Romance And Gender Positions In Twelfth Night

Shakespeares Twelfth Night examines patterns of love and courtship through a twisting of gender roles. In Act 3, scene 1, Olivia displays the disarray created for both characters and audience as she takes on the traditionally phallic role of wooer in an attempt to win the wrap up Viola, or Cesario. Olivia praises Cesarios beauty and then addresses him playfulnessh the belief that his scorn (3.1.134) meagerly reveals his hidden love. However, Olivias mistaken interpretation of Cesarios manner is only the airfoil problem presented by her speech. The reality of Cesarios gender, the active role Olivia takes in pursuing him/her, and the duality of word meanings in this passage puff to turn the traditional patriarchal concept of courtship item down, or as Olivia says turn night to noon (139). mayhap the biggest upset to the traditional structure is the possibility that Olivia may be in love bill of fareh a woman. Shakespeare allows his audience to excuse this by having Olivia be unaware that Cesario is actually female. Yet, Olivias attraction seems to stem scarce from the more feminine characteristics like Cesarios beautiful scorn and gaga lip (136-137).

Olivias words allow an audience, particularly a juvenile one, to perhaps read her as suspecting or even knowledgeable that Cesario is female, yet choosing to love him/her anyway. Olivias description of Cesarios beauty, both here and upon their atomic number 61 encounter, praises typically feminine qualities, but curiously doesnt question Cesarios gender. The simile of love to guilt tempts the readers mind to wonder if Olivia is guilty band h er love for such female attributes. Olivias ! oath on girlhood also tempts the reader toward a lesbian reading by hinting that Cesario would also understand maidenhood (141). When Olivia declares that not even wit nor reason(143) can hide her passion, she suggests that she would love Cesario even if it were against logic, as a same sex couple would be. Despite the unacceptability of...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: BestEssayCheap.com

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