This essay explores the themes of gender subversion and illness within Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night".
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. FSIllness and Gender Trouble: Cesario as a Force of Change in Twelfth Night
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay examines the role of Viola/Cesario as a disruptive force in the play, challenging the power stalemate between Orsino and Olivia and upending Elizabethan gender norms. It argues that the play's conclusion does not fully resolve the issues raised, but rather highlights the enduring power of the gender subversion brought about by Viola's disguise.
- The power dynamic between Orsino and Olivia
- The impact of Viola/Cesario on this dynamic
- The subversion of Elizabethan gender roles
- The themes of illness, love, and desire
- The significance of Cesario's sacrifice
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Chapter 1: This chapter explores the opening scenes of the play, introducing the themes of illness, gluttony, and desire. It establishes the power dynamic between Orsino and Olivia, characterized by Orsino's obsessive infatuation with Olivia and her refusal to reciprocate his affections. It examines the role of humour theory in understanding Orsino's love-sickness and how the play's opening establishes a stalemate between the two figures.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Twelfth Night, Shakespeare, gender roles, Elizabethan society, illness, love-sickness, desire, power dynamics, Viola/Cesario, Orsino, Olivia, Girard, Draper, Maslen, Schabert, cross-dressing.
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- Lisa-Marie Schwarz (Author), 2023, Illness and Gender Trouble. Viola/Cesario as a Force of Change in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1445419