The Role Of Women In Shakespeare's Twelfth

In the early seventeenth century, and throughout the course of Shakespeare’s career, who a woman was revolved around a man. A woman could assume one of three roles: virgin, mother, or widow. Women were expected to be pure for their husbands, bare his children, and otherwise be absorbed by him. If perchance she did outlive her husband, her respect would die with him while also granting her brief financial freedom, however subjecting her to social rejection. This societal development was linked to scientific fact of Shakespeare’s day which said that biologically, women were failed men. The idea that women were, by nature, inferior barred women from nearly all social privileges. This division of the sexes can be explored in Shakespeare’s Twelfth …show more content…
Overseas a woman would not be recognized for her status in her home country; the level of respect received man-to-woman was much less than man-to-man. This created a necessity for Viola to pose as a male to gain access to any aristocratic home while stranded in Illyria. The political history between Illyria and her home country, Messaline, affected Viola’s adjustment after arriving on Illyrian shores. Instead of posing as her twin brother, Sebastian, she created a new identity, Cesario, her alter-ego for the length of the play. Although it is not explicitly stated in the text, a history of war between the two countries becomes evident when Antonio reveals to Sebastian that he is not welcome in Illyria because of “what we took from them, … Most of our city did.” (III.iii.36-7) The politics of this time period were easily removed in Fickman’s homage to the play when the story is moved to a modern day high school setting as was used in She’s The Man. Viola’s original alter-ego, Cesario, essentially vanishes when the political restraints of the original setting no longer inhibit her from posing as her brother. In the text, it is revealed that Viola received inspiration from her brother’s appearance, despite her name change, when Antonio recognizes her and thinks her to be Sebastian. She says of it, “He named Sebastian. … For him I …show more content…
In the play, however, Viola must be liberated by her brother’s appearance at its close as she has only chosen this disguise out of desperation. This improvised quality of Twelfth Night prevents Viola from finding liberation and emphasizes her disguise as being a way to escape a difficult situation by going underground (Bloom 231). This differs from She’s The Man where Viola has an ability to adapt her own personality into Sebastian’s when she, as him, enrolls at a new school using the opportunity to her advantage. Her disguise presents her with the opportunity to try out for the boys’ soccer team without the stigma of being a girl and, in turn, a lesser athlete than her male counterpart. In text, though Viola is charming, she is exceedingly passive. In Fickman’s adaptation, Viola’s character gains depth and personality because of the better opportunity she is presented compared with Viola of the text. Viola is not only liberated, but empowered, through her disguise. Her boyish charm sets her apart from the other women in the movie in a positive and empowering manner. She is the only female character in the film with an aspiration for her future, whereas the other female characters of the ensemble cast mostly require male attention throughout the movie. This sets Viola apart from the other women in the film, again empowering her