Social Norms In William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

Breaking through the closet

William Shakespeare’s plays in the late 1500’s and early 1600’s were known for introducing groundbreaking ideas, experimenting with gender, sexuality, love and fighting stereotypes. Through the character Viola, Twelfth Night breaks social norms by exploring the journey of combatting socially-constructed traditional gender roles as well as exploring queer identities, relationships and desires.

The central character of Twelfth Night, Viola, is a prime example of the ways in which gender is performed in the play. Disguising herself as a man after surviving a shipwreck, Viola’s character is a vital aspect in understanding gender in Shakespeare's plays. Crossdressing is a central theme in Twelfth Night and a groundbreaking

In the doubly androgynous role of male actor playing a woman playing a man, Viola/Cesario must literally perform the role of the male; her success before the aristocratic Orsino and Olivia consequently points to the constructedness and performative character of gender itself” (Casey,123-124). Shakespeare uses the ideals and rules of society to his advantage. Viola is played by a young boy who is seen as similarly demure and desirable enough to draw a crowd, as well as still standing lower on the social food chain than men do. It finds the perfect balance between socially acceptable and nonthreatening, allowing for a more disguised script hinting at queer desires and gender exploration. The complexity of a man playing a woman disguised as a man is an exploration in the performance of gender alone. However, we also see the way that Viola struggles with expressing her feelings. “I’ll do my best To woo your lady. Aside. Yet a barful strife! Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife.”(Shakespeare, 25) Viola is being sent to woo the Lady Oliva for Orsino. Viola voices her struggle aside, discussing her feelings about how she now has to go court Olivia for Orisno, the man she has feelings for. Viola, of course, cannot confess to Orsino, as he is under

It is seen as two people vying for the love of another with no connection between the suitors, however a proper love triangle is an attraction between all three characters. Twelfth Night gives proper representation of love triangles through the use of Orsino, Viola and Olivia. Love triangles, most often, when actually classified as a triangle is inherently queer. This is due to the idea that there are two or more members of the same sex within it; in this case Olivia’s love for Viola, while seemingly heterosexual, the underlying foundation of the relationship is rooted in Viola’s personality. Even from their first meeting Oliva seems to be smitten. “I do I know not what, and fear to find Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind. Fate, show thy force. Ourselves we do not owe. What is decreed must be, and be this so..”(Shakespeare, 45) Olivia after their first meeting removes a ring and summons Malvolio to go after Viola, she mentions how she knows Orsino is not the man for her and she worries that she may be falling for Cesario simply based on appearance, that she is using her eyes instead of thinking logically. When Oliva falls for Cesario, she does so entirely under the impression that due to his appearance he is a man, this is a key moment to discuss when it comes to investigating how fluid gender is and how its performance is sometimes