Issues of Gender Identity and Alternative Sexualities
Comparing the Reading and the Globe Production
The Elizabethan era witnessed increased misogyny and the conforming of men and women to traditional gender roles. Women were required to be caregivers and home keepers while the men were breadwinners that worked and provided for their families. Sexuality was also a non-issue as the society promoted heterosexuality and failed to acknowledge homosexuality. Through his plays, Shakespeare sought to change the society’s perceptions of gender and sexuality by exposing audiences to plays that challenged the set gender roles and sexuality. Shakespeare plays were performed by all-male actors, who played both male and female characters. In his play, the Twelfth Night , gender identity and alternative sexualities register differently when compared to the Globe production described by James Bulman.
To begin with, gender identity in the Elizabethan era played a significant role in how one was treated and perceived by the community. Women were at a disadvantage concerning employment opportunities and social privileges, which were freely accorded to men. Viola, one of the characters in the Twelfth Night , as per the read version, had to change her identity to that of a man named Cesario, for her to get a job. The predetermination of gender roles in the society led to women being treated differently, such that Viola was pushed to the extremes of having to change her gender identity, to receive the same privileges the men earn. While speaking to the Captain, Viola says to him “Conceal me what I am, and be my aid/ For such disguise as haply shall become/ the form of my intent. I’ll serve this duke/ Thou shalt present me as a eunuch to him,” (1.3.53-56).
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Furthermore, the gender distinctions in the Twelfth Night are fluid such that an individual can easily conform to any preferred gender based on how the person looks and acts. Viola presents herself as a man named Cesario who serves under Orsino. Orsino pursues Olivia, to whom he sends Cesario as a messenger to deliver his messages of love. Upon meeting Cesario, Olivia develops feeling towards him, oblivious of his gender affiliation. In turn, Cesario develops affections towards Olivia, knowing fully well that she is a woman who is attracted to a fellow woman. On the other hand, towards the end of the play, Orsino is witnessed as having developed sexual feelings towards Cesario, a young boy that has been his servant for a while, “Give me thy hand/ And let me see thee in thy woman’s weeds,” (5.1.251). According to this revelation, an individual can defy gender conformations and sexually attract individuals of both the female and male genders.
In the Globe production “Bearding the Queen: Male Cross-Dressing at the New Globe,” Bulman describes gender as being performative rather than innate (75). Gender is a cultural construct that is formed based on one’s behavior rather than their natural appearance. The play made use of all-male actors, some of whom were assigned female roles. The execution of these roles, exaggerating the female characteristics displayed external codes of conduct that define an individual’s gender.
Additionally, the Twelfth Night sheds light on societal expectations on women as well as highlighting gender ambiguities. The society displays gender disparities in employment whereby only men are allowed to work. Viola goes against this expectation by changing her identity, and as a result, she gets employed by Orsino. The fact that Viola changed her status to Cesario and managed to pass as a man among members of the community, display gender ambiguities in which gender is determined by a person’s behavior and not the sexual organs one is born with. Olivia is attracted to Cesario because of his appearance as a womanly-looking man. Orsino says to Cesario, “Thy small pipe/ Is as the maiden’s organ, shrill and sound/ And is simulative a woman’s part.” (1.4.30-32), hence emphasizing why he (Cesario) is the best person to send to Olivia.
In the Globe production, the male actors conformed to stage conventions whereby they observed heterosexual fictions. Female roles were played by boys that cross-dressed, and who endured the same social confides as women in the real society. These characters had no social position and were marginalized as per the men’s desires (Bulman 76). Through these characters, the Globe production advanced the notions of the Elizabethan era concerning women.
On sexual identities, the Twelfth Night highlight topics that did not sit well with the society during the Elizabethan era. The idea of homosexuality was depicted in the play through Orsino’s attraction to Cesario, with the knowledge that Cesario was a man. Cesario, in the person of Viola, also developed feelings towards Orsino. However she could not let her feelings known as the society forbade women from pursuing men, and instead, men granted the privilege. Cesario told Orsino:
She never told her love,
But let concealment, like a worm in the bud,
Feed on her damask cheek. She pined in thought,
And with a green and yellow melancholy
She sat like patience on a monument,
Smiling at grief. Was this not love indeed? (2.4.106-112).
In the matter of alternative sexual identities, the casting of an adult male in the Globe production for female roles instead of young boys elicited homosexual desire. The Globe production used adult men whose features were a contradiction to feminine elements, hence the homosexual inclination, especially in the case of Orsino and Cesario (Bulman 81).
According to Bulman, how does this all-male production differ from a “traditional” version, in which men play men and women represent women?
The all-male production by the Globe differs from a traditional version, in which men play men and women play women in that it complicates audience’s perception through transvestism (Bulman 83). The production shows how men could cross-dress artistically and pass on like the opposite gender. The production denounces the judgments of gender as being characterized by unique features to each gender. Paul Chahidi, who plays the role of Maria in the production did not disguise his voice or hide his beard (Bulman 83). This flawed perception displayed a lack of credibility of the gender construct.
Furthermore, an all-male cast promotes theatrical cross-dressing, which in turn undermines the biological determination of sexual desire and identity (Bulman 88). Such kind of casting makes the audiences more receptive to conventional notions of gender and sexuality which has no constraints on sexual identification and sexuality. Furthermore, characters in the all-male production parallel the female gender instead of identifying to it. As a result, the production undermines the authenticity of the female gender while promoting the male identity. The output advances ideas of misogyny and sexism in the society.
Moreover, the all-male cast displays the possibilities of men executing female roles, thus establishing that gender distinction are only in people’s minds. Bulman opines “We never really know ourselves or our desires” (87). Through this depiction, both men and women can conform to any gender of their choosing. Additionally, the production shows the possibility of establishing joint-sex partnerships instead of same-sex partnerships.
Why do you agree or disagree with Bulman’s thesis?
I disagree with Bulman’s thesis based on the fact that all-male actors in a play promote traditional gender roles that view women as weak individuals, who are subject to men’s desires. Conventional women are accorded equality with men as they work and earn just as the men do. Moreover, it promotes social isolation instead of dealing with the merging issues in the society (Ivanova & Dimitrova, 2016) . The use of both male and female characters highlights contemporary issues affecting society such as homosexuality and gender conformity.
If you were producing a version of this play, how would you cast it with regards to gender? What factors would impact this decision?
If I were producing a version of this play, I would cast it based on the traditional forms of gender, whereby men would play men and women would play women. This way, the audience would identify with the characters on stage and in turn relate with the situations being experienced by the characters.
The decision to cast characters in the traditional forms of gender would be based on the emerging issues of gender equality that affects contemporary society. Casting both men and women would accord both men and women with equal employment opportunities. Furthermore, such casting would eliminate instances of misogyny and sexism whereby social equality would be promoted as men and women are accorded the same opportunities and rights in society.
In conclusion, the Twelfth Night is a work of art whose gender identity and alternative sexualities register differ from the Globe production described by James Bulman. The Twelfth Night highlights issues of gender conformity while the Globe production uses an all-male cast for the play. Such casting has dire effects on the social perceptions of gender and the contemporary understanding of sexuality. Furthermore, it promotes social isolation and advances traditional perceptions of gender in which women were viewed as the weaker sex. When casting a similar play, I would use traditional gender whereby men play men roles and women play women roles. This decision would be based on issues of gender equality and the eradication of misogyny and sexism.
References
Bulman, J. Bearding the Queen: Male Cross-Dressing at the New Globe” (Shakespearean Performance: New Studies. Ed. Frank Occhiogrosso. Madison and Teaneck: Farleigh Dickinson University Press, 2008: 74-91
Ivanova, M., & Dimitrova, A. (2016). Do Old Women Study In Bulgaria? In M. Maksimović, J. Ostrouch-Kamińska, K. Popović & A. Bulajić, Contemporary Issues and Perspectives on Gender Research in Adult Education (p. 251). Serbia: Institute for Pedagogy and Andragogy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Serbia.
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Twelfth Night . Boston; New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1928. Print.
