A Study of Homoeroticism in Twelfth Night

Twelfth night is a major site for homoerotic discourse in queer studies. However, the play is largely concerned with the idea of love, like patchy of Shakespeargons comedies. In monastic order to investigate his subject further, Shakespe be periodically uses homoeroticism in order to represent various shapes of relationships. The p line of businessings of Olivia and Cesario/Viola, Antonio and Sebastian, and Orsino and Cesario/Viola, demonstrate that same-sex erotic attr constituteion is a major theme in the play. Violas secretive cross-dressing causes Olivia to believe that both of them are participating in normal, heterosexual interactions, while in reality they interact in a homoerotic fashion. These complex, homoerotic representations serve to dramatize the socially constructed basis for determination of sex activity according to peerlesss sexual practice identity. I intend to establish that in this play Shakespeare dramatically criticises the idealized norms of heterosexua lity (required by his bon ton) by dint of focussing his narrative on representations of homoerotic pairings and deconstructing dominant sex activity categories.What is the difference between a figurative and a literal analogy?Violas transvestism spurs various relationships that fall within the saltation of homoeroticism. Through the secret of her disguise, her actions illustrate the flaws of socially constructed gender identities, defined by the socially perceived opposites of aggressive, macho masculinity, and silent, yet coquettish, femininity, checked by behaviour of manlys. Violas winner in perpetrating her secret transvestism indicates that the construction and performance of gender is not dependent on ones physical characteristics but on ones behaviour, as s puff up up as upon a set of observed and internalised mannerisms. Violas representation of homoerotic interaction in Olivias love for her, and in her declare love in Orsino as Cesario, disrupts the traditional, femi nist us vs. them principle, and demonstrates that constructed, socially acceptable gender identities of the feminine and masculine are attributes that can be found in either male or young-bearing(prenominal).In the lowest scene of the play, when Violas act is exposed If nothing allows to make us happy both / But this my masculine usurped attire, That I am Viola (V.i.249-253), Sebastian, Violas twin br different, easy steps into the vacuum left by the revelation of Cesarios identity marrying Olivia as he states, So comes it, lady, you discombobulate been mistook. / You would have been contracted to a maid, / Nor are you therein, by my life, deceived. You are betrothed both to a maid and man (V.i.259-63). The twins interchangeable nature demonstrates to us that even the natural perspective of the world is not a gendered duality. The differently-gendered similar twins show a collapse of sexual difference as a natural process, indicating that nature never intended man to be con strained by gender binaries. Orsino proclaims One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons, / A natural perspective, that is and is not (V.i.215-6), stating that nature is able to create two identical beings despite the natural sex difference between brother and sister, male and female.The same concept that allows a female Viola to be a male Cesario also allows male actors portraying female characters to seem authentic, despite their natural gender. Upon mistaking Sebastian for Cesario/Viola, Feste remarks Nothing that is so is so, (IV.i.8), indicating that gender is not dependent solely on physical attributes. Feste later adds, That that is, is (IV.ii.15), commenting on his own dressing as a Parson while Feste is really a fool. This same phrase extends to comment on the fact that Viola is male so long as she portrays a male, that gender is dependant on societys perception and not on ones private parts. When Olivia queries Cesario for his identity, What are you? What would you? ( I.v.207-208) and Cesario/Viola cryptically replies that what he is and would be is as secret as maidenhead (I.v.211)), Viola alludes to her true gender.However, in addition, she also hints at Sebastians virginity that the latter admits to in the final act of the play, stating Olivia is betrothed both to a maid and man (V.i.263). When the effects of these statements at combined, it is beguileing to observe that Cesarios response to Olivias query refers to the maidenheads of Cesario, Viola, as well as the boy actor playing her As Viola states later on I am all the daughters of my fathers house, / And all the brothers too (II.iv.120-1).Twelfth nighttime interrogates the exclusive nature of constructed gender categories and challenges the heterosexual hegemony by constructing representations of same-sex love. Violas imitation of the male gender demonstrates to us that erotic attraction is neither inherently based in gender, nor a solely-heterosexual phenomenon since Olivia becomes at tracted to Viola (as Cesario), and Orsino to Cesario. In the play, homoeroticism does not follow gender stereotypes of the effeminate male or the masculine female, as in the case of Antonios spirit for Sebastian despite Antonios stereotypically-masculine identity, that Shakespeare shows to us when Antonio took Sebastian from the breach of the sea. Antonios love for Sebastian is portrayed, when Antonio states, If you will not murder me for my love, let me by your servant (II.i.33-4) and, laterI have many enemies in Orsinos court, But come what may, I do adore thee soThat danger shall seem sport, and I will go. (II.i.51-4)Both Antonio and Sebastian are swordsmen, possessors of a very masculine skill, and yet both engage in homoerotic relations. It is interesting to note that, despite the fact that Sebastian is more resistant and feminine in comparison to Antonio as he wishes to avoid causing harm, utilizing only his daggers hilt, despite Sir Andrew striking him and paying the pest ering Feste to leave Sebastian alone, instead of striking him, in the first scene of act four (lines 17-25) Sebastian is the one who succumbs to the social constructions of masculinity and heterosexuality when he marries Olivia in the final act of the play. Meanwhile, the macho Antonio perseveres homosexual, as seen in his silence at Sebastians wedding, which speaks louder than any vocal protest.Such relationship dynamics in the play disrupt the social notion, prevalent in Shakespeares (and even current) time that the heterosexual man is supposed to be a macho figure and homosexual man is meant to be effeminate. Similarly, Violas feminine quality in playing Cesario inspires love in Olivia preferably than the aggressive male traits of Orsino. Viola becomes a better man when she deviates from the behavioural script set out in Orsinos Petrarchan sonnet a male form that silences the woman as an unattainable distanced goddess. The Petrarchan sonnet form, although addressed to female s, was commonly read by males, used to solidify elite homosocial bonds (Marotti 396-428) as well as to press a social discourse designed by and for men (Vickers 96). Violas deviation from this male form creates a new female (perhaps lesbian) poetic within the outlandish setting that she constructs in her response to Olivias refusal to love OrsinoMake me a willow cabin at your gateAnd call upon my soul within the house keep open loyal cantons of contemned loveAnd sing them loud even in the dead of nightHallow your name to the reverberate hills,And make the babbling gossip of the airCry out Olivia (I.v.263-8)Thus, Viola (as Cesario) creates a space for Olivias reply, whereas Orsinos script (Lady, you are the cruelst she alive / If you will lead these graces to the grave / And leave the world no copy (I.v.236-8) prevents response, thus portraying Olivia as an object incapable of response. Olivia anticipates her own objectification, interjecting to sayOh, sir, I will not be so hardhe arted. I will discoverout divers schedules of my beauty. It shall be inventoried,and every particle and utensil labelled to my willas, item, two lips, indifferent red item, two greyeyes with lids to them item, one neck, one chin, andso forth. (I.v.239-44)She understands the ways in which she is reducible to an item, whose qualities consist of a checklist of characteristics, which, in turn, identify her as an unattainable, silent object of beauty. In contrast to much(prenominal) a mode of communication, Violas encouragement for response causes Olivia to present her ring to Cesario/Viola.While attempting to win Olivias heart, Cesario deviates from socially constructed male behaviour ironically, this results in Olivia pursuing Cesario in a masculine action. This scenario undermines the construction of categorical sex via the success of Cesario by acting as a female. Similarly, the portrayal of a supposedly heterosexual relationship, that puts the female in the place of power, counte rs the social norm that places the male at the helm of a relationship. One finds a similar situation in the fourth scene of the support act, where Orsino remarks that in love, a woman does not suffer so much as a man (93-118), to which Viola (as Cesario) vehemently responds, telling Orsino of her love for him indirectlyIn faith, they are as true of heart as we.My father had a daughter loved a man She never told her love,But let concealment, like a worm ithbud,Feed on her damask cheek. She pined in thought,And with a green and yellow melancholyShe sat like Patience on a monument,Smiling at grief. Was not this love indeed?We men say more, swear more, but indeedOur shows are more than will for unruffled we proveMuch in our vows, but little in our love. (II.iv.105-118).Viola aggressively and passionately describes her assiduity though a story, taking on the region of the man she controls the discourse as she impersonates herself, and objectifies herself as allegorical Patience on a monument (II.iv.14), in a verbal tour de force. Paradoxically, Viola affirms her patience and feminine character by means of being masculine (according to the gender paradigms Orsino proposes). Viola strongly explains the patience and gentility of a woman, as a masked woman, thus deconstructing the categories of sex in general, and those of femininity as patience and masculinity as aggression, in specific.As well, Viola challenges the patriarchal social order of her society by demonstrating how she, a transvestite, is capable of deconstructing gender categories. Further, the very fact that the action in the plot the wooing of Olivia, unbeknownst to Sebastian, and the wooing of Orsino is mostly attributed to Viola through her planning and action demonstrates the female in power instead of a male. This fact, combined with the inaction of the male characters in the play, destabilizes another traditional notion of gender identity the female as the prized possession and the male as it s conqueror.The final act of the play exposes the failure of the dominant, heterosexual regime to fully regulate its own narrative ideals, since, in order to achieve a happy, heterosexual ending, which befits a traditional comedy, a series of improbable plot turns must take place. This morphologic necessity indicates to us that Shakespeare is ambivalently invested in the heterosexual standards that he imposes upon his play. The unlikelihood of various irrational plot turns, and easily interchangeable affections, necessary to end the play with these successful, form relationships shows the failure of imposing heterosexual ideals in society.Despite the absurd twists in the play, there remains some untouched deconstruction of gender as well as some latent homoeroticism in the play. In line 263 of the first scene of act five, Sebastian says that he is both man and maid, in case to his virginity, but also in reference to his character traits being both male and female. This admission d estabilizes the configuration of gender by attributing Sebastian with both male and female physical attributes, albeit figuratively. This also maintains a measure of homoeroticism in Sebastians character. Further, Orsino comments that Viola is both man and maid as well in that Olivia will remain a man so long as she dresses in mans garbCesario, comeFor so you shall be, while you are manBut when in other habits you are seen,Orsinos mistress and his fancys queen. (V.i.385-388)This remark concludes that identity, gender, and its foundations are simply as interchangeable as clothing, and gender depends on the characters actions and not their physical attributes.Ultimately, the ending of Twelfth Night is not entirely ideal, since many characters Viola, Sebastian and Olivia are not completely happy, having succumbed to the pressures of heterosexual conformity. The true homosexual union of male and female character pairs challenges the heterosexual mandate over homosexual interaction. Viola may have won Orsino she may even marry Orsino, but she is not completely happy since Orsino mere moments past was willing to destroy their friendship for Olivias sake (Farewell, and take her, but direct thy feet / Where thou and I henceforth may never meet (V.i.166-7)).Likewise, Sebastian, although happy with Olivia, seems happier when he sees Antonio once again at the end of the play, and exclaims in a romantic manner upon seeing him, saying, Antonio, O my dear Antonio / How have the hours racked and tortured me / Since I have lost thee Finally, while Olivia is set to wed Sebastian, she seems more jubilant with regard to having Viola as a sister, A sister You are she (V.i.327), thus expressing her deeper interest in Viola rather than Sebastian.Since Shakespeares society chose to regulate the sexual and gendered expression of its people, Shakespeare comments on the ideal norms of heterosexuality in Twelfth Night, demonstrating, through carefully constructed contradictions, th at gender is a mere social construction. That in actuality there are no boundaries to behaviour and that there is no such thing as homoeroticism or hetero-eroticism but only Eros, regulated by attraction, love and relationship. True homosexual union of male and female character pairs in this play (as both actors are male), challenges the heterosexual dominance over homosexual interaction. Having done so, Shakespeare, due to societal prejudice, reverts to heterosexual discourse, acknowledging that despite the truth of sex and gender, one must abide, for practical reasons, by the demands of social majority.