On the other hand, however, Viola has to disguise herself as a male, to protect herself in a new land, Illyria. From how she says, “For such disguise as haply shall become/The form of my intent”, we draw from it that she needs the disguise of a male, to fit into the society, and earn her position in Illyria. She believes that she is not able to fit in and remain safe, if she remains as a female. This perhaps suggests that, the female gender is inferior, and less protected in the society, as a female has to disguise herself as a male to climb up the ladder of power. From thus, we can also infer that Twelfth Night is not a feminist play, due to the portrayal of inferiority of the female gender. However, it can also imply that Twelfth Night is a feminist play, and it is trying to cry out to others that, the female gender is being treated more lightly than the male gender in the society.
In addition, the males in this play are displayed as fools. For instance, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Feste. In contrast, the females are more witty, clever, and manipulative. The contrasting individuals could be, Sir Toby and Maria. In the exchange between them in act I, scene 3, we can see that although both of them seem to be very witty, and able to change each others’ words into their own benefit, from, Maria’s “Ay, but you must confine yourself” in comparison to Sir Toby’s “Confine? I’ll confine myself no finer than I am”, and Sir Toby’s “they are scoundrels and substractors in contrast to Maria’s “They that add”, Sir Toby is displayed as a man, who is of bad influence to his friend, Sir Andrew, and as a matter of fact, manipulates Sir Andrew to stay, to get his money, for enjoyment. This can be seen from how Sir Toby flatters Sir Andrew’s ego, but at the same while insults him, and convinces the gullible Sir Andrew to stay on. His name, Sir Toby Belch, also suggests that he is bad mannered and drinks too much for his own good. Also, he does not drink that drinking is bad, but in fact, finds excuses for his bad drinking habit, by pushing the blame to Olivia, with, “With drinking healths to my niece!” This shows that Sir Toby is not as well-liked as Maria would be, as Maria is more proper and also, at the same while, witty with her words and is able to make fun of the gullible Sir Andrew, and cause him to be the laughing stock of the play.
Sir Andrew is shown as a fool, who does not know that he is acting foolish or gullible. The audience is ridiculed by his stupidity, as he does not even realise that Maria is making fun of him, or insulting him. This can be seen from how he thinks that Maria’s first name is ‘Accost’, and even when Maria insists that “(her) name if Mary, sir”, he calls her, “Good Mistress Mary Accost”, showing how he still mistakes ‘Accost’ to be her name. Evidently, Sir Andrew is stupid and unable to distinguish matters well. Feste, the clown of the play, is publicly displayed as a fool, as this is his official job. However, he is seemingly the cleverest character in the play.
Henceforth, we can infer that, perhaps, Shakespeare is trying to show the contrast in intellect, wit and intelligence between the genders, and show that, man may not always be smarter than the woman, and that the woman, are not necessarily inferior to man, in any manner. This can be the social equality being emphasized. However, it could also show that Shakespeare is trying to show that despite the equality between males and females, there would still be one superior individual, in this case, Feste, who happens to be a male. This is inferred from the fact that Shakespeare displays Feste, as a fool, who actually is the cleverest and wisest character in the play, in fact, wittier than the other main characters in this play, including Viola and Olivia. Feste is insightful, and philosophical, and able to see through one’s life, with his melancholic views. Though playful, his insights are meaningful and actually sound logical and reasonable.
This can be seen from how Feste says things like, “Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage; and for turning away, let summer bear it out.” It goes to show that Shakespeare still leaves the space for imagination and consideration for the audience to decide whether or not, the females are in equal par, superior, or inferior to the males. It can also show that Shakespeare is not writing a feminist play here, as he places Feste, the wisest character, a male, as a fool to contradict and confuse characters, and perhaps, emphasize on how other characters around him and interacting with him, appear silly, for instance, when Feste says something philosophical, and Olivia, his mistress, does not seem to understand it. Feste also brings out the shallow nature of Olivia, as he is able to see through her motives, and talk about her shallowness and how she was not full of depth in her love, but rather, she was attracted to the outer self. He also brings out how Olivia’s mourning for her brother is just an exaggeration, shown from the exchange shared between the two, when Feste first questions Olivia about, “Good Madonna, why mourn’st thou?” and Olivia is tricked by Feste’s questionings, and is caught in his trap. From hence, we can infer that Shakespeare uses a male to bring out the weakness in a female, and thus, Twelfth Night is not a feminist play.
However, regarding this argument, there is also another contradicting point, that is, the fools of this play, are also the males. Examples are as follows, Sir Andrew, Sir Toby, and Malvolio. In contrast to them, the females are wittier, smarter, and more manipulative than the male. For instance, the subplot of the play is how Maria thinks of a plan, to take revenge against Malvolio. This shows that Maria is the one that is intelligent, a strategist, and able and capable. In comparison, the dense Malvolio is tricked into believing and falling in the trickery of Maria’s plan, and displayed to the audience as a gullible and naïve character. Hence, likewise, Shakespeare uses a female to bring out the weakness in a male. This is similar to how Feste brings out the weakness in a female. From this, we can perhaps see that Twelfth Night is feminist play, as it brings out equilibrium between the genders, bringing out both the males and females weaknesses, and not just one side of the story.
In addition, as mentioned above, the heroine, the protagonist of this play, is Viola, while on the other hand, the villain is Malvolio. Viola is well liked and is intelligent, witty, arousing the interest and liking towards her of the audience. Malvolio, in comparison, is shallow, submissive, not a thinker, not perceptive, and gladly submits to Olivia to earn her favour. This is shown when he willingly agrees to do what Olivia orders him to do, without question, seen in, “Madam, I will”. He agrees to do, without a single, “but” or “why”, and does it in a submissive manner. This shows the fact that Malvolio, a male, is under the control of Olivia, a female. This could in turn display how Shakespeare might be trying to bring out the worst in a male, and thus promoting a feminist insight to the play.
Viola, however, is very likable and has charisma. The people, who come in contact with her, actually grow to like her very quickly. Examples are Orsino, and Olivia. This can be seen from, “He hath known you but three days, and already you are no stranger.” Viola had only came to Orsino’s household for three days, and she has already became Orsino’s favourite. Also, Olivia falls in love with Viola (Cesario) in a very short period of time, as compared to how Orsino has been pining for Olivia’s love for long, but never succeeded. This shows the vast difference between Orsino and Viola, as although, they are males, one truly a male, and the other, a disguised male, Olivia chooses Viola without a thought about Orsino, who has been wooing her for a very long time. This probably brings out how the female is more capable, regardless whether in career, or romance, compared to the male. Hence, this can show that Twelfth Night is a feminist play.
Next, in this play, there are 4 men who like Olivia, namely, Orsino, Malvolio, Sebastian, and Sir Andrew. This goes to show that Olivia has the power over 4 men, and is in the position of power, over the men. This is no longer like the idea of the olden days, where the men would all be above the women, and be the one being ordered around. In addition, Olivia is an active person, who is not passive, as suggested in the traditional ideas of gender. Instead, Olivia takes the initiative to woo Cesario. In addition, at the end, Olivia is also the one who proposes to Sebastian. This is a total opposite to what was said of women in general, being passive and always the ones being wooed. Therefore, this can also prove that Shakespeare is trying to subvert traditional ideas of gender, and bringing out a feminist theme in Twelfth Night.
Also, the women are able to manipulate the men in this play. When Olivia creates for herself, an image of a loving sister, mourning for her dear brother, “til seven years heat”, the males believe it. This can be seen from how Orsino admires and praises her for her devotion, “O, she that hath a heart of that fine frame/To pay this debt of love but to a brother”, the captain also believes it, from when he tells Viola, “for whose dear love/They say, she hath abjured the company and sight of men.” Also, when she sends Malvolio after Viola to send her the ring, Malvolio does not think, but merely submits without question, displaying his attitude of being a non-thinker. In comparison, Viola sees through Olivia’s motives. Maria, a maid of Olivia, outwits the foolish Sir Andrew, who is supposedly of a higher rank and order above Maria. She mocks and plays with his words “Sir, I have thee not by the hand”, and makes him a laughing stock, insulting him. Sir Andrew is manipulated without his own realization, and continues misunderstanding Maria’s words. Viola also manipulates the captain, by luring him with monetary benefits, and succeeds in doing so, and causing him to help her, disguise her, and keep it a secret for her. This overturns how the traditional ideas suggest that females are inferior, intellectually and emotionally to the males. Hence, this suggests that the play is inclined towards being a feminist play.
However, this could also fit into the traditional ideas that females are manipulative and deceptive. Hence, this could incline the play towards being a non-feminist play.
Also, from how Olivia says, “Fate, show thy force; ourselves we do not owe/What is decreed must be, and be this so”, shows that she is controlled by fate, and not by herself. She submits herself to fate. This could perhaps suggest that females are weak, and submit to fate. In addition to this, she says, “Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind”, showing that she is superficial and shallow, attracted to not the character but the outer appearance. This suggests that the play is not a feminist play.
However, in this play, the 3 main women, Viola, Olivia, and Maria, are the ones who are truly intelligent, independent, strategists, and in the positions of power. As mentioned before, Olivia has the power over 4 men, and is above them. Maria, on the other hand, has the power over Sir Andrew, and Sir Toby. She is the strategist amongst the men, and is the one who comes up with the plot against Malvolio, also a male. Perhaps, this suggests that Maria is able to cause the men go against another male, a similar species of them. Hence, this can show that Shakespeare is able to use a female to overturn a male, and thus overturning the traditional ideas of gender, substantiating a feminist play here.
Moreover, the men are portrayed as an opposite to what traditional ideas have stated them to be. Traditional ideas portray the males as active, practical, deep, wise, trustworthy persons, while females, as passive, emotional, shallow and deceptive persons. In the play, Twelfth Night, for instance, Orsino is shown as an emotional, irrational, shallow man, who is driven by his emotions. This is inferred from the entire Act 1, Scene 1, where he whines about his deep love for Olivia, and for instance, “Away before me to sweet beds of flowers!/Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers!” This statement alone shows how he is full of emotions, and from how these two lines are rhyming couplets, we can also see his tone of romance, but also how he is dependant on an external environment for love to take place. This man, full of emotions is in a big contrast to the traditional ideas of a male, and coincidentally similar to a female’s impressions. In comparison, as mentioned before, Viola is a rational woman, whom when she first reaches a foreign land, does not whine or complain, but thinks ahead, and the first thing she asks is logical, “What country, friends, is this?” This, in comparison, is also coincidentally running concurrently with the traditional ideas of the male. Therefore, we can see that Shakespeare portrays a total topsy-turvy of character exchange. This may appear to be how Shakespeare is trying to overturn traditional ideas, and bring in new ideas to the people and audience. Hence, this can prove that Twelfth Night is a feminist play.
On the other side of the coin however, Viola has to disguise herself as a male, to climb up the ladder of power, to get to where she was – a favourite of Orsino – and hence, this can actually show the weakness and lack of importance of the women during the time. This may be a cry out to others to emphasize on the point that the females are being neglected, and discriminated, and Viola recognizes that, if she does not disguise herself, she would not get protection so easily, get her career set up so quickly. This point can stretch out to both sides of the argument, showing that Twelfth Night is a feminist play, as it emphasizes on the problem of the discrimination between the genders. However, it can also show that Twelfth Night is not a feminist play, as it is inclined towards the men, as the men are naturally of a higher status, with Malvolio as a steward, Orsino, as the Duke of the country, Sir Andrew with “three thousand ducats a year”, with Viola having to disguise herself to protect herself.
All in all, there are many points to show that Twelfth Night is a feminist play, and vice versa. During the Elizabethan times, and the Renaissance, the period of change, Shakespeare may indeed be subverting the traditional ideas of gender, and questioning the reality of the difference between the males and females, and posing this feminist question to all, and causing all who read or watch this play to think about this controversial issue. As to whether Twelfth Night is a feminist play, depends on the point of view and perspective. In my opinion, Twelfth Night is a feminist play, due to how Shakespeare portrays the women not as the traditional ideas suggests, but the utter opposite, and how the women are not in any way, inferior the male, although Viola has to disguise herself as a male to get what she is, career-wise. This may well be a way to re-emphasize on the importance of equality between the two genders.
In conclusion, I view Twelfth Night as a feminist play.