Describe the different forms of disguise and deception in Twelfth Night

Apart from the complication of mistaken identity, Viola’s disguise would have had great comical effect on stage. No women were allowed to act on stage in the Elizabethan times, therefore Viola would have been acted by a male actor pretending to be a woman, who was pretending to be a man. Shakespeare made full advantage of the comic effect and caused great hilarity among the audience.

There are other characters that are in disguise. The tricking of Malvolio is in a form of self-deception, he puts on both mental and physical disguise because of a deception that was created by the other characters. Maria plays a practical joke on Malvolio’s vanity, saying that Olivia is in love with him and asks him to obey “every points of the letter”, thus Malvolio does wear cross gartered yellow stockings and does smile all the time. Since Olivia does not know anything about the joke, she sees him as a mad man and asks him to leave. Poor Malvolio, he does not know he is being tricked and even take Olivia’s words as an encouragement, “Wilt thou go to bed, Malvolio.” The eventual outcome is tragic for Malvolio, but it is hilarious for the audience.

Another example of disguise and deception in the play is Feste. On one hand, Feste dresses up as Sir Topas to make the mad man – Malvolio to be madder. On the other hand, although Feste is a clown dresses in the clothes of a fool, he is anything but a fool. He is witty, “The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul, being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen.” (ActI ScV). Therefore it is a dramatic irony that Feste is quite an intellect in fool’s clothes, while Malvolio is a fool in the clothes of an intellect.

Some characters are on the other way round being deceived. Sir Andrew is encouraged by Sir Toby to believe he has a chance with Olivia, “and of a foolish knight that you brought in one night here to be her wooer” ActI ScIII), in fact Sir Toby is aimed at Sir Andrew’s money, ”he has three thousand ducats a year” (ActI ScIII). In truth, Sir Andrew’s love is not recognized by Olivia and her heart is only with Cesario. Subsequently Sir Toby and Fabian make use of jealousy to trick Sir Andrew and Cesario into a duel. It is pretty irionic that Sir Andrew is a coward and Cesario is a peaceful man, whereas they are described as “devil” and “fivago” respectively.

Some characters are deceived about their true natures. Orsino deceives himself as a conventional love-sick lover that he has retreated into a world of imagination and unreality, “so full of shapes is fancy, that it alone is high fantasical” (ActI ScI). Thus Orsino deludes himself that he is in love with Olivia. Olivia deceives herself while she believes it is proper to mourn her brother for seven years, which is quickly dispelled as she falls in love with Cesario at first sight, “Methinks I feel this perfections” (ActI ScV) Malvolio deceives himself as an important person, “See himself as surrounded by idle things” (ActIII Sc IV) as well as his role of Olivia’s suitor. All these characters are trapped by their illusions.

Among the many characters in Twelfth Night, some are disguised as someone else, some are deceving themselves, some are being deceived and some are deceived about their true natures. The different forms of disguise and deception has numerous effects, namely to give way to ironic humour, to further explore characters and relationships, to develop the connection between the main plot and the sub-plot and so on. Overall, the play brings up great comic effect by using disguise and deceptoin, making Twelfth Night a truly exceptional piece.