I wanted to reflect the contrast between the actions and treatment of Malvolio and Viola as a result of and in spite of their crossdressing. Viola must spend nearly the entire play ensuring that she maintains her Cesario persona, but everything she strived for still appears to simply be handed to her with little effort at all. For Malvolio, on the other hand, achieving his goal is a constant uphill battle against his own set of beliefs and judgment from others. He must witness himself and his efforts get reduced to a spectacle for everyone else to laugh at. Perhaps everything appears to fall neatly into place for Viola at the end of the play not because she disguises herself as a man, but rather because crossdressing did not play as crucial of a role in her development as it did for Malvolio. She did not initially crossdress for the sake of getting closer to Duke Orsino as she only took note of her love for him well after Cesario was created. On the other hand, the sole purpose of Malvolio’s transformation was to woo Olivia and therefore gain more power. He is far from the most rational character in the play, but his reasoning doesn’t seem to be nearly enough to justify the penalty he faces. Despite his endeavors, Malvolio’s own actions (though heavily influenced by those around him) combined with his arrogance were what inevitably led to his downfall.
Most of my inspiration for my project came from a single quote from Twelfth Night: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em” (2.5.149-50). Analyzing the play for a second time helped me develop a new sort of appreciation for Malvolio and the tragic elements surrounding his character. Viola and Malvolio undoubtedly approach the concept of crossdressing differently, but both do so for the sake of their own personal gain: Malvolio is no less dedicated to achieving his goal as Viola, and yet it appears as though everyone is doing everything in their power to prevent his success. Perhaps the reasoning for the punishment he receives lies less in their appearances and more in their actions as a result.
I wanted to reflect the contrast between the actions and treatment of Malvolio and Viola as a result of and in spite of their crossdressing. Viola must spend nearly the entire play ensuring that she maintains her Cesario persona, but everything she strived for still appears to simply be handed to her with little effort at all. For Malvolio, on the other hand, achieving his goal is a constant uphill battle against his own set of beliefs and judgment from others. He must witness himself and his efforts get reduced to a spectacle for everyone else to laugh at. Perhaps everything appears to fall neatly into place for Viola at the end of the play not because she disguises herself as a man, but rather because crossdressing did not play as crucial of a role in her development as it did for Malvolio. She did not initially crossdress for the sake of getting closer to Duke Orsino as she only took note of her love for him well after Cesario was created. On the other hand, the sole purpose of Malvolio’s transformation was to woo Olivia and therefore gain more power. He is far from the most rational character in the play, but his reasoning doesn’t seem to be nearly enough to justify the penalty he faces. Despite his endeavors, Malvolio’s own actions (though heavily influenced by those around him) combined with his arrogance were what inevitably led to his downfall.
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