mistaken identity in twelfth night essay

Mistaken Identity in Twelfth Night

Shakespeare is wont to employ the tool of mistaken identity in his plays. Twelfth Night is one of his plays that best embody the effective use of mistaken identity. In the play, Sebastian was constantly being mistaken for his twin sister Viola who was pretending to be a man. The main mechanism by which mistaken identity was performed in the play was through the use of disguises involving the cross-dressing of characters, or of Viola to be specific. Cross-dressing gives Viola’s character the range of choices and actions available to a man.

At the same time, cross-dressing is also the reason for the case of mistaken identity that ensues at the latter part of the play. The setting of Twelfth Night is in the early days of English history. This is a time when men and women have strict dress codes. Men wear pants and women wear dresses or variations thereof. Any switching between the garments of the two is considered socially unacceptable. The garment one wears often bespeaks the powers one has in society. This is shown when Viola says, “Conceal me what I am; and be my aid for such disguise as, haply, shall become the form of my intent.

” (1. 2) Cross-dressing allows Viola to hide her identity as a woman and also allows her to take on the roles of a man in society. She needs the captain to help her because as a man, the captain will now what is customarily worn by males especially in Illyria. She then declares that the disguise is also the “form of my intent”. This means that by a change of clothing, Viola has taken on a new persona and gender. The act of cross-changing has allowed her to take on a different set of plans and a different course of action than that which was available to her as the woman, Viola.

Viola’s transformation from a woman to a man simply by a change of clothing was made possible by the fact that she looked like her twin brother. Sebastian affirms this when he states, “A lady, sir, though it was said she much resembled me” (2. 1) Because of the great similarity between Sebastian and Viola’s looks, cross-dressing transforms Viola into a man who very much resembles Sebastian. This is also confirmed when Viola states she imitated Sebastian’s way of dressing when she decided to cross-dress.

She remarks of her brother,“he went still in this ashion, colour, ornament, for him I imitate. ” (3. 4) Cross-changing also allowed Viola access to jobs only men would be able to fill in. “I’ll serve this duke; Thou shalt present me as an eunuch to him” By allowing herself to be presented as a eunuch, she allows herself to be perceived and treated as a man – something already affirmed by her wardrobe. Only in this presentation of herself as a male would she be able to carry through her plans of serving the duke. A different set of clothes even transforms Viola in the eyes of women.

Olivia, who has sworn not to entertain any of those trying to woo her, quickly develops feelings for Viola who is pretending to be Cesario. Even aftet their first meeting, Olivia notes, “Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit, Do give thee five-fold blazon. ” (1. 5) “O what a deal of scorn looks beautiful in the contempt and anger of his lip! ” (3. 1) She admires Viola’s attributes even though these are attributes of a woman. She even begins to experience emotions of love for Olivia. Had Olivia met Viola in a dress instead of the attire of a man, she would not have considered Viola remarkable.

The change in dress effectively disguised Viola and allowed her to be assessed by others differently. Viola’s transformation into a man with the use of a change in clothes is proven effective when Antonio mistakes her to be Sebastian. The scene where Antonio meets Viola is the first scene of mistaken identity in the play. Antonio rushes in to defend Viola, who is disguised as Cesario, in a duel. (3. 4) Even Viola is surprised by Antonio’s mistaken perception. She puzzles over the incidence and exclaims, “That I, dear brother, be now ta’en for you! ” (3. 4)

Sebastian, whose fashion style Viola imitated, is the one who experiences the most consequences from the case of mistaken identity. Viola, who pretended to be the man Cesario, caused a series of events to transpire in Illyria which affected Sebastian. Sebastian becomes entangled in the events simply because he resembles Cesario, or Viola in man’s clothes. Sebastian is mistakenly taken to be Cesario by the clown, by Sir Andrew, Sir Toby, and Fabian, and by Olivia. This results in Sebastian having to fight the duel meant for Cesario and even marrying Olivia who was supposedly in love with Cesario.

(5. 1; 5. 3) By a simple feat of cross-dressing, Viola has caused a ruckus in Illyria. With Sebastian’s arrival in the same land, numerous cases of mistaken identity occur. Viola is mistakenly accused by Olivia to be her husband and by Sir Andrew and Sir Toby to be the one they encountered in a duel even though it was Sebastian who did all these things. The entire first part of Act 5 becomes a case of finger-pointing, denial and accusations because both Sebastian and Viola have been mistaken for each other. This only emphasizes the important feature of cross-dressing in the story.

Simply by donning clothes that Sebastian would use, Viola was able to convince everyone she was a man. Even to the point of confusing people who had already seen the actual Sebastian. Even when Sebastian and Viola are seen together, she is still accepted to be a man. Antonio exclaims, “How have you made division of yourself? – An apple, cleft in two, is not more twin than these two creatures. Which is Sebastian? ” (5. 1) Viola’s transformation from woman to man was so complete that the people in Illyria could not tell her apart from Sebastian even when Sebastian, himself, was physically present.

Despite the change in clothes and the continued ploy of pretending to be a man, it is clear that Viola is still very much a woman. When asked by the Duke Orsino to woo Olivia for him, Viola comments on the side, “Yet, a barful strife! Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife. ” (2. 4) This shows that she has developed feelings for the Duke. She plans on making herself the Duke Orsino’s wife. In an exchange with the Duke regarding the one Viola loves she hints to him that it is in fact he. DUKE: What kind of woman is’t? VIOLA: Of your complexion. DUKE: She is not worth thee, then. What years, i’ faith?

VIOLA: About your years, my lord. (2. 4) This affirms that Viola has fallen in love with the Duke despite the fact that she is dressed and acting like a man when with him. She is still a woman who maintains attractions for the opposite sex despite the change in attire and demeanor. Although she has hidden her womanhood, she still has all the emotional aspects of a woman. Twelfth night and its very strong theme of mistaken identity is clearly founded on the utilization of cross-dressing. Cross-dressing established the new identity of Viola which also led to the confusion between her and her twin brother Sebastian.

A change in costume not only served to feed the fuel of mistaken identity but also allowed its resolution. With Viola’s promise to change back to her womanly garb, the Duke allows himself to love her and Olivia accepts her marriage to Sebastian. Even though cross-dressing did not change Viola’s personality and her treatment of those around her, it influenced those same people’s perception of her. Indeed, it leaves one to wonder whether the Duke and Olivia truly love Viola/Cesario or whether they were simply reacting to the man Viola’s costume projected.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Twelfth Night — Love and Mistaken Identities in Twelfth Night, a Play by William Shakespeare

Love and Mistaken Identities in Twelfth Night, a Play by William Shakespeare

• Categories: Twelfth Night William Shakespeare

About this sample

Words: 885 |

Published: Oct 31, 2018

Words: 885 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

• Greenblatt, S. (2014). Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Holland, P. (1999). The Oxford Shakespeare: Twelfth Night, or What You Will. Oxford University Press.
• Kiernan, V. (2018). Filming Shakespeare's Plays: The Adaptations of Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Peter Brook, Akira Kurosawa, and Kenneth Branagh. McFarland.
• Loomba, A. (2005). Shakespeare, Race, and Colonialism. Oxford University Press.
• Nevo, R. (2009). Shakespeare's Universe of Discourse: Language-Games in the Comedies. University of Toronto Press.
• Orgel, S. (2012). Impersonations: The Performance of Gender in Shakespeare's England. Cambridge University Press.
• Shakespeare, W. (2016). Twelfth Night. Simon & Schuster.
• Smith, I. (2002). Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: CliffsNotes. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Thompson, A. R., & Taylor, N. (2006). William Shakespeare, 'Twelfth Night'. Manchester University Press.
• Wells, S., & Orlin, L. C. (2003). Shakespeare: An Oxford Guide. Oxford University Press.

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• Twelfth Night

William Shakespeare

• Literature Notes
• Major Themes
• Play Summary
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act II: Scene 3
• Act II: Scene 4
• Act II: Scene 5
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act III: Scene 4
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 1
• Character Analysis
• Duke Orsino
• Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Maria
• Critical Essays
• Major Symbols and Motifs
• William Shakespeare Biography
• Famous Quotes
• Film Versions
• Essay Questions
• Cite this Literature Note

Critical Essays Major Themes

Explore the different themes within William Shakespeare's comedic play, Twelfth Night . Themes are central to understanding Twelfth Night as a play and identifying Shakespeare's social and political commentary.

Most of the characters in Twelfth Night are in a state of identity confusion. Thematically, Shakespeare sets up the plays to actions to reinforce that identity will always be fragmentary and incomplete until one is able to love, regardless of whether one is loved in return.

Mistaken Gender Identity

One level of identity confusion in Twelfth Night is gender identity. Viola embodies this confusion when she assumes the identity of a boy, Cesario. Of course, in Shakespeare's time, all female roles were played by boys, so in this case a boy actor plays a woman character (Viola) who dissembles herself as a boy (Cesario). In a patriarchal culture, sexual difference is held to be an immutable law; traditional gender role behavior was based on a natural biological fact rather than social convention.

The indeterminacy of Viola/Cesario's sexual identity would show that maleness and femaleness were just aspects of a role, qualities that are learned, not immutable physical traits. When Cesario and Sir Andrew face each other in a duel, it is revealed that both are acting the role of being a man. The biological fact of Sir Andrew's maleness is obsolete. Both characters are pretending.

Love and the Self

Shakespeare, especially through Olivia, gets to the heart of the relationship between self and love. When we fall in love, we almost necessarily lose our self-composure, cease to be able to see our actions with our own eyes. Yet even though Olivia fears that her attraction to Viola will come to naught, she is willing to risk it, because love, or at least intense attraction, allows her to leave her “mind” behind and give herself up to fate.

The Danger of Love

In Twelfth Night , love is seen as similar to death, because both prose a threat, or at the very least, a challenge to the singular self that is afraid of change. To be able to love another requires that one must accept change, to accept that one cannot entirely control one's fate, or even one's will. The very language that one uses to communicate with another may end up demanding more, or at least differently, than what one intended.

The characters in the play that cling to a singular sense of self that does not allow for change are often the ones for whom change happens most violently. Malvolio is the most notable example of this, but Orsino, too, although he claims to be open to love, is, beneath all his high rhetoric, deeply afraid of any mutual love relationship. In some ways, it's much easier for him to pine for Olivia and send middlemen to woo her, precisely because it flatters his ego to feel he loves more than she loves him back.

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Twelfth Night

Mistaken identity in twelfth night..

                                                                        Anna Mason 9S

                        Mistaken Identity in Twelfth Night    

Throughout “Twelfth Night” there is much foolery, fantasy and mistaken identity. These incidents have made the play more fun, interesting and surprising and have certainly given the play a few twists.

Olivia and Viola-Cesario (I, v)

The first and most important case of mistaken identity in my opinion, began in Act 1, scene 5, in Olivia’s household.  Viola-Cesario was sent by Orsino to try and “woo” Olivia for him but Viola, in love with Orsino herself, knew that she would not want to do this:  “I’ll do my best to woo your lady. [Aside]  Yet a barful strife!  Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife.”   (I, iv, l. 39-41).   The two got on well although there was much verbal fencing, but by the time Viola-Cesario had left, Olivia feared she had fallen in love with “him”. We learn this from Olivia’s words after Viola-Cesario’s departure:

                 “Even so quickly may one catch the plague?

                Methinks I feel this youth’s perfections

                With an invisible and subtle stealth

                To creep in mine eyes.  Well, let it be.” (I, v, l. 250-3)

So, complications were forming already in just the first act:  Olivia had fallen in love with the disguised woman, viola; Viola was in love with Orsino, who believed her to be a man; and Orsino was in love with Olivia, who despised him. A love triangle full of complications, lies and mistaken identity had formed.

This is a preview of the whole essay

        This incident leads to become the main source of many problems (and humour) to come. Some of which include the duel between Sir Andrew and Viola-Cesario and the marriage of Olivia and Sebastian, Viola’s twin brother.

        Overall, this case of mistaken identity leads to many humorous predicaments and in my opinion it is the most important one: it complicates and adds twists to the plot throughout the play, not to mention the humour it brings.

Malvolio and Olivia (II, v)

A rather amusing case of mistaken identity began in olivia’s garden.  sir toby, sir andrew, fabian and maria had written a letter made to look like it was from olivia, declaring love for someone and saying she liked a list of things that in reality olivia hated.  they placed it where malvolio would pick it up, knowing he would believe it to be about him, and watched from behind a bush as malvolio read it aloud.  the letter is very clever and shakespeare even managed to include a crude joke:.

“By my life, this is my lady’s hand:  these be her c’s, her u’s, and her t’s, and thus makes she her great P’s.” (II, v, l. 72-3).

         Malvolio read on to discover that Olivia “liked” yellow stockings (a colour she hated) with cross-gartering.  He was also told to treat his fellow workers as inferiors to him and to smile jokily all day, a mood that Olivia was not in with the death of her brother.

        Malvolio then doing as “Olivia” had said, came before her looking ridiculous and hinting that he knew of the letter:   “this cross-gartering… If it please the eye of one, it’s with me… I think we do know the sweet Roman hand.” (III, iv, l. 20-6).   Malvolio continued to hint and recite quotes from her letter for some time, making a complete fool out of himself.

         When Sir Toby entered, Malvolio was rude to him as the letter instructed, but he was accused of being possessed and was told he was mad: “La you, and you speak ill of the devil, how he takes it at the heart!  Pray God he be not bewitched!” (III, iv, l. 87-8).   Later, Malvolio was imprisoned and tormented by the mocking Sir Toby and Feste as if he were mad.

        Overall, this instance of mistaken identity includes many scenes of comedy and supplies good entertainment for the audience.  It was not fun for poor Malvolio, but he was none the wiser of the joke being played on him and I think it was quite satisfying as a reader or viewer of the play to see him make a fool out of himself.

Viola and Antonio (III, iv)

Another interesting case of mistaken identity began in the middle of Sir Andrew and Viola-Cesario’s duel – a branch from the Olivia and Viola mistaken identity.

        Sir Andrew was on the verge of leaving Illyria because his desire to “woo” Olivia was not getting anywhere as she was paying more attention to Viola-Cesario.  So, with some persuasion from Sir Toby he challenged Viola-Cesario to a duel and so win Olivia’s affection by his bravery. Of course Sir Toby took over and exaggerated the facts so when the duel came neither of them wanted to fight and they were both terrified of one another.  Sir Andrew even tried to bribe Viola:   “Let him let the matter slip, and I’ll give him my horse, Grey Capilet.” (III, iv, l. 242).

        But when the duel came, Antonio, mistaking Viola for her twin brother Sebastian, intervened:   “Put up your sword! If this young gentleman have done offence, I take the fault on me.”   (III, iv, l. 264-5).   This of course baffled everyone, especially Viola as she had never seen the man before.  But at this point two officers arrived to arrest Antonio for his doings at sea and he asked “Sebastian” for the money he had lent him.  Viola said that she had no idea who he was and Antonio, still believing her to be Sebastian, rightfully got very angry and upset:

                “Will you deny me now?

                Is’t possible that my deserts to you

                Can lack persuasion? Do not tempt my misery.”

        (III, iv, l. 298-300).

And later:       “Thou hast, Sebastian, done good feature shame.

                      In nature there’s no blemish but the mind:

        None can be called deformed but the unkind.”

        (III, iv, l. 317-9).

This case of mistaken identity caused hurt feelings and confusion to those involved. Unlike the other cases, it is not humorous and few events branch from it.  The incident is an interesting and more serious part of the play, which involves another mistake over Viola’s identity.

As a final summary, I think mistaken identity is a very important aspect of Twelfth Night: it provides humour, complications and interesting twists to the play.  As a reader or viewer of Twelfth Night it is very enjoyable to know the thoughts of each character while they go around not knowing the truth and making mistakes.  In some ways Twelfth Night is almost like a pantomime: the mistaken identity supplies a fantastical, foolish and humorous mood to the play.

Teacher Reviews

Here's what a teacher thought of this essay.

Melissa Thompson

The essay gives an overview of some of the cases of mistaken identity and the effect of the humour it resulted in. The quotes selected were appropriate. As a literature essay, an examiner would expect to see some reference to the literary context which the text comes from and how the audience's response to the themes may change over time.

Document Details

• Word Count 1116
• Page Count 3
• Subject English

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Mistaken Identity in Twelfth Night Essay

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Throughout “ Twelfth Night ” there is much foolery, fantasy and mistaken identity. These incidents have made the play more fun, interesting and surprising and have certainly given the play a few twists.

Olivia and Viola-Cesario (I, v)

The first and most important case of mistaken identity in my opinion, began in Act 1, scene 5, in Olivia’s household. Viola-Cesario was sent by Orsino to try and “woo” Olivia for him but Viola, in love with Orsino herself, knew that she would not want to do this: “I’ll do my best to woo your lady. [Aside] Yet a barful strife! Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife.” (I, iv, l. 39-41). The two got on well although there was much verbal fencing, but by the time Viola-Cesario had left, Olivia feared she had fallen in love with “him”. We learn this from Olivia’s words after Viola-Cesario’s departure:

“Even so quickly may one catch the plague?

Methinks I feel this youth’s perfections

With an invisible and subtle stealth

To creep in mine eyes. Well, let it be.” (I, v, l. 250-3)

So, complications were forming already in just the first act: Olivia had fallen in love with the disguised woman, viola; Viola was in love with Orsino, who believed her to be a man; and Orsino was in love with Olivia, who despised him. A love triangle full of complications, lies and mistaken identity had formed.

This incident leads to become the main source of many problems (and humour) to come. Some of which include the duel between Sir Andrew and Viola-Cesario and the marriage of Olivia and Sebastian, Viola’s twin brother.

Overall, this case of mistaken identity leads to many humorous predicaments and in my opinion it is the most important one: it complicates and adds twists to the plot throughout the play, not to mention the humour it brings.

Malvolio and Olivia (II, V)

A rather amusing case of mistaken identity began in Olivia’s garden. Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Fabian and Maria had written a letter made to look like it was from Olivia, declaring love for someone and saying she liked a list of things that in reality Olivia hated. They placed it where Malvolio would pick it up, knowing he would believe it to be about him, and watched from behind a bush as Malvolio read it aloud. The letter is very clever and Shakespeare even managed to include a crude joke:

“By my life, this is my lady’s hand: these be her c’s, her u’s, and her t’s, and thus makes she her great P’s.” (II, v, l. 72-3).

Malvolio read on to discover that Olivia “liked” yellow stockings (a colour she hated) with cross-gartering. He was also told to treat his fellow workers as inferiors to him and to smile jokily all day, a mood that Olivia was not in with the death of her brother.

Malvolio then doing as “Olivia” had said, came before her looking ridiculous and hinting that he knew of the letter: “this cross-gartering… If it please the eye of one, it’s with me… I think we do know the sweet Roman hand.” (III, iv, l. 20-6). Malvolio continued to hint and recite quotes from her letter for some time, making a complete fool out of himself.

When Sir Toby entered, Malvolio was rude to him as the letter instructed, but he was accused of being possessed and was told he was mad: “La you, and you speak ill of the devil, how he takes it at the heart! Pray God he be not bewitched!” (III, iv, l. 87-8). Later, Malvolio was imprisoned and tormented by the mocking Sir Toby and Feste as if he were mad.

Overall, this instance of mistaken identity includes many scenes of comedy and supplies good entertainment for the audience. It was not fun for poor Malvolio, but he was none the wiser of the joke being played on him and I think it was quite satisfying as a reader or viewer of the play to see him make a fool out of himself.

Viola and Antonio (III, iv)

Another interesting case of mistaken identity began in the middle of Sir Andrew and Viola-Cesario’s duel – a branch from the Olivia and Viola mistaken identity.

Sir Andrew was on the verge of leaving Illyria because his desire to “woo” Olivia was not getting anywhere as she was paying more attention to Viola-Cesario. So, with some persuasion from Sir Toby he challenged Viola-Cesario to a duel and so win Olivia’s affection by his bravery. Of course Sir Toby took over and exaggerated the facts so when the duel came neither of them wanted to fight and they were both terrified of one another. Sir Andrew even tried to bribe Viola: “Let him let the matter slip, and I’ll give him my horse, Grey Capilet.” (III, iv, l. 242).

But when the duel came, Antonio, mistaking Viola for her twin brother Sebastian, intervened: “Put up your sword! If this young gentleman have done offence, I take the fault on me.” (III, iv, l. 264-5). This of course baffled everyone, especially Viola as she had never seen the man before. But at this point two officers arrived to arrest Antonio for his doings at sea and he asked “Sebastian” for the money he had lent him. Viola said that she had no idea who he was and Antonio, still believing her to be Sebastian, rightfully got very angry and upset:

“Will you deny me now?

Is’t possible that my deserts to you

Can lack persuasion? Do not tempt my misery.”

(III, iv, l. 298-300).

And later: “Thou hast, Sebastian, done good feature shame.

In nature there’s no blemish but the mind:

None can be called deformed but the unkind.”

(III, iv, l. 317-9).

This case of mistaken identity caused hurt feelings and confusion to those involved. Unlike the other cases, it is not humorous and few events branch from it. The incident is an interesting and more serious part of the play, which involves another mistake over Viola’s identity.

As a final summary, I think mistaken identity is a very important aspect of Twelfth Night: it provides humour, complications and interesting twists to the play. As a reader or viewer of Twelfth Night it is very enjoyable to know the thoughts of each character while they go around not knowing the truth and making mistakes. In some ways Twelfth Night is almost like a pantomime: the mistaken identity supplies a fantastical, foolish and humorous mood to the play.

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Twelfth night-mistaken identity Essay Example

• Pages: 4 (973 words)
• Published: July 16, 2016
• Type: Essay

William Shakespeare, in his well-known comic play, Twelfth Night, creates a plot that revolves around mistaken identity and deception. Mistaken identity, along with disguises, affects the lives of several of the characters. Shakespeare's techniques involve mistaken identity to bring comedy, mystery, and complication to the play. Some characters in this play turn to disguise in order to succeed in life, beginning with Viola in the exposition; who disguises herself as a eunuch and goes by the name of Cesario to be able to work for the Duke. Furthermore, Malvolio who is portrayed as crazy and finally the confusion between the twin characters of Viola and Sebastian which is resolved at the end.

Others may argue that the comedy conventions in Twelfth Night don’t come from the theme of mistaken identity but from

other aspects such as Sir Toby and Andrew’s physical/drunken behaviour, using the medieval comedy convention of bawdy humour the characters of Toby and Andrew create a sense of humiliation towards themselves. This could be supported by the critic Bergson as he says “the comedy is made to humiliate lesser characters” meaning that there is a sense of absurd comedy about it. This type of behaviour is seen as absurd as we don’t expect ‘Sir’s’ to get drunk often and act with bawdy humour.

However, mistaken identity destroys this idea of humiliation as Shakespeare did not want to deliberately humiliate the characters, he simply wanted to create comedy using the conventions of sarcasm , hyperbole and dramatic irony which allow the structure of the play to flow perfectly as this is what every comedy needs. Could talk toby and Andre

– physical humour, medieval - bawdy. Traditional - smile at end – happy ending.

Maria, Olivia’s gentlewoman, also creates confusion and deception to the play, to Olivia’s head servant, Malvolio. Malvolio is a character of a puritan meaning that he is very religious, strict, and serious. Most importantly, he wants to impose his religion on others. This type of character is a good outlet for comedy as most people find it easy to mock those with religious beliefs as we see when Maria says ‘The dev’l a puritan that he is’ (Act 2 Scene 3 line136) Maria says to sir Toby ‘I can write very much like my lady your niece’ (Act 2 Scene 3 Line148-9). This suggests that she wants to write like Olivia to play a joke on Malvolio. In the letter, Maria (as Olivia) mocks Malvolio by telling him to dress in yellow stockings and cross garters.

The letter shows the intelligence of Maria, which shocks Sir Toby and Sir Andrew as they admire Maria’s plan to play a joke on Malvolio for spoiling their late night fun. The complication and theme of mistaken identity comes from Malvolio believing that the letter is, in fact, from Olivia when really it was Maria. We see that Malvolio falls for the joke when he turns up to the place that the letter said to meet dressed in what was suggested from ‘Olivia’ in the letter. This the portrays Malvolio’s mistaken identity plot as funny in many ways. This is intestinally used to create humour as it was uncommon for a woman to disguise themselves as males at this time in society. Others

could interpret this as Viola using the cross-dressing as a form of grieving for her brother, Sebastian. This adds a sense of roman comedy to the play and also supports the critic Lee Jamieson when he says “the plot is often driven by mistaken identity”.

Through Viola's change in identity, this situation of mistaken identity creates conflict throughout the characters and also the audience. Dramatic irony then occurs when Viola falls in love with Orsino. While the love of Orsino, Olivia, falls madly in love with Viola. Olivia is now in love with a woman, and Orsino often remarks on Cesario's beauty, suggesting that he is attracted to Viola even before her male disguise is removed. This adds comedy to the play as it refers to a same sex couple and in the Elizabethan era, this was wrong. However, when seen on stage in a play, it is seen as funny to the audience simply because it is out of the ordinary.

The final theme of mistaken identity, complication and deception is revealed at the end of the play when the true identities of Viola and Sebastian are shown. The reveal explains a lot which has happened in the play including the confusion with Sebastian between Sir Toby and Andrew; we finally find out that Sir Toby and Maria are secretly married meaning that Twelfth Night certainly ends with a happy ending. This is traditionally comic as in the Elizabethan era, a marriage at the end of a play symbolised a happy ending which also follows the Greek comedy convention. The theme of mistaken identity adds a sense of the roman comedy convention

to the play thus contributes to the traditional comedy throughout.

Overall, it can be agreed that Twelfth Night is largely generated by episodes of mistaken identity as without the confusion, there would be no real set out for the play. Additionally without mistaken identity, we wouldn’t have the main plot of ‘the love triangle’ including Cesario, Orsino and Olivia and also we wouldn’t see the confusion between the twins, Viola and Sebastian. However, the other mistaken identity episodes contribute to generate different types of comedy such as Malvolio reading the letter from ‘Olivia’. The play involves the comedy conventions of Roman, Greek and Medieval humour as we see mistaken identity, a marriage and farce situations. Mistaken identity plays a vital part in the play which is made up of several episodes that contribute many elements of comedy to the play which shows the importance of the theme ‘Mistaken Identity’

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Twelfth Night

Discuss the role of mistaken identity in twelfth night .who is mistaken for whom,and what do these mix-ups signify.

state characters in the play who were mistaken for people they are not and which characters these were

Shakespeare's use of disguises leads to a number of cases of mistaken identity. Viola is mistaken for her brother because she disguises herself in men's clothing; Sebastian (Viola's brother) is mistaken for Cesario by Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. Olivia also mistakes Sebastian for Cesario and marries him; all while Antonio is busy mistaking Viola for Sebastian.

Shakepeare often uses mistaken identity to create confusion and tangled, love triangles. This keeps his plays fresh and serves to add humor to the entertainment.

Mistaken identity take the form of three categories:handwriting, voice as well as appearance.

1) Viola disguises herself as Cesario and deceives everyone more particularly a) DUKE ORSINO (disguised as a man she falls for a man) b) LADY OLIVIA (a woman falls in love with a woman disguised as a man)

2) Sebastien is mistaken for Cesario (during duel) by a) Feste (the clown) b) Sir. Andrew ad Sir Toby c)Lady Olivia

3) Cesario is mistaken for Sebastien by a) Antonio b)The Priest (Sir Topas) c) Sir. Andrew and Lady Olivia in Act V, who thinks Cesario is the same Cesario in Act IV Scene 1 and 3.

1) The clown Sir Feste, is mistaken for the priest Sir Topas by Malvolio.

HANDWRITING

1)Maria's handwriting is mistaken for Olivia's by Malvolio

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The Ethicist

Should i speak out when i overhear a person saying something hateful.

The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on taking a stand against homophobia and other forms of bigotry.

By Kwame Anthony Appiah

I was in a barbershop in a town west of the Mississippi and east of the Rockies. I didn’t hear what had been said before or what came after, but I suddenly heard another customer (quite calmly) say, “I just wish all homosexuals would be obliterated.” I’m gay and have had nightmares about being in a concentration camp because of my sexuality. Hearing those words said out loud froze my blood. I didn’t make a scene, just sat and pondered it all for a minute, then got up and walked out. I didn’t want to knowingly breathe the same air as someone speaking the language of Nazis. Should I have spoken out? — Name Withheld

From the Ethicist:

Some years ago, I was in Budapest at one of those “ruin bars” that pop up there in odd corners, and one of my drinking companions — a person with intertwined literary and civil rights careers — suddenly stood up and made his way over to a table of young men. He had been a dissident under Hungary’s Communist regime, and was something of a dissident under its current Fidesz party government. Not knowing Hungarian, I can only characterize his tone: reproving, but not antagonistic. He explained, when he returned, that he’d overheard one of the young men using a slur for gay people, and that he made a habit of correcting his compatriots whenever he heard them speaking contemptuously about gays, or Jews, or Romani, or another such disfavored group, none of which he was personally a member of. These “teaching moments” happened quite a lot, and, though I don’t know that he was ever slugged in response, he would not have been discouraged if he were. That’s the sort of person he was.

As I look back, it’s clear I wouldn’t have found what he did so admirable if I thought he was doing merely the moral minimum — fulfilling what was required of him. I don’t think one is obliged to confront everyone who says reprehensible things. I do think it would be better if more of us did so. So you didn’t have a duty to call out the guy. But if you judged it was safe to do so, you might, as you were leaving, have simply pointed out that there are gay people — and people who care about someone who’s gay — everywhere you go, and that it was a bad idea to assume he wouldn’t be overheard by one of them. Even if he wanted to be overheard, there are tactical advantages to invoking social norms as a proxy for moral condemnation. Of course, it would have been good if a straight person had spoken up, too. Enforcing norms of basic decency helps challenge the atmosphere of homophobia; in this case, it might have undermined the speaker’s confidence that he had conversational permission to wish for the obliteration of millions of human beings. My Hungarian dissident, for all his charm and persistence, knew he wasn’t going to change the customs of his country by himself. Still, people like him make the world just a little bit kinder.

A Bonus Question

Once, I was involved with an organization whose elected president was being undermined by a small but loud faction. Eventually, emails identified the troublemakers and revealed that they were actively sabotaging the president. Those people were expelled. The problem is that the president obtained these emails unethically.

A similar event occurred when a friend of mine was caught sexting. His partner found out because he had secretly obtained my friend’s passwords and had been monitoring his online activity for two years! I know illegally obtained evidence is inadmissible in court, but in real life, is there ever a justification? — Name Withheld

In general, an invasion of someone’s rights — in this case to privacy — doesn’t become justified by having good results. Sure, there can be complicated cases where rights are in conflict, and one must give way; we have legal procedures in place that, in carefully stipulated conditions, allow for this. But there’d be no point in moral rights if they could be overridden whenever anyone thought something beneficial would ensue. (Organizations typically reserve the right to review communications processed by their email system, though, ethically speaking, they should do so only for good and stated reasons. I’m guessing this wasn’t the scenario you’re describing, however.)

What’s mainly striking about the couple’s case? There was obviously something wrong in the relationship if one party was spying on the other like that. A partnership so lacking in trust, respect and honesty is hardly a partnership. Sexting someone outside the couple was presumably a violation of the understanding they had as well. So they both had reasons to feel betrayed.

I just hope that the fellow monitoring the other fellow’s digital activity doesn’t feel vindicated in his Stasi sideline. Between the spying and the sexting, I’d have to say that the spying was worse. It was a premeditated and ongoing betrayal of the partner’s privacy — a corrosive pattern of disrespect and deceit. The sexting was no doubt a breach of trust, and a hurtful one, but it was a particular action that may not represent an ongoing attitude of disrespect for the other person. The candor and intimacy characteristic of a loving relationship cannot be secured through surveillance.

Readers Respond

The previous question was from a reader who was discomfited by a stranger’s gift. She wrote: “While checking out groceries at a supermarket, I realized my $120 in cash might not suffice and asked the cashier to stop tallying before $120. When I reached $119, an unknown woman approached the cashier and said she wanted to cover the orphaned groceries. I hesitated but ultimately agreed. After paying, she took off. I retrieved the $120 from my purse, only to be informed by the cashier that the woman had paid the entire $133 bill. I dashed out of the store to inform her of the error, but she insisted she’d intended to pay the entire bill. … I was shocked and embarrassed. I’m wondering about the ethics of Random Acts of Kindness. This generous woman had the appearance of someone who needed that money to pay for necessities more than I needed it at checkout. Should I have declined her offer?”

In his response, the Ethicist noted: “You recall feeling ‘shocked and embarrassed’ — was this because you think you were mistaken for being poor, and you believe there’s something dishonorable about this condition? Or were you simply concerned, more honorably, that someone worse off than you burdened herself on your behalf? It’s entirely possible that this woman did mistake you for a person in need (most shoppers have a credit card in their wallet); it’s also possible she just felt like being generous. She’s an adult who’s entitled to make her own decisions. You seem highly confident in your ability to size up people’s financial situation from their personal appearance. Are you really so certain that she’s unable to do the same? Sometimes the greatest gift we can give people is to accept their gift graciously.” (Reread the full question and answer here .)

I concur with the Ethicist’s response that accepting a gift graciously can be a meaningful gesture. However, in this particular situation, I believe that paying it forward would be a more impactful gesture. It is a privilege to be in a position where financial assistance is unnecessary. If the letter writer feels uneasy about accepting the gift, she should consider donating the amount to a charity, cause or even to someone in need. Rather than feeling embarrassed or ashamed, she should view this opportunity as a chance to spread kindness in a world that is in dire need of it. It is often said that the giver receives more blessings than the receiver. I encourage her to consider using the extra $133 she now has, thanks to the kindness of a stranger, to pay it forward and make a positive impact on someone else’s life. — Stefanie

Right on to that last paragraph about the importance of accepting a gift graciously. Such gestures convey all sorts of meanings, not altogether comforting for recipients. We ought to shed the psychological baggage that inhibits us from recognizing such acts as the simple generosities that they are and responding with the simple “Thank you” that they deserve. — Charles

For the letter writer, who worried that her benefactor looked like she might have needed the money herself: I’m 80, rarely buy new clothes, wear no makeup, have a plain utilitarian haircut and do not own a car. These are all choices based on necessity as well as intention to live simply. When I can help someone out, it brings me joy. — Gabi

In my favorite book, Betty Smith’s “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Katie Nolan allows her daughter Francie to have coffee three times a day, even though Katie knows Francie doesn’t like the taste and will never drink it. She protects Francie’s right to waste something, to know she’s free to toss it down the drain even though the Nolan family doesn’t have a penny to spare. I agree with the Ethicist. The letter writer can’t know the benevolent woman’s circumstances. Some very wealthy people wear humble, even tattered clothing in public — I happen to know a few. If she is well off, the giver may have felt obliged to help someone in a financial fix. Or, if the generous donor is as cash-poor as her appearance suggests, she may have wanted the feeling of tossing the money at someone who needed it right then, without regard to her own needs. Whether it turns out the act was wasteful is, I suppose, dependent on whether the recipient continues to question its fitness, or whether she simply accepts it gracefully, regardless of the giver’s motives. — Jean

This is a beautifully stated answer. The letter writer would do well to remember that we are of a whole community and that to give freely to one’s neighbor without the need to size them up as worthy or unworthy is the ultimate act of generosity to oneself. Ten years on, I still treasure the memory of paying for a child’s pile of books. She had excitedly chosen the titles from the library’s secondhand room, and her mother had come up short. Why spoil that memory for someone with a lot of unnecessary noise? — Ruth

Kwame Anthony Appiah is The New York Times Magazine’s Ethicist columnist and teaches philosophy at N.Y.U. His books include “Cosmopolitanism,” “The Honor Code” and “The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity.” To submit a query: Send an email to [email protected]. More about Kwame Anthony Appiah

The Ethicist’s Answers to Your Moral Quandaries

Kwame anthony appiah helps us handle the tricky situations that put our values to the test..

As a Scientist, What Should I Do About My Mother’s Alternative-Medicine Views? When reconciling two very different belief systems between family members, the aim should be not conversion to a single view but mere toleration .

Do I Owe a Boss Who Harassed Me Credit for Past Work? Professional peers won’t know about a private situation, and some may see your failure to mention the collaboration as misleading or even dishonest .

Is It Wrong to Go to a Guys-Only Night? The social significance of gender is such that single-gender gatherings can sometimes offer something that their members  legitimately value.

With Unequal Incomes, How Should We Divvy Assets in the Divorce? : An “equitable distribution” might be to be an agreeable one .

Are People Who Read Magazines at the Bookstore Stealing?: Maybe the real question is: What does the store think ?

Is Shoplifting OK if the Shop Owner Is Awful?: How bad a theft is depends on how it affects the welfare of others .

To submit a question to the Ethicist, send an email to [email protected].  To receive advice directly in your inbox, sign up for the Ethicist newsletter .

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NCRT’s ‘Twelfth Night’ kicks off this…

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Ncrt’s ‘twelfth night’ kicks off this weekend.

North Coast Repertory Theatre will present Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” starting this Friday at 8 p.m. and running until April 21 at 2 p.m. at the Fifth and D Street Theatre, 300 Fifth St., Eureka.

Regular ticket prices are $20 and $18 for students and seniors. Volunteer opportunities for free admission are available.

“Twelfth Night” is the delightful Shakespearean comedy where mistaken identities, love triangles and clever schemes intertwine within a dream-like atmosphere of revelry and disguise. Follow the antics of Viola, who disguises herself as a man, as she navigates through a whirlwind of romance and hilarity, promising an evening of laughter and enchantment for all audiences.

This local production is being directed by Calder Johnson and Shawn Wagner and stars an ensemble that includes Rachel Houska, Amadeus Brown, Stephan Chittenden, Katie Eayre, Mychal Evenson, Sammi Pietanza, Toodie Boll, Moss Nipkau, Jaye Templeton, Cati Holper, Larry Crist, Ed Munn and Tasheena Evenson. Production design is by Calder Johnson and the play is being stage managed by Janine Redwine.

To see show schedules, purchase tickets online or to learn about volunteer opportunities, visit www.ncrt.net. For reservations, group rates or more information, call 707-442-6278 or email [email protected].

Masks are not required, except for a “Masked Matinee” on April 7, where masking is fully required in order to create a safer environment for the immunocompromised and most vulnerable members of the community.

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