressed as a man.

Shakespeare presents Sebastian to the audience in Scene III. Speaking to

Antonio, a young man that Sebastian meets by chance in Illyria, Sebastian states
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I would not by my will have troubled you;

But, since you make your pleasure of your pains,

I will no further chide in you (3.3).

Sebastian is in need of some answers. He confronts Antonio, someone that he

happens upon by chance, and questions him about the city of Illyria. Sebastian

continues his discourse with Antonio:

I pray you, let us satisfy our eyes

With the memorials and the things of fame

That do renown this city (3.3).

Antonio responds to Sebastian's first remark by saying: "...My desire / More

sharp than filed steel, did spur me forth /And not all love to see you though so

much as might have drawn me to a longer voyage" (3.3). From this quote, it is

evident that Antonio has formed an attraction to Sebastian. His desire is sharper

than steel and "love" drew Antonio to Sebastian, creating another homoerotic

relationship in the play.

Laurie Osborne, a New Historicist critic, explains in her article "Antonio's

Pardon" that from the beginning of Antonio's discourse, it is apparent that he is a

homosexual (109). His passionate speeches to Sebastian are clear depictions of

his feelings (109-110). The question remains: will Sebastian return these

affections? With all the confusion that has been created regarding gender roles,

one can only wait until the completion of the play to discover if the Antonio /

Sebastian relationship will develop (ill).

Entering Illyria, Sebastian happens upon Olivia's house, and while he is

there, Olivia sees him, and mistakes him for Cesario. Sebastian, having no
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understanding of Viola's disguise, or her connection with Olivia, harkens to her

cries. Olivia fervently states: "Let thy fair wisdom, not thy passion sway / Go with

me to my house..." (4.1). Olivia, out of passion, mistakes Sebastian for Cesario,

another problem that Viola's disguise has created. Viola, after adopting the

disguise, favors her brother prodigiously, and the similarities in appearance are

what deceive Olivia. Sebastian, obviously enjoying the affections that Olivia

presents, exclaims: "What relish is in this? How runs the stream? / Or I am mad,

or else this is a dream / If it be thus to dream, still let me sleep" (4.1). Upon

entering this city, Sebastian realizes that he is somehow known to the citizens,

especially to Olivia as they end up marrying. Sebastian's function is to serve as a

male substitute for his sister. He enters the play at a moment when he is needed

most. Sebastian is needed to relieve Viola of the disguise, as well as un-create the

confusion that the disguise has caused. He calls himself "mad" because of his

confusion. Olivia, a woman he has never met, has confessed love to him.

Shakespeare is commenting on the connection between madness and disguise.

Through disguise, madness can occur. It causes people to act in ways that they

normally would not. Olivia is beside herself with joy because she feels that she is

marrying Cesario, the "man of her dreams." Not only does disguise create gender

confusion and homoeroticism, it causes madness among the characters.

Osborne continues in her analysis by giving a brief explanation of the

wedding between Olivia and Sebastian. Olivia continues to believe that Sebastian

is truly Cesario, and because of this belief, engages a priest to marry them (4.3).

Thus, the relationship between Antonio and Sebastian comes to an end (Osborne
 Crowder 20

112). Olivia's marriage frees her from any bond that may have connected them

before (112-113).

Although Sebastian's arrival presents a solution to the problem, it is

ultimately marriage that provides the most stabilizing force for the play. In the

book William Shakespeare, New Historicist Terry Eagleton explains that marriage

helps to solve any sexual issues that arise during the course of the play. Desire

forms into a stable state, and that stablility is found in marriage. Marriage is

when eroticism and public institutions harmoniously interlock. The finality of

Twelfth Night is only acceptable because marriage is stable, and stability is what

the characters desperately need (21-22).

It is in Act V that the play comes to its close. Sebastian and Viola come

face to face, and Viola's goal has been successfully achieved. To Viola, Sebastian

comments

Do I stand there? I never had a brother;

Nor can there be that deity in my nature...

I had a sister, whom the blind waves and surges have

Devour'd (5.1).

Sebastian is amazed at the likeness between himself and Cesario, and begins to

ask about his parentage. He, as stated above, notes the disguise and perceives it

as real, commenting on the storm that "consumed" his sister (5.1). He is awe-

stricken, and during his interrogation, has hope that this look-alike has answers

concerning his sister's whereabouts.

Viola's replies: "If nothing lets to make us happy both / But this my

masculine usurpt attire / I am Viola" (5.1). The disguise has now been removed;
 Crowder21

the goal is complete. Viola continues to explain how she took service in Orisno's

court: "I was preserved to serve this noble count / All the occurrence of my

fortune since / Hath been between this lady [Olivia] and this lord" (5.1).

Then, Orsino reminds Viola: "Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /

Thou never shouldst love a woman like to me" (5.1). Orsino understands the

extent of Viola's disguise. Now, he wants to see her in her "woman's weeds." Lisa

Jardine, author of Reading Shakespeare Historically, follows a New Historicist

reading of Twelfth Night, and argues that in the end, sexual identities swap

between the characters (76). Viola, earlier the "commander" becomes the

subservient individual. She is a "commander" because she has been able to

successfully deceive the male characters by wearing a male costume (77).

Sebastian becomes the "commander," switching from the subservient male that

he was earlier (76). He is a "commander" at the end of the play because he is now

a husband, and controls the dialogue during the last moments of the play (77). It

is he that breaks the deception of the play. Becoming the subservient one, Viola

couples with Orsino, donning her "woman's weeds" so that Elizabethan values

can be satisfied (77-78).

Jan Veenstra is one critic who disagrees with homo-eroticism in the play.

A New Historicist Shakespearean critic of the late 19905, she rejects the view of

Twelfth Night as a homo-erotic text. She feels that homosexuality would not have

been an issue in the imaginative realm of the play, as well as in the actual

audience's reception of the play. It was her article, "The Historicism: On Poetics

of Culture and the Interpretation of Shakespeare" that brought the idea of

Renaissance Heat Theory into public view. This theory claims that all fetuses are
 Crowder 22

female, beginning with the same sexual template, which, as scientists have

discovered, is actually true. This theory also held that it was the presence of

"erotic heat" during intercourse that determined whether the genitals would

protrude, producing a male, or stay inverted resulting in a female. The only

difference between the sexes is that the males were the result of a more heated

sexual union (182).

Veenstra's idea is a legitimate claim; but, if the sexes are the same, where is

the comedy? The differentiation between the sexes causes the audience to find

humor in Viola's disguise, yet Veenstra claims that the sexes would have been

equal without the disguise. Perhaps she is commenting that Viola becomes

unequal by wearing a man's costume. If Viola had been equal sexually with the

men in Illyria, dressing in costume would have been absurd. But it is because of

her personal well-being that she dresses as a man.

Sexuality is a definite issue in Twelfth Night, as the characters seem to be

confused as to the roles that they are supposed to fill. Elam Keir, a New

Historicist of the IQQO'S, also feels that sexuality is not a problem in the text, but

for reasons not explicated by Veenstra. Keir feels that Viola's sexuality is

canceled because she takes on the role of a eunuch, detailing this idea in his

article "The Fertile Eunuch: Twelfth Night, Early Modern Intercourse, and the

Fruits of Castration" (18). He states that because of the disguise as a eunuch,

Viola has no sexual identity, but gives sexuality to the play. Her disguise creates a

barrier for her, but shapes the heterosexual desires of Olivia (19-20).

With this disguise, Viola creates an atmosphere of sexual tension. Keir's

analysis is on target, probing the significance of Viola's disguise. Initially, it was

 Crowder 23

to be used as an "identity-aversion" to distract others from noticing her

femininity. Now, her disguise has created sexual confusion.

Elaine Showalter, a feminist critic from the igSo's, offers a striking view of

the coupling of Orsino and Viola. In her article "Ophelia: The Responsibilities of

Feminist Criticism," Showalter mentions that both Orsino and Viola have

mastered the masculine identity (79). Will there be a separation of sexual roles

once a marriage is consummated? Or, will there be a clash of identity within the

Duke's home? Showalter seems to feel that someone will have to step down, and

that someone will more than likely be Viola. In order to keep with the traditions

of the day, Viola will have to become a feminine character once again so the

conservative views will be satisfied (80). She does frown upon such a decision,

but, according to her view, once the disguise is removed, so is the role. While in

disguise, any role could have been fulfilled; but, now that she is no longer

masked, she must return to the former feminine role that she held (82-83).

Olivia's coupling with Sebastian can be considered as "settlement" more

than a pairing of contentment. New Historicist Marjorie Garber states that

during the Renaissance, women were insincere in their passions. "Women

usually married out of convenience; a marriage of love would have been almost

non-existent" (356). Garber's essay, "The Insincerity of Women" was the first

article by a female to offer negative feelings concerning women in Twelfth Night.

Garber, however, is not a feminist critic and feels that Olivia, unlike Viola, did not

gain any liberation through her experience with Cesario (356). Olivia chooses to

marry the man that she thinks is Cesario; yet, when it is discovered that she did

not marry Cesario, she is content with her situation. "Olivia becomes insincere in
 Crowder 24

her love, as it changes from person to person, in the case of Cesario and

Sebastian" (357). Insincerity was noticeable in the beginning regarding Orsino's

affections, and now, it is apparent that Olivia's love is transparent. With a

willingness to change love interests, Olivia becomes the ideal woman on the

Renaissance stage (357). She is willing to change her love to satisfy the other

characters in the play.

This analysis is misguided in its attempt to define Olivia's relationship

with Sebastian. Although Olivia's affections do change at the end of the play, it is

because Viola's deception has caused Olivia to think she married Cesario. Viola's

goal-setting created a problem of mistaken identities and Olivia married

Sebastian instead of Cesario. Obviously, something was present besides the

deception that caused Olivia to be attracted to Sebastian. Garber's interpretation

denies that Olivia's love for Sebastian is authentic. Had disguise not been an

issue, I would more readily agree with Garber's analysis; however, disguise does

play an important role as it causes Olivia to mistake Sebastian for Cesario.

In the end of Twelfth Night, Olivia, Orsino and Viola find happiness.

Viola's goal was to find her brother, and her disguise was successful in helping

her obtain that goal. The other characters were able to find happiness as well,

once the "masks" had been removed, and the falsities had been acknowledged.

Alexander Leggatt sums the issue of love and gender confusion in Twelfth Night

by stating that the characters are only "misguided because they have not found

true love. No relief or satisfaction can abide in their souls until their love-

matches are found" (661-662). New Historicist Yu Ko comments on Leggatt's

findings: "The characters may have been misguided, but they seem to have found
 Crowder 25

true love. Regardless of the level of satisfaction, the characters received what

they wanted. Olivia married a man that reminded her of Cesario, Orsino was able

to cure his love-sickness, and Viola marries Orsino" (168).

Viola fulfills the goal of finding her brother, and also gains happiness.

Olivia learns that she can live contentedly with Sebastian. Orsino realizes that he

may have loved Viola all along, even though she was not in her "woman's weeds."

The characters find satisfaction in the end, and are able to live harmoniously.

Overall, disguise does create confusion; but, is there an instance when it

could create something good? Through his play, Shakespeare remarks that

disguise does have its good moments, but there is also a negative side. Viola,

dressed as a man, affects the lives of Orsino and Olivia. The good comes when

Olivia's passions are opened, and she comes out of her state of mourning because

she "falls in love" with Cesario; and, Orsino bears his innermost feelings to

Cesario. Negativity appears when gender confusion arises. I believe that

Shakespeare inspires his audience to think about the nature of disguise and the

consequences that it can have. Disguise can be wicked, or it can have the success

that one may intend it to have. Viola does fulfill her goal, but Shakespeare's play

causes me to wonder if the fulfillment of the goal is the focus, or if the confusion

created is the focus. I feel that the confusion is the focus. Viola's literal disguise

must be removed in order to break the confusion, and she does this. Viola is not

aware of the problems the disguise will create and this is why she is so abrupt to

wear it. Shakespeare inspires me with this final thought: wear a disguise if it is

fully necessary; but, always be aware of the consequences because there will be

some, and they will have to be dealt with in time.

 Crowder 28

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