The confusion and disorders that are constantly fueling the play's comic genre are catalyzed by errors and disguises throughout. In the drama, several characters adopt guises. In order to create internal strife and confusion among the characters in a way that appeals to the audience, Shakespeare uses disguise in his play. (Williams 197). The play's audience is constantly curious as to how many more misunderstandings and conflicts there will be in the play and how they will be settled.
Viola poses as a male in order to assist the Duke Orsino. Shakespeare creates a state of sexual confusion when he dresses his protagonist character in male clothing. There is a love triangle between the three characters, including Olivia, Viola and Orsino which is as a result of disguise. Olivia has fallen in love with a woman, even after he believes that he is a male, and Orsino frequently comment on the beauty of Cesario, meaning he is attracted to Viola even in his male disguise. However, even after Viola’s true identity is revealed, Orsino’s pronounces his love to Viola meaning that he loves lengthening the disguised Viola’s masculinity. Interestingly, Orsino continues to call Viola with her male name even after her true identity is known. Accordingly, it is questionable whether Orsino truly loves Viola, or he is just infatuated because of her male disguise. In Elizabethan period, sodomy was a capital offense, as a result a hint of homoeroticism like the one portrayed by Orsino might evoke surprise, and however it may not be given prominences. As a result, this may call for incredulous laughter among Elizabethan audience, something which has been suggested by a number of day critics. This can be associated with the theory of incongruity laughter, the concurrence of incompatible things. Shakespeare is employing the use of mistake to create a state of sexual confusion among his characters which induce humor. Nonetheless, the author is trying to communicate important information about the true nature of love and whether true love should be considers as wrong love based on gender. Other characters that are in disguise include Malvolio and Feste. Malvolio wears crossed garters and yellow body stockings with an aim of winning Olivia, whereas Feste puts on like pries––Sir Topas––when he talks to Malvolio after locking the stewards in a poorly-lit room (Hotson 34). Feste disguise himself even though Malvolio might not see him because he is in a dark room. Shakespeare, in his play is trying to communicate a fact that clothing is not just in the eye of the beholder, but rather it is something that gives people new identity––Feste things that for him to be Sir Topas, he must try to look like him. While Viola puts on new clothes to disguise her gender, Malvolio and Feste put on new clothes with an aim of either impersonating a nobleman or become a nobleman. Shakespeare raises a question of what really makes us what we are through clothing of his characters with different garments. The author compels the audience to thinks if in any case a change of clothe can change our gender and class.
Mistakes
Shakespeare brings out two great mistakes at the beginning of the play. For one, Olivia and Orsino assume false personalities, being unaware that the rules of love comedy and romantic psychology they are preparing for marriage even though not for one another. The conflict of the play starts when Viola enters disguised as a man and she is given the name Cesario. Throughout the scene, mistake controls the direction of the activities. Viola cannot win Orsino’s love in as much as she is mistaken for Cesario.
In Act I, Scene IV, Orsino makes a mistake of sending Cesario, really Viola to help him win the love of Countess Olivia; little did he know that Olivia will fall for the messenger instead. Cesario tells his master that he will do his best to help him win the love of Olivia but in aside says “Whoo’er I woo, myself would b his wife.” (I.IV.41). At this point things become complicated and more difficult. The use of disguise by the author leaves the audience in suspense of what will happen, little did they know that the disguise will bring a lot of confusion. Cesario is very eloquent and relentless while given opportunity to express the kind of love that his master the Duke Orsino has for Olivia, however, Olivia reject the love instead he shows love for the messenger.
Orsino and Olivia present the same kind of complexities. They both have a spirit which can be awakened, but they made a mistake of assuming false identity, like a self-centered misery premised on luxurious unrequited love. Orsino is fascinated by self-indulgence that he could not remember to seek love except in a slumber land of rich music. Orsino’s mistake, just like the one of Olivia must be awakened by another spontaneous love, a duty that Viola does. Viola, the protagonist in the play suffers the mistakes done by others. While she is the least deceived among the three, she too still takes part in masking her true identity. Her mistake is evident when she cannot foresee the aftermath of her disguising, not even from self-deceit. Her superficial reveals her disturbed spirit. Her first unexpected change is evident when she realizes that in the role of Cesario she must, however against her will, reveal the passion of the love that Orsino has for Olivia (Williams 193). Already she realizes the unexpected challenges that may emanate from disguise, however good the intention one has. “Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness, wherein the pregnant enemy does much.” (11.ii.27-28) in order to overcome her mistakes, she has to continue to be patient. “0 time, thou must untangle this, not I, It is too hard a knot for me t'untie.” (11.ii.4Cb41). Other complications are inevitable, when Cesario has to meet the full rage of jealous from her master, the Duke Orsino after rejecting his love. But left at the mercies of time, the mistakes that Viola makes works to correct and clarify mistakes others make.
The Role That the Gender or Class Play in Disguise
Gender is one of the themes that is most discussed in the play, Twelfth Night. This play is the so-called transvestite comedy, where a female character––Viola, in this case disguises herself as a male. The disguise leads to a sexual confusion: Viola is in love with Orsino but she is afraid of telling him because she feels that Orsino thinks she is a man, whilst, Olivia falls in love with Viola because he thinks she is a woman. Shakespeare brings homoerotic subtext in this play: Olivia falls for a woman, in as much as she thinks he is a man. Further complication is evident when Orsino frequently talks about the beauty of Cesario, hinting that he is attracted to her even before her disguise is revealed. The latent homoeroticism that the Shakespeare presents is also evident in the minor character, Antonio, who is in love with Sebastian. However, Antonio’s feelings and desires can never be satisfied, on the other hand Orsino and Olivia find satisfaction in heterosexual ones the sexual confusions are ironed out. Hitherto, even at the end of the play, the author leaves the situation rather misty, particularly in the relationship between Orsino and Viola (Williams 199). Orsino’s love for Viola hints that he takes pleasure in prolonged pretense of Viola’s masculinity. Even after Viola’s disguise has been straightened out, Orsino still continue to tell her that, “Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand times / Thou never should’st love woman like to me” (V.i.260–261). Furthermore, Orsino continues to call Viola with her male name, even though he already knows that she is a woman. The gender role throughout the play brings a total state of confusion, as we wonder whether there is true love here.
The author puts it clear that self-love and mercenary friendship do not have a root in human existence, for all the three major characters in the play are used because of their desert. These are some of their mistakes. Shakespeare further posits that the secret of a true love and companion is subtle and a delicate one because of uncalculating kindness and unprompted feelings.
Works cited
Williams, Porter. "Mistakes in Twelfth Night and Their Resolution: A Study in Some Relationships of Plot and Theme." Publications of the Modern Language Association of America (1961): 193-199.
Shakespeare, William. Twelfth night. Cengage Learning EMEA, 1975.
Hotson, Leslie. "The First Night of Twelfth Night (London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1954)." I rely on Hotson for details about the Duke of Bracciano, his family, and his visit to England (1954).
