Comedy within Twelfth Night

Shakespeare’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.