THE VEILS OF SHAKESPEARE: AN EXAMINATION OF THE
FIGURATIVE AND PHYSICAL MASKS THROUGHOUT
SHAKESPEARE’S TWELFTH NIGHT
by
Catherine Marie Morin
B.A., St. Cloud State University, 2010
A Thesis
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty
of
St. Cloud State University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree
Master of Arts
St. Cloud, Minnesota
December, 2012
This thesis submitted by Catherine Marie Morin in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at St. Cloud State
University is hereby approved by the final evaluation committee.
______________________________________
Chairperson
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________
Dean
School of Graduate Studies
THE VEILS OF SHAKESPEARE: AN EXAMINATION OF THE
FIGURATIVE AND PHYSICAL MASKS THROUGHOUT
SHAKESPEARE’S TWELFTH NIGHT
Catherine Marie Morin
CLAIM:
I plan to examine the effects of the physical and emotional masks
throughout Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. This will be done through detailed
research regarding stage and screen performance, psychoanalytic review, as
well as gazing upon the text through multiple lenses such as gender studies,
archetype theory, queer theory and others. Through these different lenses, I
will examine the impact of the mask on both the characters of Shakespeare’s
story, as well as the readers and viewers throughout the centuries. The goal
of this project is to bring forth a view of Twelfth Night that has yet to hit the
forefront of Shakespearean studies.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:
Some additional questions I will be looking at regarding my thesis will
be in regard to the questionable homoerotic undertones seen throughout
Twelfth Night, and how these relationships change a reader’s perspective of
the story as well as Shakespeare himself. In addition, I will also be
examining the feminist role in the position of Viola as she disguises herself as
a man, as well as when she reverts back to a woman. These questions
specifically will allow for a more straightforward theory application to the
text, as well as prepare the reader for the psychoanalytic approach that will
follow these chapters. Specific sources that will be used regarding these
theories will include works from Judith Butler, Eve Sedgwick, Sigmund
Freud, Carl Jung as well as sections from Steven Greenblatt’s work Will in
the World and other selections. In addition to these theorists, I will be
delving into the world of stage and screen as I analyze the portrayal of Viola
as herself and Cesario. I plan to utilize the multiple versions of Twelfth
Night that have been made into films, as well as the parodies and play
reviews throughout the centuries.
iii
INITIAL HYPOTHESIS:
Though the masks of both Viola and Olivia are imperative to the plot of
Twelfth Night, the most important factor was the breaking of the masks. For
any character to truly be revealed they must first break through their false
exterior and let their true light shine. While most of the characters suffered
pain when their masks were taken off, in the end they were rewarded with
the growth of knowing that they could be accepted for who they were and
that there was no reason to hide behind a veil. This is the power of the mask.
______________________
Month
Year
Approved by Research Committee:
____________________________________
Jack Hibbard
Chairperson
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To Jack Hibbard,
You found and nurtured my love of Shakespeare when others laughed
it off.
To Rob Maas,
You helped me discover I was not alone and told me to follow my
dreams and write about what I love.
To Mom and Dad,
You supported me through everything, the dark times and the light.
Everything I do is to make you proud.
To Brian,
You stood by me through the troubles, freak-outs, and tears. You held
me together when I thought my world would fall apart and brought me
to where I am today.
Thank you all.
v
This fellow is wise enough to play the fool;
And to do that well craves a kind of wit:
He must observe their mood on whom he jests,
The quality of persons, and the time,
And, like the haggard, check at every feather
That comes before his eye. This is a practise
As full of labour as a wise man's art
For folly that he wisely shows is fit;
But wise men, folly-fall'n, quite taint their wit
Twelfth Night 3.1.53-61
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................
ix
Chapter
I.
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................
1
Initial Hypothesis .......................................................................
4
SEX AND THE SEXES ...................................................................
5
The Sexes.....................................................................................
5
Sexuality......................................................................................
9
Research Possibilities .................................................................
17
III.
PSYCHOLOGICAL USES OF THE MASK ....................................
19
IV.
APPLICATION ON STAGE AND SCREEN ...................................
29
Research Possibilities .................................................................
36
PEDAGOGY .....................................................................................
38
Technique ....................................................................................
39
Sexuality in the Classroom .........................................................
41
Research Possibilities .................................................................
44
CONCLUSION .................................................................................
46
II.
V.
VI.
vii
Page
REFERENCES ............................................................................................
51
APPENDICES .............................................................................................
60
A.
Student Responses to Twelfth Night .........................................
61
B.
Character Levels as Related to Celebratory Nature .................
66
C.
Student Informed Consent Form ...............................................
68
D.
Institutional Review Board Approval Form ..............................
70
viii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
................................................................................................ Page
I.
Image of Kate Jopson as Cesario with Kate Jopson as Viola .........
30
II.
Sample of student responses to Twelfth Night ...............................
41
ix
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
The power of the mask has been shown in thousands of ways
throughout the centuries. Sometimes shown through the betrayal of those
trusted, and many times through the revelation of false promises and once
hidden ideals made public. William Shakespeare draws on the power of such
veils in his comedy, Twelfth Night, by keenly arranging both Lady Olivia’s
physical veil and Viola’s emotional and psychological masks to create an
understanding in the reader and show, no matter the magnitude of its use,
everyone wears a mask throughout their lives.
I plan to examine the effects of the physical and emotional masks
throughout Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. This will be done through detailed
research regarding stage and screen performance, psychoanalytic review, as
well as gazing upon the text through multiple lenses such as gender studies,
archetype theory, queer theory and others. Through these different lenses I
will examine the impact of the mask on the characters of Shakespeare’s story,
as well as the readers and viewers throughout the centuries. The goal of this
1
2
project is to bring forth a view of Twelfth Night that has yet to hit the
forefront of Shakespearean studies while educating readers of the vast
complications within a
story
that
is
under-represented
in
modern
Shakespeare culture.
Additional questions I will be addressing regarding my thesis will be
concerning the questionable homoerotic undertones seen throughout Twelfth
Night, and how these relationships change a reader’s perspective of the story,
and Shakespeare himself.
In addition, I will be examining the feminist
interpretations of the role of Viola as she disguises herself as a man, as well
as when she reverts to a woman. These questions specifically will allow for a
more straightforward theory application to the text, as well as prepare the
reader for the psychoanalytic approach that will follow these chapters.
Specific sources that will be used regarding these theories will include works
from Judith Butler, Eve Sedgwick, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung as well as
sections from Steven Greenblatt’s work Will in the World and other
selections. In addition to these theorists, I will be delving into the world of
stage and screen as I analyze the portrayal of Viola as herself and Cesario. I
plan to utilize the multiple versions of Twelfth Night that have been made
into films, as well as the parodies and play reviews throughout the centuries.
I will include a specific section regarding the makeup application of
3
Viola/Cesario with an examination of the hermaphrodite concept as portrayed
on stage and screen.
Regarding concepts that may become more expansive than expected, I
plan to break apart the concept to its root and see how and where each piece
may be applied to the overall claim. If this tactic leads to multiple facets that
could draw attention away from the claim, the base concept will be included
in one of the final sections regarding additional research that could be
conducted and possibly followed up on in preparation for a dissertation.
While looking into the homoerotic undertones as well as the
questionably monstrous idea of the hermaphrodite, I have encountered far
more dissention that originally expected. However, the battle that seems to
be raging between the believers and nonbelievers only serves to ebb me
forward in my belief that the homoerotic undertones serve to enhance the
power of the mask while protecting each character from the possible
realization regarding such tendencies. In addition to the opposing views of
the hermaphrodite there are, of course, similar as well as alternative views
regarding the masks or identities each character is given throughout the play
which I hope to include throughout the piece as a comparison to my own
reasoning.
With these alternate views included, I will be able to show a
greater understanding of the literature while enhancing the reader’s
experience within the work.
4
Initial Hypothesis
Though the masks of both Viola and Olivia are imperative to the plot of
Twelfth Night, the most important factor is the breaking of the masks. For
any character to be truly revealed they must first break through their false
exterior and let their identity shine. While most of the characters suffer pain
with the removal of their masks, they are ultimately rewarded with the
understanding that they can be accepted for whom they are and that there is
no reason to hide behind a veil. Although many scholars today believe that
true identity does not exist, during Shakespeare’s time the masses strove to
find the true nature within themselves.
As is typical in a comedy, the
characters end up happy and paired off with characters on an equal level
with themselves; however the depth of both Viola and Olivia far outweigh the
growth of their counterparts. Both women struggle greatly to hide behind a
mask, but in the end are able to show their true selves and break through
their created exteriors. Through this metamorphosis, Viola and Olivia were
able break into the world with a new understanding of themselves. We shape
our lives through the breaking of our masks, not only in plays, but in daily
life as well. This is the power of the mask.
Chapter II
SEX AND THE SEXES
The subject of sexuality within Twelfth Night is surrounded by selfdoubt and inquiry. The recurring question of who loves whom, and to what
level each character’s devotion reaches, creates a tricky path of self-discovery
throughout the play. With additional attention paid to the concept of the
eunuch and its uses, as well as the female archetypes, it is possible to build a
web of sexuality between the characters to allow for a greater understanding
of sexual disguises within the play. Steven Greenblatt addresses this issue of
confused gender in The Norton Anthology of English Literature when
referring to the sexual nature of the characters: “When the disguises are
removed, the revelers resume their ‘proper,’ socially and sexually approved
positions” (1189). With this in mind, we may begin the dissection of sex and
sexuality within Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
The Sexes
In her book, Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
introduces the idea of sexuality as compared to sex or gender in current
criticism:
5
6
The study of sexuality is not coextensive with the study of gender;
correspondingly, antihomophobic inquiry is not coextensive with
feminist inquiry. But we can’t know in advance how they will be
different. (Sedgwick 2470)
Sedgwick continues on to describe the differences between the study of
feminist theory and antihomophobic ideals. Due to the understanding that
despite the drastic differences between theories neither idea is attacking the
other, the reader is able to better comprehend the complexities of sex and
sexuality in the play.
This claim, along with the understanding of
questionable desire within Twelfth Night, creates a new lens of analysis
when examining various relationships throughout the play. No longer does
the reader’s understanding of sexuality rest in the realm of sexual desire
equaling gender consistency. Instead, the reader is ushered into the world of
plausible doubt when addressing the inconsistent, and semi-homoerotic,
gender tendencies among characters.
When looking at gender studies within Twelfth Night and the
discussion of who loves more, men or women, Duke Orsino’s declaration that
women love more deeply and longer but men love more robustly and with
their whole body prepares the reader for a battle of passion between the
sexes.
Amid this lusty battle, readers encounter false claims of soul
shattering love from Duke Orsino, unwelcome adoration found in Antonio,
7
the grudgingly accepted affection of Maria, as well as an unrequited and
unacceptable love of Lady Olivia for the disguised Viola.
Carol Neely, in her book Distracted Subjects: Madness and Gender in
Shakespeare and Early Modern Culture, discusses the gender biased
declaration by Duke Orsino as an affirmation of women’s desire: “[The]
debate about who loves most, men or women, [seems] to agree with the
treatises that women do—portraying them as pursuing desire more
aggressively” ( 115). Despite Duke Orsino’s claim that women pursue love
more insistently, he slanders his own words as he describes the love he
harbors for the Lady, claiming if a woman loved as much as he loves Lady
Olivia she would rip apart. He attributes this fact to the assumption that a
woman’s love does not affect the liver, brain or heart which are the seats of
passion:
DUKE ORSINO. There is no woman's sides
Can bide the beating of so strong a passion
As love doth give my heart; no woman's heart
So big, to hold so much; they lack retention
Alas, their love may be call'd appetite,
No motion of the liver, but the palate,
That suffer surfeit, cloyment and revolt;
But mine is all as hungry as the sea,
And can digest as much: make no compare
Between that love a woman can bear me
And that I owe Olivia. (2.4.93-102)
8
Duke Orsino’s reflections on a woman’s love being below a man’s, while not
supported by Shakespeare’s language, are recognized within the scholarship
of the play as well as in student responses to the text1 as support for earlier
presentations of the Duke as a fool2. Relating this concept to students in
current and younger generations is imperative in order for them to realize
that while Shakespeare may have shown women in positions of lesser power,
he gave them wit3 as recompense for this perception.
While Shakespeare’s women suggest a possession of power hidden in
their dainty forms, the men of Twelfth Night fall short of what a stereotypical
male character would demonstrate. There is no damsel in distress or battle
to be fought and won; there is no great demonstration of masculine prowess
from the men of Twelfth Night. Rather, the characters of Toby, Andrew,
Antonio, and Duke Orsino all fall, in some measures, onto the border between
masculine and feminine. And while these characters are given the roles of
men, changing the roles to that of women would scarcely change the
1
See Chapter 6: Pedagogy.
Comparing Duke Orsino to the character Feste, the fool, who is far
higher in understanding than the Duke, but uses his assumed naïveté to
observe other characters.
2
Wit, as used by Shakespeare, demonstrates the keen ability of
perception of one’s surroundings, understanding of other characters, and
power over one’s own actions. It is Viola’s wit that allows her to understand
the true nature of Feste, just as Feste’s wit allows him to view the false
masks worn by each character throughout the play, including himself.
3
9
overarching question of sexual identity within the play. Moving then to the
concept of sexual archetypes and the constant doubt of sexual preference
within characters, the readers are once again thrown into the madness of
male verses female in performance as well as desire.
Sexuality
The relationship between characters in Twelfth Night is constantly
changing as the play progresses and the reader is brought to a deeper level of
understanding. Some relationships, such as Antonio and Sebastian, Cesario
and Lady Olivia, and Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, raise doubts in readers’
minds regarding the type of devotion presented and the depth of love between
characters. While some character pairings in Twelfth Night are situated well
within the boundaries of heterosexual love, a great majority are not as easy
to identify in their sexuality, allowing misconception to run rampant among
characters and audience alike.
The relationship between Antonio and Sebastian creates doubts about
each man’s sexual preference from the first introduction of the characters.
The audience is immediately thrust into demonstrations of the homosexual
potential in Antonio’s devotion as he pleads with Sebastian to stay in his
company throughout the journey to Duke Orsino’s court. While Sebastian
uses his chivalrous manner to dismiss the requests, he is unable to see the
10
depth of Antonio’s love and the lengths to which the adoring Antonio will
pursue Sebastian’s affection.
Act II, Scene i presents the reader with
Antonio’s declaration to pursue Sebastian in his journey despite the danger it
may present him:
ANTONIO. The gentleness of all the gods go with thee!
I have many enemies in Duke Orsino’s court.
Else would I very shortly see thee there.
But come what may I do adore thee so
That danger shall seem sport, and I will go.
(2.1.42-46)
Antonio is presented as feminine due to the means by which he declares his
love, as well as the overprotective nature that sprouts from the homoerotic
desire shown when seeking to follow Sebastian despite the dangers. It is this
desire that creates an undercurrent of tension between characters and reader
as we try to identify a clear intention while Antonio pursues Sebastian.
This concept of male characters presented as feminine appears once
more in the relation between Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. Similar to Antonio,
Sir Andrew’s actions are more fit for a maiden than a knighted man courting
a Lady. Sir Toby claims that Sir Andrew is brave and skillful with a sword,
but this claim fall short as the reader witnesses a drunken dancing Sir
Andrew who has no skill or knowledge in any of the realms presented by his
friend:
11
TOBY. He plays o’ the viol-de-gamboys, and speaks
three or four languages word for word without
book, and hath all the good gifts of nature.
(1.3.25-28)
Not only does Sir Andrew not speak “three or four languages word for word,"
but he hardly speaks his own language. Lady Olivia’s chambermaid Maria
plays off Sir Toby’s claim that Sir Andrew possesses natural gifts, and twists
it to insult Sir Andrew’s foolish nature. Despite Sir Toby’s disregard for her
statements, Maria is quick to declare that Sir Andrew is more fit for
scurrying into a corner for protection or sobbing about a whack on the head
than bear baiting:
MARIA. He hath indeed, almost natural, for, besides that he’s a
fool, he’s a great quarreler, and but that he hath the gift of
coward to allay the gust he hath in quarreling, ‘tis thought
among the prudent he would quickly have the gift of a grave.
(1.3.29-33)
Through these simple lines, Shakespeare demonstrates the doubtful
masculinity of Sir Andrew and his feminine attributes.
It is with this
perspective that the reader’s understanding of the masculine mask, as
reflected in the contradicting nature of feminine love displayed within a male
character, begins to grow.
When examining the feminine love in Twelfth Night, readers may
stumble upon the issue of Lady Olivia’s shifting desire.
While the Lady
claims she cannot love for seven years time, her masquerade falters at the
12
first appearance of Cesario.
No longer does she wear her “eye-offending
brine” (1.1.29) but chooses instead to devote the same passion she gave to
avoiding the Duke into winning Cesario’s devotion. This love for Cesario
blooms out of Lady Olivia’s avoidance of the Duke and the manner in which
Cesario presents himself to her. Despite his ignorance of her face and the
misquoted speech prepared by the Duke, Cesario’s wit and feminine charms
serve to placate Lady Olivia, allowing him unintended access to her heart.
Twelfth Night exposes the problems that arise when unrequited desire
is mistaken for love, and when gender and sexual identity are not clearly
established. Reaching far beyond the superficial levels of understanding, this
issue fleshes out the readers’ understanding of heterosexual, homosexual,
and homosocial love4. This idea is demonstrated in the parallel situations of
Lady Olivia and Antonio. While neither character is treated as a fool, Lady
Olivia and Antonio are shown in an affected state due to their desire for
someone of the same sex.
In addition to this desire, readers begin to
understand the unanswered question posed by both Lady Olivia and Antonio:
Does the object of my affection feel the same for me?
It is through this
As opposed to the homoerotic love that he truly felt for Cesario. Due
to his position as Duke, Orsino would be unable to declare his love for
another male, thereby trapping him in the role of a heterosexual man with
homosocial feelings for his confidant Cesario. It is only through the
revelation that Cesario is a woman that Duke Orsino is able to show the
passion he truly felt for his male companion.
4
13
understanding that readers are able to see the connections between
relationships such as Lady Olivia & Cesario and Sebastian & Antonio. The
reflections of ambiguous desire and the homosexual undertones provide the
reader with a tangible connection between multiple relationships throughout
the play.
In contrast to the wavering sexuality of Sebastian, Lady Olivia, and
Antonio, stands Sir Toby, with his obvious claims of manhood demonstrated
in the drunken foolery he portrays when around Maria and other men.
Though his lechery may make him prone to foolery, he demonstrates no
feelings towards Sir Andrew or towards any other man that he is around; in
fact, he demonstrates little sexuality at all save for urging Sir Andrew to
accost5 Maria.
In the final scenes, the audience discovers how Sir Toby
agrees to marry Maria as a reward for her trickery of Malvolio. The severe
lack of sexuality in both Maria and Toby throughout the play makes them the
ultimate couple to end up together as they are an equal, if not paradoxical
paradigm to the love triangle between Lady Olivia, Duke Orsino, and Viola.
Referring to Act I, Scene iii, 43-52: Sir Toby urges Sir Andrew to
accost Maria but the foolish Sir Andrew mistakes the command for Maria’s
name. Addressing Maria as “Mistress Accost,” Sir Andrew discovers his
mistake, but continues with on his foolishness by addressing Maria as
“Mistress Mary Accost.”
5
14
Yet another conflicting situation to the homosexual nature of the key
characters rests a grossly mistreated puritan. Malvolio, in the case of love, is
clearly heterosexual as he enters into the play with a sexual desire for Lady
Olivia as well as desire for power. However, the question of his true passion
remains in the possibility of an asexuality within Malvolio due to his self-love
and professed desire to rule Lady Olivia’s house. Continuing with this idea,
while the desire to reign over Lady Olivia in power and status denotes a
sexual nature, Malvolio struts about attempting to demonstrate his
masculinity by giving orders to those positioned below him.
Despite
Malvolio’s low character ranking, he ultimately defends himself through the
writing of a scathing letter vowing revenge on those who wronged him.
Unfortunately, his declarations of grandeur throughout the play fall short as
Malvolio fails to rise to the previous archetypal ranks of a true man and is
relegated to the ranks of the shadow6.
As Malvolio finally reaches his
pinnacle, he leaves the play as his self-love has effectively ruined his only
“The shadow is an archetype that consists of the sex and life
instincts. The shadow exists as part of the unconscious mind and is composed
of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts and shortcomings. This
archetype is often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing
wildness, chaos and the unknown. These latent dispositions are present in all
of us… although people sometimes deny this element of their own psyche and
instead project it onto others” (Jung’s Archetypes).
6
15
chance at celebratory love and there is no longer room for him amongst the
celebration.7
Conversely, the fool Feste is welcomed into the celebration of higherlevel characters8 despite being almost asexual due to his festive nature and
the truth he claims. Typically in Shakespeare’s plays, if someone is at a high
character level they will end up partnered equally; however, due to the fact
the only character at Feste’s level is Viola and she ends up with the Duke,
Feste is alone within himself. In a rather strange turn of events, Feste’s
partner, rather than being a romantic and sexual partner, is his wit.
Greenblatt addresses this understanding in The Norton Anthology of English
Literature where he claims, “[Feste’s] wit often takes the form of a perverse
literalism that slyly calls attention to the play’s repeated confounding of such
simple binaries as male and female, outside and inside, role and
reality”(Greenblatt 1189). Taking this concept into account, it is possible to
see the different understandings possible regarding Feste the fool; he is seen
as foolish, but he has the wit of a higher character which allows him to have
Referring to Malvolio’s sexual desire for Lady Olivia despite her
higher position, his self-idolization removes any chance he may have had
with the Lady of the house. While the audience understands the impossible
nature of Malvolio’s desire, they must wait and see how his false perceptions
will hinder his development as a character until his exit from the play.
7
8
See appendix B: Character levels as related to celebratory nature.
16
an appreciative love with himself that does not lapse into self love like that of
Malvolio.
The final, and ultimate, demonstration of problematic desire rests in
the relationship between Duke Orsino and Cesario. While both characters
battle against their emotions for each other, the audience has an entertaining
view as they watch Duke Orsino attempt to hide this newly found desire for
his confidant Cesario. No longer is the Duke able to declare his love boldly as
he did for Olivia; he must now entreat his love to stay hidden within his
breast as he reaches out secretly to his newest housemate Cesario. The issue
that arises with this realization for the reader is the use—or misuse—of the
eunuch façade by Viola.
Originally intended for protection, her false
manhood has given her entrance into Duke Orsino’s heart. Unfortunately,
this brings the question of Duke Orsino’s sexual desires to the surface where
they begin to plague readers with doubts about the true nature of Duke
Orsino and Viola’s relationship. It is this view that allows readers to begin to
understand the intricacies of the relationship while relating to the idea of
forbidden desire.
Steven Greenblatt addresses the twists and turns of Twelfth Night’s
relationships and misunderstandings through an examination of cultural
norms,
17
The play’s delicious complications follow from the emotional tangles
these transformations engender, unsettling fixed categories of sexual
identity… and allowing characters to explore emotional territory that a
culture officially hostile to same-sex desire and cross-class marriage
would ordinarily have ruled out of bounds. (Greenblatt 1187)
It is through this shattering of norms that Shakespeare demonstrates the
changing nature of sexual desire. No longer does being a man automatically
prescribe a masculine desire; it is the variability of sexuality that chooses
where the heart will rest. Though the masks of Twelfth Night vary in their
use and forms, the overarching question of sexuality lies nestled in the
protection of each character’s mask.
Research Possibilities
Throughout the discovery of sexual desire within Twelfth Night, it is
possible that certain ideas will begin to plague the reader. Some of these
ideas rest wholly in the realm of theory application, while a great majority
will dwell outside the boundaries of traditional research methodology. One
option for such information is the examination of
previous
interpretations
of Twelfth Night within the sexual norms prescribed to a male-female
relationship. By reviewing the text through a heterosexual lens, the reader
will begin to discover her own preference regarding the sexual desire of each
character.
Through the investigation of Shakespeare’s perceived sexual
preference as a man and the possible negative implications of his difficult
18
marriage to Anne Hathaway, the reader will create their own truth for the
text.
Chapter III
PSYCHOLOGICAL USES OF THE MASK
Examining the variability of the masks; how we all wear a mask
whether knowingly or not, and even with the removal of the known masks,
the common (unknown) mask remains within every role in life.
When
referencing the uses of the mask, whether psychological or physical, one must
look at a variety of different characters among the many levels within
Twelfth Night. These levels9 reference the hierarchy of characters within
Twelfth Night and the roles their masks take throughout the play. Whether
physical, psychological, or emotional, every character within the play,
including some minor characters, wears a mask. Upon first introduction to
the world of Twelfth Night, the reader is presented with Viola’s disguise as a
eunuch and the concept of a mask for protection.
Throughout the play,
additional masks and veils are brought into the land of Illyria for a variety of
uses, all of which creating a barrier of protection for the wearer. As the play
progresses, and masks develop, the shattering of these masks becomes an
9
See appendix B: Character levels as related to celebratory nature.
19
20
overwhelming possibility for the characters and reader alike.
It is this
possibility that allows multiple interpretations of character intention, sexual
preference, and the resulting blow arising from the destruction of the mask.
Through close examination of each character’s mask, the reader is
ushered into a relationship with the characters. These relationships, along
with the reader’s omniscient understanding of the play, allows for a deeper
understanding of each character’s desires and intentions demonstrated
through the use of their masks. Looking closely at the masks of Antonio, we
are shown the traditional use of a mask through the physical and emotional
protection it provides. Shakespeare begins Act II with the introductions of
Antonio and Sebastian. No longer is the audience worried for Viola’s lost
brother; instead, we are thrown into another demonstration of one-sided love
on the part of Antonio.
Antonio
begins
his
experience
demonstration of devotion for Sebastian.
in
Illyria
with
a
desperate
By offering to follow Sebastian
despite the dangers that threaten his own life, Antonio begins to shatter a
mask barely seen by the reader: a mask of homosocial love.
Through
presenting himself as someone who cares for Sebastian but failing to
demonstrate his true nature until Sebastian tries to leave, Antonio’s ultimate
declaration of his love is met with an unsatisfactory response:
21
ANTONIO. If you will not murder me for my love, let me
be your servant.
SEBASTIAN. If you will not undo what you have done—
that is,
Kill him whom you have recovered—desire it not.
Fare you well at once. My bosom is full of kindness,
And I am yet so near the manners of my mother, that
Upon the least occasion more mine eyes will tell
Tales of me. I am bound to the Count Orsino’s court.
Farewell.
ANTONIO. The gentleness of all the gods go with thee!
I have many enemies in Orsino’s court,
Else would I very shortly see thee there.
But, come what may, I do adore thee so,
That danger shall seem sport, and I will go.
(2.1.30-42)
It is through this declaration of love that Antonio shatters the mask so briefly
seen by the reader.
No longer is he situated in the world of friend or
comrade; instead, he is thrown into the ever-changing world of love in Illyria.
The underlying question of Antonio’s mask is if Sebastian knows about the
feelings held for him, or if he is simply thankful for the friendship.
Different performances have presented Sebastian and Antonio as
homosexual, both characters heterosexual—referring to a homosocial rather
than sexual love—or as one-sided homosexual love. My own interpretation
leads me to believe Antonio’s love of Sebastian far exceeds friendship, while
Sebastian does not reciprocate that deeper love. Sebastian is straight, and
whether he knows about Antonio’s desire or not, is left to interpretation. No
22
matter the presentation of the relationship, there is no question regarding
the mask that Antonio must wear in the situation.
In contrast to Antonio, Sebastian’s masks are both intentional and
accidental. Sebastian’s original mask, another mask only shown for a short
period of time, is that of Rodrigo—the name Sebastian claimed for himself
while with Antonio. When Sebastian finally seeks to venture into the world
of Illyria, he admits his true identity and trusts Antonio due to his kind
nature and face.10 As Sebastian ventures away from Antonio and into the
world of Orsino, he soon realizes an accidental mask that has been thrust
upon him: the mask of Cesario.
In accidentally taking the place of his sister Viola, Sebastian is
plunged into the world of Cesario and the twisted love triangle of Illyria’s
most powerful rulers. By taking up this mask, Sebastian is not only ignorant
of Cesario, but he does not realize that Viola is Cesario and that his sister is
alive. In addition, this role provides yet another step towards the mask of
Lady Olivia’s unprepared, but willing, husband. Now, not only has Sebastian
never met Lady Olivia before, but when he does she envelopes him and
Similar to Viola’s trust of the Sea Captain due to his kind face and
nature, “There is a fair behavior in thee, captain/And though that nature
with a beauteous wall/Doth oft close in pollution, yet of thee/I will believe
thou hast a mind that suits/With this thy fair and outward character” (1.2.4751).
10
23
proclaims her love. Shortly thereafter, Olivia begs for Sebastian’s hand in
marriage; little does she know that this boy she has fallen for has been
replaced by the idol once replicated:
OLIVIA. Blame not this haste of mine. If you mean well,
Now go with me and with this holy man
Into the chantry by. There, before him
And underneath that consecrated roof,
Plight me the full assurance of your faith,
That my most jealous and too doubtful soul
May live at peace. He shall conceal it
Whiles you are willing it shall come to note,
What time we will our celebration keep
According to my birth. What do you say?
SEBASTIAN. I’ll follow this good man, and go with you;
And, having sworn truth, ever will be true. (4.3.23-34)
And through these simple lines, Sebastian has set in motion the destruction
of the remaining masks in Twelfth Night. Only after Sebastian’s marriage to
Lady Olivia, and fight with Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, does Viola enter the
scene with a perplexed Duke Orsino. With the revelation that his sister is
alive, Sebastian has successfully shattered his own mask as well as those
around him.
While only one of Sebastian’s masks—his assumed name Rodrigo—is
intentional, the one he picks up accidently, the one his sister has created for
him, ultimately changes his life for the better while twisting the power of
Illyria on its end. No longer is Sebastian a homeless orphan with no sister;
he is married to a Lady that owns land, his sister is alive, and she is married
24
to the Duke who once loved Sebastian’s new wife. As they share a wedding
and the masks of understanding and confusion shatter, the reader is finally
able to understand the circular nature of the play.
Similar to the masks of Sebastian, is that of Duke Orsino. While not a
physical mask like those of Viola and Lady Olivia, Duke Orsino’s mask is one
that most readers will discover within the first scene. As readers enter into
the play and receive Duke Orsino’s grand decree to give him so much love
that it should sicken and so die, his pension for teenage angst is evident.
These childish tactics present Orsino at a level far below that of a Duke who
rules a country and more apt to that of co-ed who has lost her favorite pair of
shoes. As the play progresses, readers have a front-row seat to the evolution
of Duke Orsino’s mask from whining child to that of a man in love.
Unfortunately, the Duke is unaware of this transformation within himself
until he has slipped into the homoerotic mask previously inhabited by
Antonio. And while the readers are able to understand Duke Orsino’s desire
for Cesario due to their knowledge of Viola’s disguise, the Duke is presented
with the doubt of his own sexuality. It is not until the very end of the play
that Duke Orsino is able to admit his blossoming passion for Cesario, and
this is due solely to the revelation that he is actually a she. Without this
revelation, it is quite possible that the trapping of the Duke within the mask
of homosocial love would have been unavoidable. As it is the faltering masks
25
of Viola that free the Duke from his constraints, it is only right to present
Viola’s masks as the building block for the creation of Olivia’s masks.
The reader’s first encounter with Viola occurs as she washes ashore of
Illyria with the kindly Sea Captain. Unsure of her status within this strange
country, and weary from the likely death of her brother, Viola chooses to
enter the world of Illyria with as much protection she can supply herself:
VIOLA. (to SEA CAPTAIN)
I prithee—and I’ll pay thee bounteously—
Conceal me what I am, and be my aid
For such disguise as haply shall become
The form of my intent. I’ll serve this duke.
Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him.
It may be worth thy pains, for I can sing
And speak to him in many sorts of music
That will allow me very worth his service.
What else may hap to time I will commit.
Only shape thou thy silence to my wit.
(1.2.49-58)
It is through the utilization of the eunuch that Viola is able to enter into the
world of Illyria without raising suspicion due to her high voice and lack of
masculine definition. This disguise suites her well as the captain presents
Viola, dressed as Cesario, to the Duke as someone skilled in the ways of a
woman, yet lacking the cardinal desires of a true man. This mask, though
intentional in its creation, causes unintended trouble for the powers that be
in Illyria.
No one is prepared for the revelation that the skilled eunuch
Cesario is truly the beautiful Viola of Messaline.
26
Despite the protective nature of the Cesario mask, Viola’s creation
takes on Frankenstein proportions as she enters the world of Lady Olivia and
her veil of secrecy. While neither woman can claim to be wholly who they say
they are, both Lady Olivia and Viola have brought aspects of themselves into
their masks, helping them believe this is who they truly are rather than
portraying a false ideal of themselves. Although Viola uses her mask in a
role for safety, the parallel between Lady Olivia and Viola shows when they
encounter the men that they wish to be with. Lady Olivia’s mask begins to
shatter as she falls in love with the young Cesario despite her claims that she
will not love for seven years. While on the other hand, when Viola meets
Duke Orsino and begins to fall in love, her mask must grow stronger due to
her desire to show her true colors and free herself from the burden of a lie. In
the end, this causes her great trouble as she meets Lady Olivia and sees the
true power of her mask as the Lady falls quickly in love with her outer shell.
And though Viola wishes to save Lady Olivia from humiliation, there is
nothing she can do until she removes her mask; unfortunately, this will
undoubtedly destroy everything she had worked towards.
Unlike Viola’s psychological and emotional mask, Lady Olivia claims
that she is using her physical veil to mourn for her brother’s death, and that
she will wear it for seven years to keep the memory of him alive in her heart.
While it is proper to mourn for a loved one that has passed, mourning of
27
seven years far outreaches the tendrils of sanity. In Greek mythology, the
Heliades mourned their brother Phaethon for an extensive amount of time,
but even the gods grew tiresome of their mourning and altered their forms as
punishment for spending so much time on the dead. By placing the veil upon
her head, Lady Olivia both demonstrates, and demands, that no one shall
bother her while she mourns.
Although Olivia’s veil is a physical entity, she uses it to hide herself
from the outside world that she does not feel is worthy of her. Duke Orsino
has been courting her for some time when her brother passes away, and it is
because of this that Olivia sinks to a level of revulsion as she uses her
brother’s death as a barrier to keep the persistent Duke away. Although the
veil may hide her face, it is in actuality, a mask that Olivia must wear to
keep private the truth about her mourning and how she feels about the Duke.
While Lady Olivia believes that her veil has fooled those around her, one
character stands out among the many as a beacon of truth.
The fool, Feste, introduces himself to the audience through his silly
antics and celebratory nature.
Playing on the hidden nature of the
characters around him, Shakespeare arms Feste with the wit and
understanding of the reader while placing him amongst the shrouded faces
within Illyria. Although Feste’s role is that of a fool, it is apparent to the
28
reader that this is yet another mask skillfully placed by Shakespeare’s artful
hand.
Not only is Feste able to see beyond the masks worn by other
characters, but he is able to see his own mask, commenting slyly on its uses
during a conversation with Lady Olivia,
FESTE (to LADY OLIVIA). Lady, cucullus non
facit monachum. That's as much to say as I wear not
motley on my brain. (1.5.50-52)
It is this revelation of true awareness, along with the celebratory level11 of his
character that allows Feste’s ultimate understanding of those around him. In
the end, while many of the characters’ masks may help them, some of the
masks are, in a hypothetical sense, eyeless. Each character is led through
the world blinded by their masks, and willing to accept this fact due to their
belief that fate is taking over.
11
See appendix II: Character levels as related to celebratory nature.
Chapter IV
APPLICATION ON STAGE AND SCREEN
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts
As You Like It 2.6.142-146
Setting the stage for the discussion to follow, this quotation from As
You Like It exemplifies the various ways in which a production can change
an audience member’s interpretation of a play from one scene to the next.
Looking at various aspects of productions such as makeup, costume, casting,
language, and humor, audience members are able to see how different
productions drastically manipulate the story. In addition to the differences
in productions and despite the varying styles from one production to the next,
many of the questions roused by an examination of the text are left
unanswered. With these questions in mind, it is easily understood that the
audience is “sufficiently immersed in the conventions both of theater and
social life in general to accept gesture, makeup, and above all dress” as
satisfactory representations of gender and social status (Greenblatt 1187).
29
30
Amongst the various productions of Twelfth Night, rests the stage
production put on by the Town Hall Stage. This group of actors chose to play
on the idea of Viola and Cesario as hermaphrodite through the use of
makeup techniques; see Figure 1: Kate Jopson as Cesario and Kate Jopson as
Viola.
Figure 1
Kate Jopson as Cesario and Kate Jopson as Viola
The publicity images used by the group depicts their leading lady, Kate
Jopson, with a split gender identity much like Twelfth Night’s heroine. With
31
half her face depicting a man and the other half a woman, Kate Jopson
demonstrates the difficulty that comes with portraying a gender jumping
character. While the makeup portrayed was not used in the formal
production of the play, the ideal represented rings true to the nature of
Twelfth Night.
While Twelfth Night and the rest of Shakespeare’s plays were intended
for stage production alone, the current tradition of performance today rests in
the realm of movies and film.
Since 1937, when the first production of
Twelfth Night was released, over twenty different film adaptations have been
released in the United States alone (IMDB). Many of these productions cast
a man as Sebastian and a woman as Viola, while a small selection chose to
have both siblings portrayed by women. One production from 1987 went so
far as to have a single female actor portray the roles of Cesario, Viola, and
Sebastian; this adaptation, directed by Neil Armfield, has the experienced
actress Gillian Jones cast as three main characters through various
applications of makeup and costuming (IMDB).
The tactics used in
productions like Armfield’s allow for a various array of experts to hone their
skills while enhancing the audience’s reception of the character.
Such
blatant image manipulation required to make a film adaption like Armfield’s
would be nearly impossible on a live stage in front of a crowd. Due to this
32
difficulty, few stage adaptations used such tactics, as they would call for the
omission of required scenes where Viola and Sebastian greet each other.
Specific stage productions of Twelfth Night, in hopes of standing apart
from the crowd, attempt to include various styles of speech in their
portrayals. Former artistic director for the Royal Shakespeare Company and
the National Theatre Sir Peter Hall directed the National Theater’s
production of Twelfth Night.
The review for this production, written by
Lizzie Loveridge, discusses the stylistic choices made by Hall as he cast his
daughter Rebecca Hall in the role of Viola:
Sir Peter's belief that Shakespeare's verse should be spoken as verse
and not as prose comes to the fore in this mostly beautifully spoken of
Shakespearean productions. However the concentration needed to
deliver perfect speech, leaves Rebecca Hall rather impassive and
motionless as Viola, although she is undoubtedly a sincere actor as she
speaks the lines clearly and slowly.
Loveridge continues her shaded compliments as she delves into
discussion of characters and their portraying actors:
Simon Callow blusters away as the red faced Sir Toby Belch in a
performance which he obviously thoroughly enjoys but which is rather
one note, unlike that of his collaborator Sir Andrew Aguecheek which
Charles Edwards imbues with greatly expressive acting — always
animated even when listening to the lines of others. Simon Paisley
Day exaggerates the self regarding Malvolio, wincing when he thinks
he is commanded by Olivia to smile.
Amanda Drew's thin and reedy voice makes for a peevish Olivia as she
protests her love for Cesario. When Olivia mistakes Sebastian for
33
Cesario we are left wondering if this mistaken identity is caused by the
lack of good opticians or designers of hearing aids in 17th century
England as to our eyes and ears, apart from similarities of dress and
wigs, there is no resemblance by way of physical appearance or voice
between siblings Sebastian and Viola. Judi Dench's daughter Finty
Williams plays the maid Maria but she has no vocal or visual likeness
to her famous mother, not that she needs it in this role (Loveridge).
The Curtain Up London Review, while celebrating various character
portrayals, ends on a self-explanatory note: “the comedy doesn't really come
off in this serious but lucidly spoken production” (Loveridge). By ending on
this direct statement, Loveridge declares her failing marks for the National’s
performance.
Despite the praises given to various actors as well as the
director’s hopeful intention, the lack of humor in this, the last of
Shakespeare’s celebratory comedies, results in a destruction of the play’s
intent and a disappointment for the audience.
Unfortunately, due to the
celebratory nature of the comedy and the audience’s assumption of humor
within the text, interpretations that fail to reach this level are unable to
accurately present Shakespeare’s intent and would do better to focus on a
more dramatic production.
On the other end of the comedic spectrum from Hall’s production rests
the most recent, and humorous, film adaptation of Twelfth Night. Directed
by Trevor Nunn, this 1996 production stars Imogen Stubbs as Viola with
Steven Mackintosh as her dashing brother Sebastian and a young Helena
Bonham Carter as Olivia. In his book Shakespeare at the Cineplex: The
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Kenneth Branagh Era, Samuel Crowl addresses the various themes depicted
in Nunn’s production ranging from the sexual undertones of Cesario and
Duke Orsino’s relationship, to the melancholy of the final scene:
Nunn’s Twelfth Night is cast in subtle hues, and its virtues are less
obvious to the popular film audience. He seeks to underline the text’s
melancholy, its autumnal spirit, as opposed to its ‘midsummer
madness.’ (Crowl 90)
This intention, “to underline the text’s melancholy,” along with Nunn’s
depiction of characters leaving the play, creates a relationship dynamic
previously unseen in film productions of Twelfth Night. Crowl continues to
address this issue in his discussion of the final scene of Twelfth Night:
Nunn’s decision to focus on the excluded and leave-takers at the film’s
end is in keeping with the autumnal atmosphere he has sought to
capture throughout. Feste’s sad final song casts a melancholy shadow
back over the entire film. Nunn’s house of love, which has been built
on gender inclusiveness, seems oddly barren when it comes to
imagining a similar generosity about class: fools, friends, uncles,
maids—as well as stewards—are not entreated to a peace in a world
where, evidently for most, the rain does rain every day. (Crowl 84)
This melancholy undertone allows the celebratory scenes of the play to reach
a level beyond that of Sir Peter Hall’s production. While the language used
in Nunn’s depiction may not have the courtly flow of solid verse like that of
Hall’s, the witty performances of Imogen Stubbs and Steven Mackintosh light
up the screen with comedic intent.
35
Continuing with the theme of comedy, a modern approach to Twelfth
Night is the big screen adaptation through parody. One such production
titled She’s the Man brings the gender confusion of the twisting play into the
already tumultuous world of high school:
A simple case of assumed identity snowballs into a romantic mix-up of
epic proportions in director Andy Fickman's contemporary teen take on
William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
Viola Hastings (Amanda
Bynes) has good reason for wanting to conceal her identity upon
arriving at Illyria Prep School, and with her twin brother, Sebastian
(James Kirk), skirting school in an attempt to break into the London
music scene, Viola sees her sibling's well-timed absence as the perfect
opportunity to assume his identity. When Viola is assigned a shared
dorm room with campus cool guy Duke (Channing Tatum), her facade
slowly begins to crumble as she begins harboring a deep-rooted crush
on her unsuspecting new roommate. The situation begins to take a
turn for the worse, however, when Duke reveals his affection toward
campus knockout Olivia (Laura Ramsey), who in turn seems
increasingly drawn toward the sensitive imposter known as Sebastian.
The problem is, the real Sebastian has decided to cut his London trip
short, and upon arriving on campus two days earlier than expected,
Viola's elaborately executed ruse hits an unexpected hitch that sends
the entire situation spiraling into chaos.
While Fickman’s interpretation of Twelfth Night relies heavily on similar
aspects rather than a parallel story line, the inclusion of comedy is
unabashed. Much like Nunn’s production, Fickman chose to demonstrate the
multiple facets of the play, thereby showing the audience that although many
productions miss the comedic properties of the Twelfth Night, and despite the
melancholy undertones, it is still a celebratory play.
36
Now, as new forms of media continue to arise, it is left to the reader to
understand the true nature of Shakespeare’s plays and understand that
despite the varying forms of productions throughout the centuries, the plays
and sonnets of William Shakespeare will never leave the stage. Be it stage or
screen, parodies or classical casting, the lives of Viola, Sebastian, Duke
Orsino and the rest will remain in the spotlight as long as we, the readers,
allow it.
Research Possibilities
When looking at expanding on the topic of stage and screen
adaptations, a multitude of options become apparent. Some such ideas rest
in the consideration of costume design and set construction amongst various
productions.
If a reader were to examine the small stylistic differences
between stage props of live productions, or location settings of film versions,
they may discover an underlying theme demonstrated in the smallest
changes of language or fabric style. And while these alterations may seem
inconspicuous upon first discovery, their ultimate value becomes apparent
when placed in the context of Twelfth Night’s changing atmosphere of
celebration and melancholy.
Additional concepts for expansion rest in the analysis of music
preparation with specific focus on Feste’s songs and inclusion of Jacobean
instruments. Specific issues to be looked at may include if the tune is
37
celebratory or melancholy, fast paced or slow tempoed, and how the actor
portraying Feste is shown, with instrument or without. The examiner may
also include analysis of the pitch of song, as well as description of a major or
minor chord. These aspects may greatly alter the tone of the production due
to the underlying current of celebration or melancholy tones.
Finally, a great mix of opportunity lies within the production values
themselves. Issues such as continuity between various countries’ productions
on stage and screen, a classical all male cast as compared to a mixed or fully
female cast, stage constructions including variations from The Globe’s full
round theater to a front facing stage used in modern productions, as well as a
close look at the various portrayals of character exits. No matter the topic of
examination, or intended use for the discoveries, the vault of knowledge
hidden within Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night will never be fully revealed.
Chapter V
PEDAGOGY
The pedagogical approached to Shakespeare’s texts are as various as
the interpretations; ranging from single text explication to full collection
analysis; every approach is unique and many are correct. When narrowing
this pedagogical focus to concern only Twelfth Night, it is possible to see how
many instructors may gloss over some important aspects of the text in order
to fit as much information into the allotted time frame as possible. One key
facet that is missing from such instruction in the focus on relevance, more
specifically, the relevance of this select play to those reading or studying it for
the first time. This omittance causes great distrust in readers as they fail to
connect the Shakespearian dramatics to their everyday lives. This lack of
information is an often-overlooked absence that I intend to alleviate within
the work of this chapter. I intend to bring about a new understanding of this
classic figure: an understanding that relies heavily on the belief that
Shakespeare’s work is timeless, and, with the appropriate lens, can bring any
doubter to the edge of literary consciousness.
38
39
Specific tactics used in this approach include daily reading responses,
assigned response topics regarding understanding, conceptuality, and
relevance, as well as suggestions for bringing the text to a more current
tradition of understanding.
It is through these means that I intend to
demonstrate Steven Greenblatt’s claim that, “Twelfth Night [is], in the view
of many critics, both the most nearly perfect and in some sense the last of the
festive comedies”(1187).
This collection of data, along with that provided
through instructional experience, will be the basis of my pedagogical support
for Greenblatt’s lofty claim.
Technique
Students’ first encounters with Twelfth Night often come long after
their introduction into Shakespeare’s world: typically in an academic setting
after the class has read through one of Shakespeare’s tragedies.
In this
instance, the students are encountering Twelfth Night immediately following
the tragedy of Macbeth. While comparisons between the texts will not be
included here, it is important to note the basis of the interpretations
presented.
I began the instruction period with a required writing response
explaining each student’s current understanding of Shakespeare and his
40
works.
Specific topics (as follows) were supplied in order to maintain a
common thread amongst reactions:
1. Before starting the play, what is your understanding of Twelfth
Night?
2. What are some themes you expect to encounter within the play?
3. What is your understanding of Shakespeare's style and language?
The responses varied drastically in tone and reaction, but an underlying
theme of positive anticipation appeared in a vast majority of the writings.
I feel it is necessary to report that the students were given small
explanations of each play at the beginning of the course, which included
implications of theme, structure, and style. In addition to this, related pop
culture examples of Twelfth Night were discussed as resources to be
referenced upon the completion of the play.
I cannot say for sure if the
students followed the suggestion of refraining from viewing a production
before finishing the play, but I do believe it will become apparent in the
interpretations presented if they did. Due to the previous discussions, many
students entered into Twelfth Night with the expectation of a romantic
comedy much like those represented in modern culture; while some, on the
other hand, expected a more gruesome outcome due to their previous reading
of Macbeth. Refer to Figure 2 for examples of student responses.
41
“Given the limited amount of information I know about
Shakespeare, I expect to see many of the same themes we did in Macbeth
but with more comedy… I expect there to be some questions about love,
questions about the super natural, questions about good and evil,
questions about happiness or anger maybe [sic]?” – Female Student A:
Communication, Arts and Literature Senior
“Being a comedy written during the renaissance I can imagine
much of the humor to consist mostly of faux pas most likely within some
royal social circle where things like virtue, honor and valor can be turned
on their heads.” – Male Student A: History Senior
“I just assume that there will be plenty of murder in [Twelfth
Night], from the little Shakespeare I have been exposed to, I almost
expect to see some blood [sic]” – Female Student D: Communication, Arts
and Literature Junior
“Some themes expect to see: a woman is just as capable as a man,
not everything is as it seems” – Female Student C: Communication, Arts
and Literature Junior
Figure 2
Sample of student responses to Twelfth Night
Sexuality in the Classroom
As continued from the Sex and Sexuality chapter, male students had
little trouble with the claim that a woman’s love is lesser than a man’s; the
female students’ responses however, were far more defensive regarding this
claim. On average, four out of five female responses included some form of
reference to the claim. While this may be due in part to class discussion of
42
the matter, the responses were constant and direct in their assertion that
Duke Orsino’s claim was “disgusting and false” as described by Shawn Thull
a Communication Arts and Literature junior. By way of replying to their
claims with a question of content, I was able to draw out a more direct
correlation between text and response.
Questions posed consisted of understanding, author intent, and
possible biases modern readers may have in their interpretations of
Shakespeare. In addition to these questions, I included questions relating to
a specific quotation or phrase from the text, one example being the Duke’s
lofty claim that a woman should be with a man older than herself:
DUKE ORSINO. Let still the woman take
An elder than herself. So wears she to him;
So sways she level in her husband’s heart.
For, boy, however we do praise ourselves,
Our fancies are more giddy and unfirm,
More longing, wavering, sooner lost and worn,
Than women’s are.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Then let thy love be younger than thyself,
Or thy affection cannot hold the bent.
For women are as roses, whose fair flower
Being once displayed, doth fall that very hour.
(2.4.29-35, 36-39)
Questioning the student’s understanding of these lines, I turn the
interpretation over to them, asking if Shakespeare intended to say women
were lesser than men in both love and lasting beauty. A great majority of the
43
students returned saying that this view isn’t correct, citing Shakespeare’s
presentation of the Duke as a love drunk fool. When asked to expand on
their interpretations, the students referenced Duke Orsino’s desire for excess
love so “The appetite may sicken and so die” (1.1.3).
While the immature nature of the beginning of the play demonstrates the
pettiness of Duke Orsino’s love, very few students presented the belief that
Shakespeare’s characters maintain this childlike nature through the play.
Instead, the trouble a majority of the students offered was the uneven sexual
playground amongst characters and the difficulty it caused in defining
specific gender roles to the characters. It was imperative for me to show the
students that an uneven playing ground was exactly what Illyria and
Shakespearian England were. And that in Shakespeare’s time, despite
women having power, England was ruled by a King. Tying this information
to the idea that when Shakespeare wrote his plays every piece was going to
be seen by the greater public, students began to understand if there was a
woman in power it could have been seen as a challenge to England’s reigning
king. To keep this in mind, I had the students look at the power play in the
couples and the levels of the characters within the story. By paying close
attention to how each character fit within the play, ranging from the higher
order characters down to the sea captain, and seeing where they ranked
44
considering if they wound up happy, allowed the students to understand
England’s battle for power reflected within the celebration of Twelfth Night.
Through daily reading responses, discussion topics in class, and
required papers, students were able to adapt to and understand the intricate
language of the Shakespearean era. It was with this understanding that my
fellow instructor and I were able to draw out a deeper, more personal
response to the text.
While many students left the classroom with an
improved knowledge of Twelfth Night, the true result of their coursework was
a greater understanding of gender, sexuality, identity, and love. Nothing
outside of the classroom could demonstrate these themes quite as well as
Shakespeare, and nothing inside could bind them together like the masks of
Twelfth Night.
Research Possibilities
Upon review of the pedagogical aspects of Twelfth Night, a great
number of ideas begin to develop regarding the uses of such information, and
techniques that may be used to provide this information to a greater number
of students. One such way to expand the teaching value of Twelfth Night
would be the inclusion of benefits and pitfalls of study guides like Twelfth
Night (No Fear Shakespeare), and how the supposedly basic text
interpretation alters students’ perspectives of Shakespeare.
Use of such
45
study guides degrades students’ understandings of Shakespeare’s language
while stripping them of the classical education aspects needed for a literary
understanding. The focus of this study would not be to drag Shakespearean
pedagogy back to the dark ages, but rather it would provide students with an
understanding of the negative effects that arise from using texts like the No
Fear Shakespeare.
Chapter VI
CONCLUSION
Through the examination of social and sexual identity, stage and
screen application, pedagogical approaches, and psychological application,
the various uses of the mask become evident. Amid this new understanding,
and personal experience with the play, the true nature of Twelfth Night rises
to the surface. No longer is the play a simple love story about shipwrecked
twins; rather, it has developed into a dramatic comedy focused on the veils
and masks worn in life. John Russell Brown addresses this revelation in his
book Shakespeare in Performance: An Introduction through Six Major Plays:
[The] Twelfth Night revelry is represented in various disguises and the
reversal of roles between the master and servant: Malvolio, the
servant, dreams of being ‘Count Malvolio’ and begins his performance;
Olivia does ‘she knows not what,’ loving servant rather than master,
and then finds that rejection has meant acceptance; Orsino loves one
who has served him, and whom he will serve now; Antonio takes
pleasure in his dangerous service to Sebastian, the man he has saved
from the sea, and Sebastian lightheartedly becomes Antonio’s ‘pursebearer.’ (Shakespeare & Brown 209)
By concentrating on the role reversals within Twelfth Night, and the
changing degrees of celebration, the reader is able to create their own
46
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understanding of the play.
However, within each of these varying
interpretations rests the recognition of the mask and its varying applications.
Looking back at the numerous veils throughout Twelfth Night, the
reader is able to see that despite the multitude of facades, no one is able to
see through the others’ masks. Whether it be Viola professing her love for
the Duke in muted, mysterious ways, or Lady Olivia knowing that there is
much more to Cesario than he lets on, no one can see the others’ masks until
their own façades begins to shatter. As the characters begin to realize they
have been deceived, they do not understand how they too were hiding their
true selves from the others. Only after watching Viola’s mask stripped away
can the characters realize they too were showing a false exterior to the world.
With the arrival of Sebastian, Viola is ultimately able to step away
from her false exterior and show the others her true identity: the loving
woman she had always been. Although she breaks free from the guise of
Cesario, the nature of her character and the strong beliefs that she held did
not change. While the other characters chose to change themselves through
their masks, Viola opted to use her mask as a means of expression and a tool
that would allow her to advance in the world without having to change
herself completely. Though some may claim Viola to be deceitful due to her
portrayal as Cesario, the other characters see her as she truly is, and realize
48
the depth of the woman standing amongst them.
Few of the characters
would be able to say they used their masks to protect themselves; rather,
they chose their masks to appear more superior then they truly were. Viola’s
revelation allowed not only Duke Orsino to step out of his mask, but gave
Lady Olivia permission to remove the veil she used to protect herself,
providing her a chance to find love. “[Cesario] parts the drapes with her
presence as she parts Olivia’s veil with her impudence” (Crowl 87). While
Olivia’s veil resides in the physical world, her underlying, psychological mask
has begun to shatter due to Cesario’s influence as well.
Throughout Twelfth Night, there are unanswered questions that
require a solution before the characters are able to celebrate.
With the
arrival of Sebastian and the revelation of Viola’s true nature, the difficulties
that could have turned the comedy to tragedy are weaved carefully into the
plot, allowing the reader to accept the celebratory ending. The breaking of
each character’s mask allows the reader to delve more deeply into the
characters’ minds, realizing why they put on such a performance, and how
they were so easily accepting of the destruction of their façades.
Only
Shakespeare can truly know the reasons for each character’s mask, but
through individual interpretation each reader is able to view her own life
within the play and find a character that best suits her unique personality.
49
Though the veil of both Viola and Olivia are imperative to the plot of
Twelfth Night, the most important factor throughout the play is the breaking
of the masks. For any character to truly be revealed they must first break
through their false exterior and expose their true nature.
While most
characters’ intentions were revealed upon destruction of their masks, they
were rewarded the knowledge that they could be accepted for who they were,
and there was no reason to hide behind a veil.
We shape our lives through the breaking of our masks: not only in
plays, but daily life as well. This is the power of the mask.
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50
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APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A
Student Responses to Twelfth Night
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Some students enter into the play expecting it to be a Cinderella like
story – one rich, one poor, a typical romantic comedy, while others enter into
the play with the perception gained from other plays like Macbeth. The
following comments are taken from student reading responses to Twelfth
Night. It should be noted that students began Twelfth Night immediately
after completing a section on Macbeth.
Female Student A
“Given the limited amount of information I know about Shakespeare, I
expect to see many of the same theses we did in Macbeth but with more
comedy… I expect there to be some questions about love, questions about the
super natural, questions about good and evil, questions about happiness or
anger maybe?”
“[I] am still struggling with [Shakespeare’s style and language]! I think
I have more questions than anything about his style and language than I
have answers, when I think of his style I think of his unnatural ability to
write about all of the important questions in life (good/evil, love, religion) but
not give any answers, just leave the audience with the question for
themselves.”
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Male Student A
“Being a comedy written during the renaissance I can imagine much
of the humor to consist mostly of faux pas most likely within some royal
social circle where things like virtue, honor and valor can be turned on their
heads.”
Female Student B
“[Sebastian’s] absence but implied survival make me think there’s a
grand entrance of some kind in store.”
Female Student C
“Some themes expected: a woman is just as capable as a man, not
everything is as it seems.”
Female Student D
“I think Shakespeare is overemphasized for the easily misinterpreted
[plot] lines and unclear characters that really just aren’t that remarkable.”
Male Student B
“I suppose I expected to see a fair degree of love and that most (if not
all) of the characters would have a [happy] disposition… I also expected to
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find a great deal of witty humor, as this was also something I was told to
expect for Shakespeare’s comedies.”
Male Student B Cont.
“Shakespeare can be read for leisure, without a doubt, but I feel to
really comprehend the text well, especially the language used, one needs to
read and study it in a group/class setting.”
Female Student E
“I just assume that there will be plenty of murder in Shakespeare’s
original, from the little Shakespeare I have been exposed to, I almost expect
to see some blood,” said after reading Macbeth.
Female Student F
“Themes I can see coming up would be that of identity. one character
or multiple characters are probably going to have difficulty really finding
their identity, they won’t know where they stand with themselves, but they
definitely won’t know how their identity works around others because they
don’t feel comfortable with themselves.”
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Female Student G
“I believe that gender roles will be a huge theme in this play. Why else
would the girl have to disguise herself if not for a need to stop being a girl,
therefore presenting gender roles.”
Male Student C
“Apparently Shakespeare’s idea of comedy is in a very different matter
than what is considered numerous nowadays, I have heard of how A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, for example, relies far more on ridiculous
situations and bizarre visuals in order to make its audience laugh rather
than clever puns or imaginative insults.”
APPENDIX B
Character Levels as Related to Celebratory Nature
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The levels referenced are referring to the celebratory
levels of the
characters within Twelfth Night. Various tools used to place characters
within levels include, but are not limited to, number of times seen throughout
the play; if the characters end up married, and to whom they are betrothed;
the final exit of the characters, whether celebratory or cheerless; language
style, whether prose or verse; and individual character understandings of the
masks throughout the play. Characters that revolve in their own sphere of
existence outside the realm of celebration within the play are shown on the
level closest to their own with an asterisk beside their name.
HIGHEST LEVEL
Viola
Duke Orsino
Feste*
Lady Olivia
Sir Toby Belch
Sebastian
Maria
Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Curio
Malvolio*
Antonio
Fabian Valentine
Sea Captain Sir Topaz
LOWEST LEVEL
APPENDIX C
Student Informed Consent Form
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The Pedagogy of Twelfth Night
Informed Consent
You are invited to participate in a research study of Twelfth Night. You were selected as a possible
participant due to your enrollment in Dr. Jack Hibbard’s Fall 2012 course, English 323: Shakespeare I.
This research project is being conducted by Catherine Morin, a graduate student, as part of a final
thesis project for St. Cloud State University.
Background Information and Purpose
The purpose of this study is to discover student interpretations of Twelfth Night for use in a
culminating thesis project focused on the pedagogy of Shakespeare.
Procedures
If you decide to participate, you will be asked to submit daily reading responses and participate in
class discussions. Information included in daily journals will be subject to review by the researcher
and may be included in the final thesis as direct quotations or paraphrasing.
Risks
If you feel uncomfortable participating at any point in time you are free to withdraw without warning
or reason.
Benefits
No compensation will be offered; possible benefits include publication via use in the thesis, and
review of final project.
Confidentiality
Information obtained in connection with this study is confidential and will be reported solely in the
thesis by name, year in college, and major field of study. Although the names of individual subjects
will be used, all collected data will be destroyed upon final submission of the project. You will have
an opportunity to review the text and withdraw comments prior to publication.
Research Results
Upon completion, the thesis will be placed on file at St. Cloud University’s Learning Resource Center.
Contact Information
If you have questions right now, please ask. If you have additional questions later, you may contact
me at [email protected] or my advisor, Dr Jack Hibbard, at [email protected].
You will be given a copy of this for your records.
Voluntary Participation/Withdrawal
Participation is voluntary. Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your current or
future relations with St. Cloud State University, the researcher, or Dr. Jack Hibbard. If you decide to
participate, you are free to withdraw at any time without penalty.
Acceptance to Participate
Your signature indicates that you are at least 18 years of age, you have read the information provided
above, and you consent to participate. You may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty
after signing this form
________________________________________
printed name
________________________________________
signature
______________________
date
APPENDIX D
Institutional Review Board Approval Form
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