Viola concentrates on her situation and survival, asking the captain if he "know'st.this country?" Whereas Sebastian reacts by mourning his sister's death aimlessly and woefully, saying that his "stars shine darkly." The most blatant comment on gender is made by Orsino in the final act. He talks of Viola's "soft and tender breeding" just after he learns that she is a woman, and has a twin brother, Sebastian. Viola's breeding is therefore exactly the same as Sebastian's, and Orsino associates her with softness and tenderness purely because she is a woman. This is supported by Orsino's previous comment that Viola acts "against the mettle of her sex" whilst she is Cesario, which shows the existence of a stereotyped image of softness and tenderness mentioned previously. Orsino's final command that Viola should become her "master's mistress," shows the male dominance over the female sex. Orsino's sense of ownership of Viola is highlighted by his reference to her as "boy," even when he had found out her true identity. This lack of acknowledgement of the differences between a woman and a servant, could suggest their similarities. .
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. Olivia is in mourning for seven years over the death of her brother, and is described by Orsino as "a cloistress." However, she seems to be flourishing in her newfound independence, as she rules her household competently with no male support to speak of (Sir Toby is a hindrance). Olivia shows her expected female fickleness by rejecting the attentions of Orsino, who would appear to be the most suited to her for marriage. Instead, she pursues Cesario, a servant and a eunuch, expressing her feelings by saying 'even so quickly may one catch the plague?" The persistence of her attentions towards Cesario could be explained by her attraction to "his" sensitive and tender qualities, described by her as "perfections.
