Viola in "Twelfth Night"

Paper Summary:

This paper studies Viola, the protagonist in William Shakespeare's comedy "Twelfth Night". The paper examines Viola's disguise as Cesario, focusing on the themes of self indulgence, disguise, self deception and identity. The paper also looks at how Shakespeare uses the comedic vehicles of disguise and mistaken identity to make Viola an even more intricate character.

From the Paper:

"Viola is a young woman born into aristocracy whose ship is wrecked in a storm, causing her to wash up on the shore of Illyria. Believing that her brother, Sebastian, is dead, Viola disguises herself as a young man who she names "Cesario" and becomes a page to Duke Orsino. Viola falls in love with Orsino, while Olivia, the woman Orsino is courting, falls in love with Cesario. Hence, Viola finds that her clever disguise has trapped her, as she is unable to tell Orsino that she loves him, and she is also unable to tell Olivia why she, as Cesario, does not and cannot love her. Viola's predicament is the central conflict in the play."

More papers on Viola in "Twelfth Night":

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