Twelfth Night Identity Essay

Independence: A difficult concept for many to achieve when trapped in an oppressive environment. Through the novels Sula by Toni Morrison and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, this concept of independence is examined to determine how one can attain the freedom and confidence that is associated with such liberation. The story of Sula follows the life of two girls, Sula and Nel, born in southern America during the 1920s. Though raised in very different environments, Sula and Nel become inseparable and discover their identities through their journey together. On the other hand, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest investigates the lives of institutionalized men who struggle to accept their identity and gain independence in their lives.

In his play, Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare has his characters participate in the practice of deception and dishonesty of others - after all, the foundation of Shakespeare’s play resides within a lie. One of the major deceptions in the play is executed by the Illyrian countess, Olivia, as she repeatedly claims to need solitude to mourn her brother’s death in order to avoid Duke Orsino and his obsession towards her. This deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole by adding the thematic message, deception and dishonesty is sometimes the better option when it comes to love.

We’ve all heard about Shakespeare, we’ve all learned and read something about Shakespeare, but do you know how many movies are based on a Shakespeare play? According to Stephen Follows Film Data and education there are 525 films based on Shakespeare plays, 294 of those are full adaptations of Shakespeare plays, Hamlet being the most adapted play. One of these 525 films is She’s The Man, which is based on the play Twelfth Night. We all know that these movies are a little different then it’s original play, but do we know which are the differences and similarities?

Between Romeo & Juliet and The Importance of Being Earnest, deception is a common theme, whether it be deception of others or of self. Throughout the entirety of these dramas, the plot is carried forward by the deceptions made by the main characters, even towards each other. There are many differences between the two plays, including the end results of each deception, the reasons behind the deceptions, and the opinions and reactions caused by them, but there are also similarities. Like with any two stories there are comparable and contrasting elements, but there is a shared theme of deception.

Even if you have known a person for a long time, you will be astonished to know that they have different identities. Some people may be silent when they’re with you and be happy and talkative with their family. If you think hard enough about yourself, you can notice your different identities even if you think you only have one. It may take some time, but soon you will be able to recognize your different identities. I can recognize my different identities when I’m gaming, with friends, and at school.

For centuries following this literary hero’s death, scholars have been intensely analyzing the details of Shakespeare’s works to learn about his insights on the aspects of human nature, which greatly surpass his times and influence our understanding of ourselves today. However, one of his most important ways of representing very serious themes and issues he found within his society is often overlooked: the use of the fool character trope. Shakespeare’s use of fools to comment on his play’s important themes and give the audience his views on those subjects, is an undervalued but essential aspect of his works. This common Renaissance dramatic trope that Shakespeare inverted used ditzy court jesters designed to make audiences laugh at their ridiculous words,

In William Shakespeare’s timeless play Romeo and Juliet, two star crossed lovers are faced with great adversity as they hide their romance from their feuding families. As author James Lane Allen once said, “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it”. Romeo, a Montague, struggles to hide his love for the Capulet daughter, Juliet, from his family and friends. The challenge of lying to his closest companions, and going against his family’s ways to secretly marry Juliet causes Romeo to act erratically and carelessly. Throughout Act 3 Scene One, Shakespeare exposes the lovestruck Romeo’s mercurial nature and impulsivity through his thoughtless actions.

William Shakespeare’s works, written primarily from the late eighteen hundreds to the very early sixteen hundreds, have long been the subject of academic debates and analysis. Potent with double entendres, metaphors, and social commentary, it is easy to apply queer theory to Shakespeare’s plays, notably Twelfth Night, written in 1601. Though Twelfth Night’s ending pushes its characters into traditional heterosexual romances and binary gender roles to satisfy the genre and placate conservative Elizabethan audiences, the characters in the comedy defy tradition by exploring homosexual love and expression of gender.

Countless similarities are displayed between plays and their modern-day adaptations ranging from major influences such as setting to finer details like character traits. Being that they are adaptations, stark differences from the original can be discovered, too. The star-crossed lovers of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, a drama by William Shakespeare, and West Side Story are equally affected by their friends but are influenced in dissimilar ways.

Laden with innuendos, ironies, and intricate wordplay, Shakespeare’s plays are rarely what they initially appear to be. Rather, it takes several readings to be able to barely scratch the surface of all the possible interpretations. Moreover, not everything is black or white, but possible variations of gray. This topsy-turvy approach is encapsulated in the overall outline of Shakespearean comedy, which are typically set during a period of festivities, such as the festivals A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night are appropriately named after. An average festival is usually comprised of chaos through the reversal of the traditional order and rejection of social norm. During a festival, it is common for people to disguise themselves, especially by becoming either the opposite gender or

In the play “Othello” by William Shakespeare showed how the lies and the jealousy of others can ruin a relationship . Throughout the history of this play people have understood it as a “triad of nobility,purity, and villainy.” A literary critic, Michael Andrews noted the significance of the handkerchief that was used in the play. “Othello tells Desdemona that the handkerchief is a love-controlling talisman his mother received from an Egyptian "charmer.” The gift that Desdemona receives is used to represent a symbol of Othello’s love.

As he states that all lovers are, “Unstaid and skittish in all motions else / Save in the constant image of the creature / That is beloved.” (2.4, 20-22). This demonstrates Orsino’s misunderstanding of the concept of love, as it seems that true love means fickle and erratic according to his definition. Furthermore, in disguise as Cesario, Viola also unintentionally exposes the passionate nature beneath the courtly manner and mourning veil of the “virtuous maid” (1.2, 32), as she causes Olivia to fall in desperate love with Cesario. This shows another aspect of Olivia’s character, and initiates a more intriguing plot. Viola’s persistent disguise allows the audience to understand more about both Orsino’s idea of love and an introduction to Olivia’s true feelings. Through all of these examples, Shakespeare clearly shows that sometimes truth can emerge only through disguise and

Self-identity is defined as the recognition of one's potential and qualities as an individual, especially in relation to social context. In other words, self-understanding. Finding self-identity is more more difficult for some people than others. In the autobiography Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self by Rebecca Walker, the author reflects on her identity as a mixed raced individual which is illustrated through Walker’s reflections. People define themselves in many different ways. For instance, some define themselves by their talents, hobbies, race, religion, color, gender, culture, sexual orientation, and/or age. What is your identity?

“Life is a mixing of all kind of things: comedy and tragedy going together” (Alejandro Jodorowsky). Comedy and tragedy have been two popular forms of entertainment for people throughout the ages. From Greek performances to contemporary plays, the art of theatre is well and thriving. While the styles of playwrights and the way theatre is experienced changes through time, the messages these plays gaves have more or less stayed the same. Drama can, for the most part, be classified as either tragedy or comedy. The conventions of tragedy and comedy, such as the tragedy in Oedipus Rex and the comedy in The Taming of the Shrew, can shape the way the play is developed. Thorough analysis can reveal these dramas to be discussions of human experience. As Laurence Olivier once said: “The office of drama is to exercise, possibly exhaust, human emotions. The purpose of comedy is to tickle those emotions into an expression of light relief; of tragedy, to wound them and bring relief of tears. Disgust and terror are the other points of the compass.” Through the outcomes of both plays, the audience is able to receive some hard truths and be confronted with reality. In their respective ways, the two plays reveal truths about the human experience in the way that the plays are symbolic of very real human or societal problems.

In the play Twelfth Night, through the depiction of Orsino’s and Viola’s desires for romantic love, Shakespeare portrays how adjustable and self-delusional human romantic attraction can be, especially when blinded by wants and needs. Viola, who puts on the appearance of a man, makes everybody think she is a male. Her disguise becomes a sexual confusion throughout the play for several characters, creating an odd love triangle where Viola loves Duke Orsino, who loves Oliva, which then on the other hand loves Viola, in disguise as Cesario. On the other hand, Malvolio dreams of marrying his beloved Olivia, and gaining authority over his superiors, like Sir Toby. Shakespeare uses disguise in the play to show several confusions and internal conflicts between the characters, proving how malleable and deluded some human attractions can be.