why does viola disguise herself as a man

In this video, Nick Day suggests that Sir Toby is a flawed human being who is dependent on Sir Andrew for defining his purpose in life. Who was Viola and what reason does she give for wanting to work for Olivia? WebViola's disguise as Orsino's page, Cesario, becomes crucial to the action in the play. What does Sir Toby do instead of delivering the letter? Instead of having any doubts about the authenticity of the letter he is quick to believe that his dreams are coming true. She is pretending to be a young man named Cesario in order to be employed by Orsino. Festes disguise as priest is integral to a mock-exorcism that Sir Toby wishes to orchestrate. She wants Cesario even though she doesnt like Duke. She has lost contact with her twin brother, Sebastian, whom she believes to be drowned, and with the help of the Captain, she disguises herself as a young man. She has fallen in love with Cesario, who is actually Viola, and refused the Dukes proposal because of that. Act 2 Scene 2: Why do you think Viola lies to Malvolio about the ring? Cesario wouldnt fight back, but since hes sebastian, the audience knows hes going to beat him up. What does Olivia do that diffuses the situation? In Shakespeares time, a woman of Olivias social status would have been expected to marry to form the right alliances rather than for love. Viola knows this and says "pray God defend me! WebAt the start of the play, Viola finds herself alone: her father died when she was 13 years old and now she has lost her brother. Act 5 Scene 1: When Malvolio is finally released and faces Olivia with the letter he still believes she wrote, what do you think might be going through his mind? The doctor, however, did not reveal her secret and she received an honorary discharge later the same year. Antonio asks Cesario to return his money so he can pay the bail fee, but Cesario does not have it because he is not Sebastian. It doesnt matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! In other words, loving the Cesario aspect of the Diana-like Viola represents Orsino's fixation upon himself and consequent hoarding of desire. Violas disguise allows her to win Orsinos love because she is smart. She is in a similar situation to Olivia and perhaps this is why she tells the Captain O, that I served that lady when she hears about Olivias situation. They completely demystify Shakespeare. WebShe disguises herself because it would have been impossible to join the court at that time as an unattached women, or to earn her living and have the freedom to search for her As soon as Mulan came to know about this order, she thought it was a moral duty of her family to fight for the country. Antonio says, My love, without retention or restraint, was added by his life I gave him and did there to add.. He thinks that Cesario is in love with someone like himself, but does not pick up that that someone is him. A key question in exploring the character of Olivia is: Weve started to think below about some of the reasons for this. Act 1 Scene 5: Olivia tells 'Cesario' that she agreed to see him rather to wonder at you than to hear you. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. As she works by the heartbroken mans side, Viola realizes she is in love with him. Sir Toby sees this as an opportunity to take the horse for himself, saying in an aside: Ill ride your horse as well as I ride you (3:4) which suggests he is consciously using Sir Andrew for his own gain and enjoying it. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Although Epipole is a mythological figure, her story may be based on a true or typical event. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. What does Viola tell the Duke about her clothes? Why did Antonio accuse him of insubordinateness? Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs What does Viola do when Antonio asks her questions? What does her soliloquy suggest about how successful her disguise has been and how she feels about it? WebHere, Viola first becomes aware of Olivias newfound affection for Cesario and laments the unintended consequences of her disguise. Some Greek legends, such as the Trojan war, are regarded as retellings of real historical events, heavily embroidered with myth and legend. Orsino dismisses everyone but, he has finally decided to give up and leave because he saw Olivia flirting with, In her garden, Olivia consults with Maria on how best to woo, Olivia concludes that Malvolio has fallen into "midsummer madness" (3.4.52). Act 2 Scene 4: Look through Violas dialogue about love with Orsino. Designed by GonThemes. What reasons can you suggest for why Malvolio is so unshakeable in his belief that Olivia loves him? WebConsequently, Viola decides to disguise herself as a man for a very practical purpose to assure her own protection in an alien world which would not respect a young virgin maiden. WebBy dressing as a boy, Viola is able to serve the Duke in his courtship of Olivia, while getting close to him. Due to this she wears a veil, will allow no one to see her face for seven years, and will not marry until that time. In Elizabethan England, women were not allowed to act professionally, and female parts were all performed by men, so Viola would have had to be played by a male actor. Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence: If you are interested in looking at the staging of the gulling scene, in which Malvolio receives the letter in Act 2 Scene 5, you can explore it further in the Key Scenes section. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Their story was later told by member Zoya Smirnov who may have been the ringleader of the group. In Elizabethan England, women were not allowed to act professionally, and female parts were all performed by men, so Viola would have had to be played by a male actor. By disguising herself as a man Viola is able attract his attention and appreciation to ultimately prove her worth to him as a woman. What does Malvolio do after being brought in by Olivia? He accuses, her pardon for having hurt her kinsman. At the centre of it all is disguise, in itself a theatrical idea, with a focus on costume and appearance. Sir Andrew accuses Cesario of attacking him because he does not know that Sebastian attacked him. The earliest recorded example is the story of Epipole who joined the Greek army disguised as a man. The Duke is ok with losing Olivia and wants to see Viola in female clothes. Although Viola is the WebIn the speech Viola reflects on the concept of disguise. Antonio thinks Sebastian is betraying him and is taken away. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This play was written during the Elizabethan period, where woman had more subservient roles. What responsibility does the Duke give Cesario because of his position? Antonio didnt return his purse, but he thinks he knows who Viola is. Sebastian was drowned in the sea, after the beginning of the play, according to Viola. Her cross-dressing not only creates gender ambiguity, but also invites infinite imagination of homoerotics. The only problem aside WebViola then disguised as a man and named herself Cesario. Olivia mistakes Cesario for Sebastian (who she just married), the Duke feels betrayed by this and want to kill Cesario, Cesario/Viola says that she loves the Duke, Olivia is confused because she thinks Sebastian (who is Cesario) is betraying her. The reasons for doing so vary. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Dont have an account? How does the audience tell that Sir Andrew is a fool? So she decided to join the army on behalf of her family. WebTwelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 2. She made the most of her experience and sold her story to a publisher. Cesario has become a favorite of the Duke after only three days. for a group? What is name of the clown in Olivias house? Orsino exclaims that Sebastian and, Through a series of questions, Sebastian and, Orsino reassures Olivia, telling her that the twins have noble blood. He releases her from his service and from the persona of, Orsino says that when the Captain has given his account, he and, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. | What does Maria say about Malvolios behavior? At the age of 20, after killing a courtier while defending herself from his unwanted advances, she dressed as a man and joined a mercenary army. Who does Olivia summon to help her bring Cesario back and what is comedic about the situation? Throughout the play, Viola exhibits strength of character, quick wit, and resourcefulness. The small love triangle involving the two of them and Orsino is similar to the one between the two of them andOlivia. How does Viola prove to Sebastian that she is his sister? Per.6 Characters Why does Viola disguise herself as a man? on 50-99 accounts. What happened to Sebastian since the shipwreck? Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola in Twelfth Night. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Viola (Cesario) appears in, The Captain, who was born in Illyria, explains to, Once she is alone, Olivia admits to herself that she is extremely attracted to, but begs Sir Toby and Sir Andrew to quiet down because ever since Olivia saw, The next day, Orsino lounges in his palace as usual, attended by, Feste prays for the "melancholy god" to protect the Duke (2.4.72). There is also a suggestion here that she is in a vulnerable position before she can access the family wealth that will give her more independence. Teachers and parents! Safari 14.1, so you may experience some difficulties using this website. Perhaps the most unusual example from the First World War is the story of 12 Russian schoolgirls who ran away together to join the army. WebIn a time when women were expected to follow strict rules of social decorum, Violas masculine disguise gives her the chance to speak her mind much more freely. In Twelfth Night, Viola dresses as the male Cesario in order to get into the court of Orsino. The only problem aside What does Malvolio say when he finds the men drunk at night? Contact us Why does Antonio accuse Viola of ingratitude? Act 2 Scene 3: Look at the end of this scene, as Sir Toby and Sir Andrew are responding to Marias plan to trick Malvolio. It doesnt matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! As the events of the play unfold it is important for any actor playing Viola, and anyone writing about the character, to ask: Weve started to think below about some of the reasons Viola disguises herself as 'Cesario'.

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