SCRIBBLE
Comedy Within Twelfth Night by Holly Lovett
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hakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night, is a romantic comedy that is centred around the way that the characters play games with gender, which results in hilarity. It is worth mentioning that in Shakespeare’s day, women were not permitted to play on the stage and consequently this made male gender-bending subterfuge, with every production. Traditionally, ‘Twelfth Night’ was a day of celebration that people celebrated towards the end of the Christmas season. It was common for people to spend the night dancing, dressing up and drinking. They would get dressed up and frequently switch social and gender roles within their outfits for fun. The play explores some of these traditions whilst also delving into other serious ideas such as the real importance of gender roles in the Elizabethan era, shown through the cross-dressing of Viola. Also, themes of family love, ambition and romance are investigated. After being shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria, Viola believes her twin brother Sebastian is drowned. With the help of the captain from the ship, she disguises herself as a man, going by the name Cesario, where she enters the service of Duke Orsino. Duke Orsino claims to be madly in love with the Countess Olivia, who does not return his affections. Viola begins to fall madly in love with Orsino however, since the Duke is under the impression that she is male, Viola cannot profess her love to him. Duke Orsino sends Cesario off to try and make Olivia view him in an attractive light, this results in Olivia developing 6
