Preview

Viola In William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
754 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Viola In William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
CHARACTER SKETCH ESSAY: One of the most significant characters in William Shakespeare Twelfth Night is Viola, a girl who disguises as a young boy in order to be employed by the duke of Illyria Orsino. Throughout the play Viola goes through different obstacles and struggles but ends up on finding the correct path toward her happiness. Which then makes Viola is a good woman because she is obedient,selfless and brave.

To begin, Viola is a good woman because she is obedient. Viola is compliant to all the people in Orsino’s court and Olivia's court then later on Orsino addresses Viola to enter Olivia's gates and woo Olivia for him, Orsino says to Viola “Therefore good youth address thy gait unto her and stand at her doors and tell them there …show more content…
Viola is brave because is challenged in a sword duel with Sir Andrew Agucheek. Viola accepts the challenge that Sir Andrew Agucheek request and its up her sword for battle knowing that she does not know how to fight and that her life could be at risk. This shows that Viola is brave because she demonstrates her self esteem by thinking that she could beat Sir Andrew Agucheek in the sword battle.(TRANSITION WORD) Viola is brave because she reveals her true identity. Viola exposes herself to everyone in Olivia's court knowing that she can be thrown into prison for being an imposter by not showing her true identity and also working for Orsino pretending to be a young boy Viola says to Sebastian “Do not embrace me till each circumstance of place, time, fortune do cohere and jump that I am Viola”(v.i.263-265). Viola is saying who she really is to her brother Sebastian while everyone in Olivia's court including Orsino is a audience. Being brave means to take your chances when your left at the edge of a cliff even if it risks everything you have and Viola is an example of what bravery should look like. Viola is brave because she accepts Sir Andrew Agucheeks challenge in a sword duel and she exposes her identity knowing all of the risks that it could cause her. In conclusion, Viola depicts the essential qualities of obedient, selfless and brave that are nesscery in a good woman. Viola’s actions produces all of the plays momentum,
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    twelfth night
    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages

    twelfth night

    While many will agree that Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is critically acclaimed to be one of the most entertaining and well-liked pieces that he has written, there tends to be a discrepancy over how the characters in the play are portrayed when it comes to the importance of gender roles. After reading James C Bulman’s article over the Globe’s more recent performance of Twelfth Night and Shakespeare’s original written version, I realized that there are many ways that this famous piece has been portrayed and each has its own pros and cons.…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    In The Time Of The Butterflies Summary
    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In The Time Of The Butterflies Summary

    Maria Teresa describes the feeling, “Courage, I told myself. And this time, I felt it,” (238). This particular passage highlights Maria Teresa’s initial thoughts of uncertainty towards what she is feeling, as she then has to convince herself that what she feels is actually courage. As she has to convince herself that this is what courage feels like, it seems Maria Teresa has not experienced this fearlessness before, making it an even more important moment, signifying an even more dramatic change. She then goes on to say “And this time, I felt it”, emphasizing the fact that feelings of courage and bravery are no longer empty words to her, and after watching Minerva’s small but significant action of defiance, she understands what these notions truly mean to her. Much like the way a butterfly undergoes metamorphosis, Maria Teresa experiences courage, something she has always sought out, for the first time, proving she no longer has to assure herself of feelings that are not…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    12th Night vs Shes the Man
    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages

    12th Night vs Shes the Man

    Bynes and Stubbs effectively portrayed a man through the Viola/Cesario character. Each actor changed their appearance in order to fool the other characters. The use of facial hair, a fake mustache in Stubbs’s case and sideburns in Bynes’s, helped to alter their appearance. A haircut gave Stubbs a more masculine demeanor. Bynes used a wig in “She’s The Man” to hide her long hair that would otherwise give her character away in a heartbeat. Each of them attempted to sound manlier by deepening their voice, but both of them, at some point or another, resorted back to her normal voice. In “Twelfth Night: Or What You Will,” the scene on the cliff where Duke Orsino and Viola/Cesario are pushing each other around, Stubbs’s character starts to lose control and begins to squeal like a girl, although the same thing happens to Bynes multiple times throughout “She’s The Man.” it is most noticeable when Malvolio, the tarantula, crawls into the room.…

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Twelfth Night Gender Roles
    • 134 Words
    • 1 Page

    Twelfth Night Gender Roles

    gets frustrated with her mother comments about how she might as well be her bother Sebastian when Viola doesn’t show any interest in puffy dresses or debutants. This is similar to Twelfth Night when Viola has to dress up as a man in order to work and provide for herself, due to not having any male family members to take care of her. She’s The Man is also similar to Twelfth Night because both show Viola dressing as a man to do something that she wants. The movie also has the character Viola fall in love with a character named Orsino.…

    • 134 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gender Stereotypes In Twelfth Night
    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gender Stereotypes In Twelfth Night

    The movie She’s the Man is based on the Shakespeare Twelfth Night because in the movie it goes to show how the idea of gender stereotypes is still influenced in today's society and what the mainstream perceptions are about gender roles to show how the idea of gender equality transcends to the twelfth century. In the movie and twelfth Night the theme of disguise is very important because Olivia in the movie was very passionate about soccer to the fact that she was willing to disguises herself as her brother, so she can be able to compete with the boys soccer team. Unfortunately, her school disbands the girls soccer team. However, in Twelfth Night Viola decided to disguise herself as a man named Cesario, so she would not be in a vulnerable position in…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare And Contrast She's The Man
    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Compare And Contrast She's The Man

    In the movie Viola is a teenage girl who is obsessed with love and if she was in England at the time of the play her actions would not be appropriate. In the movie Viola is disguised as a boy so she cannot confess her love to those around her just like in the play. To make the movie more interesting though some of the scenes show Viola acting weird and almost blowing her cover because she loves the character Sebastian. In the play Viola goes about her actions carefully and tries not to make sure she is found out by the king, for if she is she would be thoroughly punished. As a high school girl Viola has a hard time controlling her emotions in the movie but in the play she is a little bit more grown up and is able to keep herself under control for the most…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Viola In The Ocean Of Illyria
    • 242 Words
    • 1 Page

    Viola In The Ocean Of Illyria

    Viola still has hope however, as if she does find Sebastian is alive, then the two could work out a better situation and resolve Viola’s financial issue.…

    • 242 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Contrast between She's the Man and Twelfth Night (the Play)
    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Contrast between She's the Man and Twelfth Night (the Play)

    1. The reason as to why Viola becomes a “man” is due to the fact that during that period of time, money was an issue for woman as they did not receive as well jobs. She becomes a man so that she can make a living in a beautiful place such as the kingdom of Illyria.…

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Comparison Between Maria And Viola-Cesario
    • 96 Words
    • 1 Page

    Comparison Between Maria And Viola-Cesario

    In conclusion, Maria and Viola-Cesario are worthy of the audience’s respect because they are individualists and talented, however, Olivia does not deserve the audience’s respect because she portrays fickle emotions. Firstly, Maria’s individuality proves to the audience, that a woman can accomplish anything. Secondly, Viola-Cesario’s skillful actions emphasize the idea of her being a very talented female character. Thirdly, Olivia’s fickle emotions hide the beauty of true love. Everyone is different in this small world, and it is important for everyone to follow what is right, and build on our character in the most positive way.…

    • 96 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    How Does Shakespeare Use Deception In Twelfth Night
    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages

    How Does Shakespeare Use Deception In Twelfth Night

    Toby and Maria set up a ruse for Malvolio in the letter. However, it is Malvolio’s self-deception that allows the small prank to work. In the letter Maria (managing to deceive Malvolio into believing her handwriting is in fact Olivia’s) never outright named Malvolio as the man about whom she is writing. It is Malvolio’s own self pride and overinflated ego that allows him to convince himself that the letter must be about him. The audience is very aware of this, as he reads the letter much of the joke is centred on the fact that he is given a tiny crumb of a clue. Everyone except Malvolio understands that a match with Olivia is impossible, not only because Malvolio is her steward, but also because he is neither "generous, guiltless [nor] of free disposition". Orsino is also another character who is self-deluded. Duke Orsino’s has deceived himself into believing that he is in love with the countess Olivia…

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Disguises
    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Disguises

    Viola’s pursuit at catching Orsino’s eye was easily done once her disguise abled her to get close to him. Without her disguise, she would be viewed as just another woman trying to compete for Orsino’s love, which he proclaims is only for Olivia. In act 2, scene iv, Orsino opens up to Cesario, his trusted confidant. He talks to Cesario and tells him all about how he views love. He explains to Cesario that, “For, boy, however we do praise ourselves, Our fancies are more giddy and unfirm, More longing, wavering, sooner lost and worn, Than women’s are,” (II, iv 30-34). This helps Viola, as she’s able to understand that men, especially Orsino, have wavering affections towards women, so she should not worry about his love for Olivia. Without her ability to get Orsino to confide in her, she wouldn’t really know what to do or how to act towards him. Gaining this information, she’s able to act on it in a way that completely alters the play.…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hidden Identity In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
    • 938 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hidden Identity In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

    Andy Fickman has updated Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night through many different ways, such as Viola in Twelfth Night as a woman trying to pretend to be a male to work for Duke Orsino.Fickman’s film shows that it has updated Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The characters of both the film and play demonstrates that many things in society have…

    • 938 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages

    William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

    The play starts off with the shipwreck and explains how two twins, Viola and Sebastian get separated. Viola gets swept up on land and doesn’t know where she is. She is told by a captain that she is in Illyria. Viola asks herself, “What should I do in Illyria?” Her brother is in Elysium and she thinks he might be dead. The captain tells her about the Duke Orsino and how he loves a woman named Olivia, and he is very sad because Olivia is not interested. Olivia is mourning over her dead father and brother. Viola wants to serve the duke, but in order to do that she has to dress up like a man to get the job. She pretends to be a man named Cesario. She gets the job and her and Orsino become good friends, and the Duke tells Cesario how he loves Olivia. But, Viola (who is playing Cesario) has a crush on the…

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Twelfth Night Feminism Essay
    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Twelfth Night Feminism Essay

    The main character, Viola, hides her identity through the duration of the play by dressing as a male figure (Cesario) who is seen as her twin brother Sebastian. She disguises herself as a male in order to have a superior ranking in society by working for the Duke Orsino. This position allowed her to enjoy the great responsibility and respect…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Masks in Twelfth Night
    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Masks in Twelfth Night

    Near the opening of the play, when Viola adopts her male identity, she creates another self, like two masks. She decides to take on this identity because she has more freedom in society in her…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics