“Is She Really the Man?”: Exploring Performativity in Twelfth Night

Abstract

As modern women, in agreement with third wave feminists, we know that gender is not a binary. Did Shakespeare attempt to portray this very concept through Viola’s character in Twelfth Night? We argue that Viola is gender fluent and performs gender. Women’s subjection to men’s authority provides the motive for Viola’s disguise (Stierna). Gender is her costume, and the intentions behind that costume change throughout the play as she performs as a woman, a man, and ultimately a person.