"Restrictions on Women Highlighted in Twelfth Night"
Gender construction is a complicated area: today contrasted with the past, women contrasted with men, and rules contrasted with practice. Knowing and practicing every social rule for each sex is an exhausting and impossible task. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night demonstrates many of these social practices and often questions their authority. Irene Dash discusses many of these social violations in her article "Challenging Conventions: Twelfth Night," as does Jonathan Crewe in his "Introduction to Twelfth Night". Restrictions on women and the interactions of these restrictions with men are emphasized and in some cases still practiced in modern life's social interactions and hierarchies. Womanly dependence on the male figure and social taboos on female initiative are two constructions established and questioned in Twelfth Night; they are exemplified today not only in my own life but in the whole of society. Dependence on men is a social theme assumed to have stemmed from biological necessity. Human ancestors likely required males to hunt more than females due to their physical prowess and the rudimentary hunting tools that required it. Today, even as women step forward into roles of power, the idea remains that life in general en
The Duke, however, has no qualms at openly proclaiming his "love" for Olivia. Therefore, her trysts with Viola, then Sebastian, can be interpreted as either a demonstration of free will or as her necessity for a strong male figure. Yet this is also a step past the boundaries of society, as she is still taking initiative simply by attempting to instigate contact or a relationship of some sort. Ironically, she cannot declare her feelings for Orsino as a man; she wishes to reveal her true sex in order to make her intentions known (Crew, xxxix). Only today have we begun to move away from that prejudice, and even now examples of this gender construction surround us. Women are not the only sex to accept or reject the social obligation of female dependence. Twelfth Night's Duke Orsino, despite his proclamation of the misery of unrequited love, appears quite content enjoying his lamentations in the scenes of the play (Crewe, xxxiii). This deliberate ambiguity induces contemplation on the role of the woman. This brings into question her secrecy. The characters both accept typically associated gender constructions and defy them; however, Dash suggests it may be significant to remember that the play takes place in Illyria, a mythical land where perhaps gender laws can be represented and bent (217). For instance, throughout history, women who attempt to initiate a relationship have been deemed socially unacceptable, demeaned and degraded for their actions. The female's reluctance to end a relationship due to her supposed reliance on the strong male figure can also be observed and even experienced prevalently today. This demonstrates the theme of reliance versus independence on the male sex even further. This idea also stems from the ancient social premise of male dominance.
Common topics in this essay:
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Duke Orsino,
Olivia Duke's,
Olivia's Ironically,
Viola Sebastian,
Malvolio Olivia's,
Olivia Viola,
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Irene Dash,
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