In Shakespeare’s world, there existed a vast chasm between all things Male and

Female; clothes, etiquette, education, interests. It would take hundreds of years for the

term “separate spheres” to be applied to the role that a man or woman inhabits. Why?

Because in Shakespeare’s time, so great were the differences between the genders, that

they lived not in separate spheres, but in separate universes. In his comedy Twelfth

Night, Shakespeare exaggerates these differences in the character Viola by differentiating

between how each gender reacts to a situation, as well as between masculine and

feminine diction.

A perfect paradigm is the difference between Cesario’s (Viola’s male persona)

reaction to the fool as opposed to the rest of the male cast: “I warrant thou art a merry

fool and cars’t for nothing” (3.1. 26-27); Viola is saying to the character the Fool that he

is being childish, and is too “foolish” to be concerned with anything serious. This is not

how a man would have reacted to the fool’s sport. The male character Orsino absolutely

adores the fool, and sends for him immediately upon hearing that he is about (2.4.15-16).

Also, the fool plays a large part in the plot to make the pompous Malvolio appear mad, a

plot concocted by Sirs Toby and Andrew, with assistance from Olivia’s maid, Maria

(4.2.19-133). Lastly, though Olivia’s father is not in the actual play, it is said that he

loved the fool’s wit (2.4.12-13). Given that three of the most important male characters,

as well as the father of a very important female character, thoroughly enjoyed the Fool’s

sport, it is unlikely in the extreme that a male character would ever scoff at the Fool’s

wit, especially if they were in a bad mood, as Viola was when she said the

aforementioned line to the Fool.

 Just as a real man always appreciates a good wit, if he is a poor hand with the

sword, he always puts on a strong show in order to avoid a fray. In act 3, scene 4, Viola’s

show, her reaction to Sir Toby’s summons, was pathetically weak:

I will return again into the house and desire

some conduct of the lady. I am no fighter. I have

heard of some kind of men that put quarrels pur-

posely on others to taste their valor. Belike this is a

man of that quirk. (250-254)

It is a deplorable excuse to avoid a duel! The former half of this selection makes Viola

appear cowardly and fearful; that she would rather spend time with a woman, chatting

about silly, feminine nonsense. This allows Sir Toby to further impeach Viola’s honor,

making it practically impossible for her to avoid the impending fray. A real man would

have stuck out his chest and declined to spar with such a lowly man as would accuse any

passerby, which is precisely what Viola attempted to do in the latter half of this excerpt.

Even so, the powerful act came too late; due to her maladroit language at the start, she

did Sir Toby’s work for him.

However, the reader cannot blame Viola for her lack of vocal finesse. In her own

words, “The rudeness that hath appeared in me have I learned from my entertainment”

(1.5.214-215). The diction here is of utmost importance: “entertainment”. This word has

several connotations; not only does it refer to some enjoyable thing to see, but to some

enjoyable thing to do. This word choice, combined with the fact that she is Sebastian’s

twin, imply that, at least when she was younger, and the distinction between male and

female spheres was not as great, Viola could have been accepted as one of the boys. This
in turn would help explain why Viola is so excellent at portraying the part of a man. Yes,

she slips up and the ruse is not perfect, but the difference between the male and female

spheres, especially at this point in history, was so incredibly vast that Viola, without

some prior experience, would never have been able execute this charade. Never.

Since she did have some experience, however rudimentary, she is thus able to

bridge the cavern that exists between masculine and feminine attributes. However, she

does, occasionally, still make a few blunders, as in this scene with Orsino:

Viola: Aye but I know-

Orsino: What dost thou know?

Viola: Too well what love women to men owe.

In faith, they are as true of heart as we.

My father had a daughter loved a man

As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman,

I should your Lordship. (2.4.114-120)

First of all, it would have been very odd for a woman to argue with such an important

man as Orsino. The fact that Viola can break custom, even when only impersonating a

man, acts as further evidence of her prior experience (being a “tomboy” when she was

very young). However, it would have been equally odd for a servant such as Cesario

(Viola’s name when acting as a male) to argue with Orsino. In this exchange, Cesario

does not react to Orsino’s words, Viola does; one of the few cracks in her veneer. At this

point in the story, Viola is, at the least, falling in love with Orsino, if not already in love

with him. Her feminine emotions surface, making her, in the persona of a man, appear

rude, and slightly awkward. If it is a bit strange in today’s world, a much more liberal
and, usually, accepting era, for a man to say “Well, if I was a girl, I’d…” it would have

been awkward to infinity for a man to say such a thing back then, especially when talking

to another man about love. As such, the use of ellipsis in the last line, “I should your

Lordship”, becomes much more important. At this point in her thought process, Viola

comes back to her senses and realizes how bizarre the exchange is becoming; therefore,

she drops the word “love” in this last line of the excerpt. As seen in other works by

Shakespeare, men would say that they “loved” each other fairly frequently. Othello and

Cassio use the word in reference to each other quite commonly. It was not a taboo word

between straight men, like it is today. Because of the earlier context of her speech

however, Viola omits this word and continues to hide her identity, and her affection, from

Orsino.

In another interaction between Orsino and Viola, Viola advises Orsino to give up

his quest to captivate Olivia and search for another woman. She uses the example of her

“sister”, when she is really talking about herself. We see this in the line “Sir, shall I to

this Lady?” (2.4. 134). Viola could have asked specifically about Olivia, but she did not.

She worded the question in such a way as that “this Lady” could refer either to her sister,

which would actually be herself, or to Olivia. This wording here does not so much differ

from what a man would have said, as become more important. The fact that Viola

chooses to be deliberately ambiguous contradicts much of what her character has said and

done up to this point. Cesario has been rude, awkward and, for the most part, quite blunt.

Not so with this line.

Viola, through necessity, developed two faces in this story; one masculine and

one feminine. The masculine went by the name of Cesario, and was burly and blunt, but
also possessed a slight awkwardness about him, which came from the feminine Viola’s

insecurity and anxiety about being discovered. The feminine side of Viola was shown

most clearly in the conversations with Orsino, where, since she was falling/in love with

him, she was nervous and insecure, making her wording a little more unusual than

normal. It is in these exchanges, where Viola’s façade slips, that the differences between

male and female reactions and diction are seen most clearly. Viola’s feminine emotions

overcome Cesario’s persona and, because of the time period and the cavern between

masculine and feminine traits, this lapse is quite apparent to the audience, who is already

aware of the gender-switching that occurs in this story. These differences, and

Shakespeare’s interpretation and presentation of them, are a large part of what makes 12th

Night such a wonderful story, one that is adapted even unto present day. Amanda Bynes’

2006 film “She’s the Man” in which the Shakespearean setting and Dialogue are

modernized, but the essential plot, particularly the differences between men and women,

remains the same. People may not be able to travel through time, but Shakespeare, with

his play 12th Night, made an excellent, arguably successful, attempt.