... enjoy certain social privileges relative to other women as a benefit of their social class, an issue that is important, particularly in the context of Twelfth Night, and which is often overlooked throughout the body of Shakespeare criticism. Although being of the aristocratic class permits both women some freedoms that poorer women did not enjoy, it also imposes an extra set of gender expectations ... upon them. Like Hermia, it is important for the women in Twelfth Night, especially for Olivia, to marry within their class so as to protect and sustain their social position. Also like Herm...

• Word Count: 2208
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Graduate