Twelfth Night Feminism Essay
Brie Adelstein
Honors English
Mr. McNulty
2 November 2016
Feminism in Twelfth Night Shakespeare's Twelfth Night drastically changed the way people viewed men and women in the Elizabethan age. For decades, women have been perceived as “emotional (irrational), weak, nurturing, and submissive” while men have been viewed as “rational, strong, protective, and decisive” (Feminist 84). In contrast, Viola, Lady Olivia, and Maria are powerful characters in the play who challenge the era’s scientific theory that females were merely defective males. The main character, Viola, hides her identity through the duration of the play by dressing as a male figure (Cesario) who is seen as her twin brother Sebastian. She disguises herself as a male in order to have a superior ranking in society by working for the Duke Orsino. This position allowed her to enjoy the great responsibility and respect …show more content…
In this position she refutes the disempowering idea that, “it is not feminine to succeed in business, to be extremely intelligent, to earn big bucks, to have strong opinions, to have a healthy appetite (for anything), or to assert one’s rights” (Feminist 87). As Lady Olivia falls in love with Cesario (Viola), she starts to deviate from the, “submissive, fragile, and sexually pure” (Feminism 105) norm into a more male oriented figure. In other words, she becomes “aggressive” in her lust for Cesario which is behavior that is associated with, “the male ‘instinct’ to be to be the breadwinner and to protect the home-- so has unsubstantiated opinion been widely accepted as fact concerning the role of the maternal instinct in females” (Feminism 108). As Lady Olivia takes on this role, Orsino becomes submissive in aspiring for her love which allows him to take on a more feministic role. The gender confusion between these characters is a good preface to the more modern ideals that came to light as a result of this
Honors English
Mr. McNulty
2 November 2016
Feminism in Twelfth Night Shakespeare's Twelfth Night drastically changed the way people viewed men and women in the Elizabethan age. For decades, women have been perceived as “emotional (irrational), weak, nurturing, and submissive” while men have been viewed as “rational, strong, protective, and decisive” (Feminist 84). In contrast, Viola, Lady Olivia, and Maria are powerful characters in the play who challenge the era’s scientific theory that females were merely defective males. The main character, Viola, hides her identity through the duration of the play by dressing as a male figure (Cesario) who is seen as her twin brother Sebastian. She disguises herself as a male in order to have a superior ranking in society by working for the Duke Orsino. This position allowed her to enjoy the great responsibility and respect …show more content…
In this position she refutes the disempowering idea that, “it is not feminine to succeed in business, to be extremely intelligent, to earn big bucks, to have strong opinions, to have a healthy appetite (for anything), or to assert one’s rights” (Feminist 87). As Lady Olivia falls in love with Cesario (Viola), she starts to deviate from the, “submissive, fragile, and sexually pure” (Feminism 105) norm into a more male oriented figure. In other words, she becomes “aggressive” in her lust for Cesario which is behavior that is associated with, “the male ‘instinct’ to be to be the breadwinner and to protect the home-- so has unsubstantiated opinion been widely accepted as fact concerning the role of the maternal instinct in females” (Feminism 108). As Lady Olivia takes on this role, Orsino becomes submissive in aspiring for her love which allows him to take on a more feministic role. The gender confusion between these characters is a good preface to the more modern ideals that came to light as a result of this