Explore Shakespeare’s presentation of gender within Twelfth

and subsequent inability to tell Orsino of her love for him. He reflects the complexities of human nature and identity by showing contradictions in the genders of many characters, especially that of Feste. Shakespeare presents gender in both an obvious and comic, yet also subtle and poignant way to the audience.

Feste has the ability to perceive the true identity of every character, despite the confusions caused by appearance and language. He displays both male and female characteristics, as he is very competitive, yet also very sensitive. This is shown by his perceptive view of Cesario, who he teases for looking young when he asks Jove to 'send thee a beard!' However he also manages to penetrate the masks of others, for example Olivia's insincerity in her mourning, and use this to his own advantage. Feste judges that Olivia will appreciate his joke that she is a fool, and manages to win her favour back again, shown when she says ‘doth he not mend?’ He uses his sensitivity to his advantage, a resource normally displayed in the play by Viola, shown when she decides that there is ‘fair behaviour’ in the captain, and persuades him to help her become a eunuch. Although Feste is male, his aloofness and detached view of the world make him hard to define into either gender stereotype. This is shown by his abstract comments such as ‘For the rain it raineth every day,’ and his language in general which is poetic, but also cynical and from a male perspective. This supports the idea that although the majority of characters could be defined into one gender or the other, most show qualities of both. Shakespeare uses Feste to highlight the contradictions and confusions associated with defining gender, supported more obviously with his presentation of Viola as a man.

Shakespeare presents gender as a trait independent of appearance, that is guided by the identity of a character, especially in situations involving love. This is shown by Viola and Orsino’s marriage, as in my opinion Orsino falls in love with her before it is revealed that she is a woman. The reason for this is that the moment he knows her as Viola, he says 'give me thy hand,' which is too short a time to fall in love with her. It is possible that Shakespeare is suggesting Orsino's repressed homosexuality, which is supported by his fickle attitude to love and women. Orsino contradicts his views on love by saying at one point that men’s love is ‘more giddy and unfirm’ than women’s love, and later he says that his love is stronger than any woman’s. However, I think that Orsino is a fickle character anyway, and Shakespeare is using him to present the complexities of human nature and relationships, rather than his sexual orientation. Therefore, although appearance can amplify and confuse the issue, Shakespeare is presenting gender and identity as much more complex issues, dependent on many factors other than appearance.

Initially in the play, Shakespeare establishes the conventional definition of a man and a woman in the characters of Orsino and Olivia. Both are of high status, clarified by Shakespeare by the wealthy households they control. Ol

Some topics in this essay:
Sir Toby, Antonio Antonio, Viola Orsino’s, Sir Andrew, Sebastian’s Orsino, Ironically Orsino, Feste Shakespeare, Night Viola, , Sebastian Cesario, sir andrew, sir toby, gender identity, shakespeare gender, elizabethan times, human nature, twelfth night, ‘stars shine darkly’, love cesario, fickle attitude, masculine traits, andrew sir toby, complexities human nature, elizabethan times women, fickle attitude love,