This essay explores the themes of gender subversion and illness within Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night".
Table of Contents
1. Illness and Gender Trouble: Cesario as a Force of Change in Twelfth Night
Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how the character of Viola/Cesario acts as a subversive force that disrupts the stagnant power dynamics of Illyrian society in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. By navigating between Elizabethan gender norms and the play's internal logic, the research questions whether the apparent heteronormative conclusion truly resolves the gender-subversive nature of the play or reinforces its transgressive potential.
- The intersection of illness, gluttony, and love-sickness in Illyrian culture.
- Viola's disguise as an instrument for shattering the power stalemate between Orsino and Olivia.
- The performative nature of gender and its departure from Elizabethan biological expectations.
- Deconstruction of the "happy ending" as a potential facade for underlying subversion.
- The psychological transformation of Duke Orsino through his interactions with Cesario.
Excerpt from the Book
Illness and Gender Trouble: Cesario as a Force of Change in Twelfth Night
Even if Twelfth Night appears to be quite queer and subversive through the ambiguously queer attractions between Orsino, Olivia and Viola/Cesario the concluding scene of the play seems to abandon all notions of gender subversiveness. With the appearance of Sebastian and reveal of Viola’s disguise Orsino and Olivia’s attractions neatly transfer onto heteroromantic subjects and “may register with the audience as a laughable case of mistaken identity and heteronormative reinstatement.” (Thomas 2008: 310-11) This would nullify any kind of gender subversion were we to talk about a play outside the Elizabethan context but within its surroundings, Twelfth Night remains subversive in nature not to the end but, as we will see, particularly because of the way its concluding scene is played out. I want to argue that Illyrian society as it is presented in the play is at a power stalemate between Orsino and Olivia which is only broken up because Viola in her disguise as Cesario functions as a gender-subversive force of disturbance. I want to further argue that the kind of subversiveness Viola displays does not get neatly resolved into heteronormative terms at the end of the play but within the Elizabethan context functions as highly transgressive.
Summary of Chapters
1. Illness and Gender Trouble: Cesario as a Force of Change in Twelfth Night: This chapter establishes the theoretical framework regarding gender subversion and Elizabethan norms, arguing that Viola's disguise acts as a catalyst that disrupts the established power stalemate between the play's central figures.
Keywords
Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare, Gender Trouble, Elizabethan Gender Norms, Viola, Cesario, Orsino, Olivia, Love-sickness, Subversion, Transgression, Performance, Illyria, Humour Theory, Gender Identity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the role of Viola/Cesario as a disruptive, gender-subversive force within the social and emotional landscape of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key thematic areas include the tension between Elizabethan gender expectations, the imagery of sickness and gluttony in Illyria, and the performative nature of gender roles.
What is the main research argument?
The author argues that while the play concludes with a traditionally heteronormative outcome, the disruptive actions of Viola/Cesario remain fundamentally transgressive within the Elizabethan context.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The work utilizes literary analysis, incorporating perspectives from Elizabethan humour theory and contemporary gender studies to evaluate character motivations.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body examines the stagnant relationship between Orsino and Olivia, the transformative impact of the Cesario disguise, and the psychological changes in Orsino's character.
Which keywords best describe this research?
The research is categorized by terms such as Gender Trouble, Subversion, Elizabethan Norms, Twelfth Night, and Performance.
How does the imagery of sickness affect the interpretation of the play?
The author argues that the language of disease and gluttony highlights a moral flaw in Illyrian society, framing Orsino's initial love-sickness as a physical manifestation of his imbalance.
What indicates that Orsino undergoes a psychological shift by the end of the play?
The author points to Orsino's transition from a portrait of insatiable gluttony to his willingness to make a "sacrifice," suggesting a deeper evolution in his emotional maturity and perception of gender.
- Quote paper
- Lisa-Marie Schwarz (Author), 2023, Illness and Gender Trouble. Viola/Cesario as a Force of Change in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1445419
