DISGUISE THEME in “TWELFTH NIGHT”
...scene two in her speech to captain: “Conceal me what I am, and be my aid For such disguise as haply shall become The form of my intent. I will serve this duke: Thou shalt present me as a eunuch to him.” One of the main differences of the disguises in the play from that of Viola’s is this speech because any other character in disguise who will be mentioned later is not aware of their disguises, or they disguise theirselves and others unintentionally. Viola’s disguise as Cesario rises the dramatic irony and the humour of the play in some cases. Her beginning to serve Orsino and working for him to woo Olivia is the main irony here, because there occurs a love trinity among them. Orsino loves Olivia, or disguises himself as if, then Viola’s love for Orsino; and Olivia’s love for Viola as Cesario. These disguises in the play rises the drammatical effect of the play and make it more humorous, which Shakespeare also aimed to make it so. Viola’s disguise effects nearly the whole characters of the play directly or indirectly, so that the drammatical effect of the play rises. For example, Olivia’s love for Viola as Cesario results in the marriage of Olivia with Sebastian -the twin brother of Viola. Shakespeare brings the whole plot of disguise together in Viola’s speech in act two,scene two: “How will this fadge? My master loves her dearly; And I, poor monster, fond as much on him; And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me. What will become of this? As I am man, My state is desperate for my master’s love; As I am woman—now, alas the day.” There are also disguises of other characters in the play which rise the humour of the play. One is the disguise of Malvolio. Differently from Viola’s disguise, he falls in the disguise unintentionally. He loves his master Olivia very much, and when Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria play a trick towards him, he supposes that Olivia also loves him, and he tries to be a person who he is not in fact, so that, he is put in a disguise by others in the play. Malvolio and Sir Andrew –who is also in love with Olivia, are self-deceived in the play. Another disguise in the play is the clown’s. He disguises himself as a fool person in the play; although he is maybe one of the most intelligent characters in the play. This helps him to enjoy himself and the others. He also disguises himself...