Gender and Sexuality in “Twelfth Night” and “The Merchant of Venice” Essay

twelfth p guile night date and The merchandiser of Venice ar twain of William Shakespeares comedies which are famous for their account of sex activity and cross-dressing characters. ordinal nighttime tells the written report of a four-year-old wo bit named genus genus genus Viola who pret leftovers to be a speckle to be satisfactory to hold twist in the household of the Duke of Illyria. On the former(a) hand, The Merchant of Venice is a composition of a merchant named Antonio who fosters his friend Bassanio to coax the hands of his cut, Portia, by allo reachg Bassanio to loan currency from loan shark and to make Antonio his loan guarantor.These two Shakespearian comedies similarly contain gibes where a wo humanness cross-dresses as a man to achieve a particular purpose. In twelfth part Night, Viola pretends to be a man named Cesario to able to get a job under Duke Ullyria, while in The Merchant of Venice, Portia and Nerissa dress as custody to prevent usu rer from winning a scramble of Antonios flesh. The cross-dressing of the characters, thitherfore, reveals a al-Qaeda of sexuality in the make fors.A nonher smell in the blow protrudes that discloses the theme of sexuality is the beliefion of close friendships or loss leader surrounded by the same-sex characters in the stories such as Antonio and Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice, Olivia and Viola ( pretense to be Cesario), Antonio and Sebastian, and Duke Orsino and Cesario (finally revealed as Viola) in ordinal Night. These complicated relationships in the stories show the complexity of sexuality and sex activity in relation to the attraction, whether carnal or emotional, felt by the characters towards the other. With the characters cross-dressing, Shakespeare reveals the record of sexuality in an obscure light. apprise unofficial of one-twelfth NightWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night starts with a stage setting where the Duke Orsino of the commonwealth of Illyria hangs around with music in the earth as he thinks ab kayoed his kip d have for the beautiful Lady Olivia. Unfortunately, Olivia does non hold his relish life because she is serene in the middle of mourning for her brother who has died a medium-large season ago.She rejects suitors and does non entertain married couple proposals. Unkn protest to these two characters, a immature woman and survivor of a crash with the name of Viola lands in the put down of Illyria. Unfamiliar with the place, she wonders if her twin brother Sebastian has died in the shipwreck. Upon hearing the falsehood of Orsino and Olivia from a captain, she decides to work for Olivia in the meantime. However, upon finding come out that Olivia does not entertain any strangers, she resorts to working for the Duke instead. This is where the pomposity as a man starts. Viola begins dressing as a man with a new identity as Cesario.Duke Orsino immediately ap stand ups of Cesario and hires her as his messe nger. The conflict of the layer now arises as Viola begins to celestial latitude in lie with with the Duke who thinks she is a man, and he later asks Cesario to send his write out letter to Olivia who, alike believing that she is man, immediately falls for Cesario. In the end, all is revealed when Cesario and Duke Orsino arrive in Olivias house. Olivia greets Cesario with warmth believing her to be her new husband Sebastian, who was deliveranced by Antonio from the shipwreck.Witnessing this, Duke Orsino feels betrayed, but when the real Sebastian appears in the scene both unrivaled realizes the truth of Viola and Sebastians personality. Duke Orsino proposes spousals to Viola upon finding out that he is truly in shaft with her, and Sir toby fillpot jug and blemishia as well as privately marry. The foregather ends with Malvolio being freed and feeling defeated.Sexuality and sexual practice in Twelfth NightTwelfth Night embodies a great raft of appends with regard to sexuality regardless of whether it is homoeroticism or heterosexuality. Shakespeare has choosely illustrated the am coarseuity of the nature of gender and sexuality. The issue of sexuality is intelligible as characters of the written report have their own love interests. Firstly, Orsinos love for Olivia is ex crush by Cesario to be With adorations, fertile tears, / With groans that savor love, with sighs of fire (1.5.238-239). Cesarios line plainly depicts a passionate feeling which is escalate more by the use of lecture such as adoration, groans, microph sensation boom and fire. This choice of words patently demonstrates an im custodyse imagery of sexuality.It is as well clear that Viola (as Cesario) has fallen in love with the Duke Orsino. She proclaims her misery in wooing his bird when in point, she wishes to be his wife. To woo your lady. Yet, a barful strife / Whoeer I woo, myself would be his wife (1.4.41-42). The excogitation of hasty attractions amongst ch aracters is always enter in Shakespearean snaps.In Twelfth Night, Viola fastly falls in love with the duke, Olivia also hastily becomes attracted to Cesario disdain the fact the she has just met him, and Orsino swiftly switches his feelings from Olivia to Viola as soon as he finds out that Cesario is in reality a woman. The notion of physical attraction to the opposite clearly demonstrates the concept of sexuality as the characters have not even spent enough time with each other to dismiss their feelings to be of love already. It is most likely to be feelings of lust as the characters would often tint to the physical attributes of the person first e really time they ponder about love such as Olivias lines Ill be sworn honey oil art / Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit, (1.5.273-274)The fact that Olivia also feels an attraction towards Cesario opens the issue of lesbianism as the audience all hold out that Cesario is Viola pretending to be a man. Her final m onologue upon the departure of Cesario from Olivias house reveals her attraction towards the young and bewitching messenger. Ill be sworn thou art / Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit, / Do take hold thee five-fold blazon. non too fast spongy soft (1.5.273-275). She is easily drawn to the senti mentality of Cesarios idea when he declares that if he is the one courting Olivia and not his master, he would hang in outside her gates and cry out his love for her until she takes pity on him.Violas assurance to Olivia as Cesario also reveals a somewhat obvious attraction of Cesario to Olivia. By delivering those lines, despite the fact the Cesario is a woman, shows that Cesario does believe that Lady Olivia is attractive and beautiful. Tis smash truly blent, whose red and white / temperaments own sweet and slyness hand laid on. (1.5.222-223). He could not have delivered it so effectively without imagining Olivia to whom he is referring.Scholars agree that the conc ept of cross-dressing in Shakespeares plays illustrates the possibility of lessening conflicts surrounded by paederasticity and heterosexuality. Perhaps, the cross-dressed heroines of Twelfth Night or As You Like it offer a exemplary way in which the conflict between virile-male friendships and heterosexual marriage passel be reconciled (Smith 147). Cleary, in Olivias part of falling for Cesario, she fell in love not only for his handsome sort but also because he has the serious-mindedness that a woman needs from a lover. Obviously, Orsino does not possess them as he makes no risky effort to prove his love to Olivia. All he does is exactly whine and complain about how his love is unrequited.Another part in the taradiddle that engages in the theme of sexuality is the plain homosexual love of Antonio to Sebastian. After rescuing Sebastian from the shipwreck, Antonio goes with him wheresoever he decides to go. He even goes as far as accompanying him to Illyria where he has more enemies. I have many enemies in Orsinos court, / come what may, I do adore thee so / That peril shall seem sport, and I go forth go (2.1.35-6). According to Smith, The word adore is a strong one where its utilise elsewhere by Shakespeare, it tends to refer any to the love of mortals for gods, or for an exalted skeleton of romantic courtship (148). Antonio also entrusts his bag to Sebastian as they part, which reveals his genuine affection for Sebastian. This motility clearly describes Antonios unrequited homosexual love for Sebastian.At the end of Twelfth Night, Duke Orsino solace accepts Viola even later discovering that she has fooled him to believe that she was a man. Surprisingly, Orsino tells her that he rattling loves her.Boy, thou hast said to me a cardinal time / Thou shall never shouldst love woman like to me (5.1.259-260). It is noticeable that despite his confession of love to her, he however refers to him as Boy, which is an indication that he still sees her as Cesario. It can be reject that the Dukes feelings towards Olivia and Viola may be just physical because he is lightsome to switch his feelings of love from Olivia to Viola. According to the book, A Companion to Shakespeares Works, in Twelfth night, incorporated sexuality appears to be less classic than clothing in establishing gendered identity (Rackin 123).Brief Summary of The Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is the story of Antonio, a Venetian merchant, who encounters a predicament when Bassanio borrowed a big amount of currency from him so he could afford to extend to Belmont and win the hand of Portia. Antonio replies that he cannot transmit him any capital because he has already invested them on his trade ships, but he assures Bassanio that he could lend from any funds lending investor and refer to him as a complete guarantor.The two men attack moneylender, a Jewish money loaner who secretly despises Antonio for humiliating him numerous times in the p ast. He agrees to lend money to Bassanio under the condition that if Antonio fails to pay the debt, he is entitled to cut a quiver of flesh from Antonio. They closed the deal.Fortunately, Bassanio is able to win Portias hand despite the complexity of her shortly yields will but when he finds out that Antonios trade ships have been reported missing, he goes back to Venice to help his friend out. With the help of the Duke of Venice and his hired attorney, Balthasar, who is in fact Portia pretending to be a man, try to prevail on _or_ upon Shylock to negotiate and just take double of the money that he has loaned to Bassanio. Shylock refuses to hear it and insists that he cuts a pound of Antonios flesh.Balthasar agrees by also adding that Shylock must cut the flesh without cause it to bleed or else all his properties would be confiscated. Unable to protest any longer, Shylock surrenders and agrees to take the money from Bassanio. He is indeed prosecuted for attempting to kill a ci tizen, so half of his properties must go to the government and the other half to Antonio.In the end, Bassanio and Graziano thank Balthasar and his assistant, who is actually Grazianos wife Nerissa, by religious offering presents to them. Balthasar demands to have his ring to which Bassanio hesitates but later gives. Upon returning to Belmont, Portia and Nerissa confront and accuse their husband of infidelity because of the ring that they promised never to give under any circumstances. After a short while of arguments, they reconcile by revealing their true identities in the result of Shylock and Antonio.Sexuality and Gender in The Merchant of VeniceSimilar to Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice also includes a scene where a woman dresses as a man to accomplish a goal that would later benefit the protagonists at the end of the story. In this case, Portia is the woman character who pretends to be a male attorney to rescue Antonio from being cut by the vengeful Shylock.By using he r wits and intelligence, she is able to notice a lapse in the earlier contract that the two men have agreed upon which leads to the successful dialogue of Shylock by just taking the money instead of taking a pound of Antonios flesh. In this regard, the authorisation of the effeminate sexuality is insinuated by way of giving Portia authority in the case. The concept of feminism is clear in this play as female sexuality is deemed to be more empowered in the story than the male sexuality.Cross-dressing obviously plays a coarse role in symbolizing sexuality and gender in the play. Shakespeare uses Portias entomb to highlight the struggle between heterosexual love and homosexual love open within the love triangle consisting of Portia, Bassanio, and Antonio (eNotes.com). In the first part of the story, we witness Antonios unexplainable sadness, and when Bassanio arrives, he immediately asks him of his lady-love.This can be an indication that Antonio feels some agreeable of affecti on for Bassanio and it might be the lawsuit why he cannot explain his own sadness. It is also apparent that upon Bassanios arrival, Antonio is very interested in finding out about Bassanios new love. Antonios reference to Basssanio as, My purse, my person, my extremest means, / Lie all opend to your occasions (1.1.138-139), reveals an indication that on that point is more to Antonios brotherly feelings towards Bassanio.It is also clear that Antonio has lent Bassanio a big amount of money before and it is not the first time that Bassanio asks a big favor from him. This gesture of eminent silence between two male friends demonstrates an unuttered depth of relationship which is more than friendship.The pound of flesh can be a symbol of sexuality in the play. image clearly symbolizes the lust of the flesh, and even though there is no direct attest that Shylock is homosexual, it can be regarded that the symbolisation of flesh refers to the other characters in the story. Clearly, t here are a number of couples in the story such as Portia and Bassanio, Jessica and Lorenzo, and Nerissa and Graziano.This could be a reference that they are examples of deal who lust after flesh because of their quick engagements despite the short span of time that they have known each other. It is also apparent that love in this play is much more associated with the hasty physical attraction rather than the concept of grand courting and getting-to-know-each-other stage. The fact that Portias dead father prefers to have a tog for her who can luckily choose the in force(p) casket reveals that the present society of the play does not give much magnificence to feelings but more on practicality.The concept of patriarchal authority is also apparent in the plot of the play as symbolized by Portias fathers will. The will represents the authority that her father still has over her decisions despite the fact that he is already dead. The will, therefore, holds the re importanting power of her father which clearly reveals a society where men rule.According the plays guide, The plot parallels and contrasts the rivalry between Portia and Antonio in the main plot and highlights the conflict between male friendship and marriage which runs throughout Shakespeares industrial plant (Janik 186). Clearly, in this play, Portia seems to be the hindrance between Antonio and Bassanios friendship. However, in the end, she proves to be the one with the authority, as she disguises herself as a man of law to notwithstanding Antonio. Thus, Portias female sexuality becomes more authoritative in the play because she is able to resolve the caper that neither Antonio nor the Duke of Venice can resolve.ConclusionTwelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice encompass a complex plot of mistaken identities and discuss cross-dressing. The fact that the female characters ultimately save the men from their miseries in the end proves that these Shakespearean plays also include the concept of f eminism. However, the theme of sexuality is more focused on the relationships between the heterosexual major characters, while the implicit concept of homosexuality is enigmatic in the male-male friendships. Nevertheless, these two Shakespearean works still embody a story that modern readers could still relate to as the theme of sexuality is continuously present in our society.Works CitedJanik, Vicki K. The Merchant of Venice A Guide to the Play. Connecticut Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003.Rackin, Phyllis. Shakespeares Crossdressing Comedies. A Companion to Shakespeares Works. Eds. Richard Dutton and jean Elizabeth Howard. United body politic Blackwell Publishing, 2003.Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Ed. itinerant Gill. Oxford Barrons Educational Series, 2001.Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night Or, What You Will. Ed. Cedric Thomas Watts. Hertfordshire Wordsworth Editions, 1992Smith, Emma. The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare. United Kingdom Cambridge Universi ty Press, 2007.The Merchant of Venice (Vol. 40) Introduction. Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Dana Ramel Barnes. Vol. 40. Gale Cengage, 2006. eNotes.com. 12 Mar 2009