Identity and Gender in the Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night portrays a reoccurring theme in Shakespeare’s plays of appearance versus reality and ideal versus real. The misconception of identity and gender are revealed through disguise. It is interesting how Olivia falls in love with a women whom she thinks is a man and Orsino is suggested to love Cesario since he often remarks on his beauty even though it is really Viola disguised. It also is interesting that the play is called twelfth night because it was first performed on the feast of epiphany twelve days after Christmas. There are many elements of the play that resembles the actual holiday. In the early 1600’s the holiday would be celebrated by dressing up as other identities where a servant might dress as a duke or a women may dress as a man. The characters in the play also switch identities by dressing up as opposite genders. In reality there was a limited social mobility within society and disguise altered that restriction of status through the play. Gender reversal and disguise perpetuate the plays confusion but the misunderstanding of identity brings humor to the audience, which is why it is a comedy. I wonder if the modern day term epiphany was understood when this play was made because it is ironic that it was produced during the holiday, the feast of epiphany but also demonstrates an insight onto reality, which is disguise of identity can alter the structure society created. Overall I believe the play represents an unknown notion to society back when it originated that suggests the status structure of society should not be as fixated and represented by ones social status.