Twelfth Night, Or What You Will

By William Hamilton — Harry Rusche. William Hamilton, A Scene from Twelfth Night (c. 1797). Archived from the original on 2010–03–11., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5224190

“Twelfth Night” includes so many things that add to it: puns, verbal wit, practical jokes, mistaken identities, and music. They make the play really enjoyable; but what I really like is that it is a play that can be read with an eye on lesbian and gay subtext with regard to the sexuality and gender of the characters. And don’t forget, the added layer, that all women’s roles were played by young men at the time.

Sexuality and gender are explored in acceptable ways in this play, because this is Twelfth Night. The twelfth day after Christmas is a day when the world can be turned upside-down or even sideways. It doesn’t matter because the regular rules of life are suspended. As long as life is back to normal by the end of the play it’s okay to do just about anything.

The text of the play ultimately gives us the straight pairings of Orsino and Viola, and Olivia and Sebastian. It also leaves us with buddy pairings in the men’s sphere: Toby and Andrew, and Sebastian and Antonio.

The subtext pairings are more fun though. The possibilities include: Olivia and Viola, Orsino and Cesario (Viola), Toby and Andrew (who break up by the end of the play), and Sebastian and Antonio. The subtext considers the attractions that can occur between people who are already friends, or those who become friends.