Women in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Milton's Paradise
Lost
ENGL 3006 - Introduction to Shakespeare
University of Cincinnati
William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night and John Milton’s epic
poem Paradise Lost, challenge the traditional conservative views of
women. Twelfth Night demonstrates a radical and powerful
presentation of women as they control and dominate the actions of the
characters and plot line. Paradise Lost provides an interpretation of the
Biblical text of the fall of man, as the poem presents Eve as a heroic
figure willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. However,
Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost fail to fully complete the task of
presenting women as no longer inferior to men, as the female
characters remain in a subordinate and oppressive state.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
Literature shapes society’s values and attitudes by often challenging
or reinforcing the ingrained beliefs about how one should act or feel.
One of the most discussed topics in literature is how we think of
women and gender relationships, with some writers providing an
alternative perspective to the traditional conservative assumptions of
women’s position within society, whilst others support the inferior
status of women. In modern day society, we continue to strive towards
obtaining gender equality for all; thus, by examining classic works
such as Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost, we can assess how literature
has progressed over the years, or determine if it has remained
conservative. Although Twelfth Night and Paradise Lost are not seen
as a natural pairing to compare due to their drastically different
contexts, it is important to assess if Milton offers an interpretation on
women and gender relationships that follows along the same lines of
thought pioneered by Shakespeare.
Throughout this essay, I wish to show that both texts present a radical
interpretation of women’s position in society by challenging
traditional stereotypes and gender roles. However, Shakespeare
presents a more progressive view as the play not only confronts
traditional stereotypes of women, but also sexual relations and women
disguising themselves as men. In comparison, Milton was confined to
the restrictions of the Biblical text, as he could not drastically alter the
events of the fall of man and the role of women.
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there are three main female
characters who perform a leading role in the plot development: Viola,
Maria and Olivia. Literature prior and during the Renaissance period
portrayed women with a lack of power and agency over the plot line,
as men performed the leading roles and influenced the outcome of
events. Women were viewed as inferior objects controlled by men
who held little purpose other than the production of offspring.
Women’s lack of social status and authority was reinforced by
societies’ perception regarding their lack of intelligence and
incapability to perform the same roles as men. However,
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night challenges traditional beliefs of
women’s social status by establishing the female characters with
power and influence over others (including men), as the female
characters are the main motivators of actions and the most complex.
Shakespeare’s descriptions of women in Twelfth Night can be deemed
as radical due its demonstration of a society in which women are no
longer oppressed and instead hold power and authority.
Shakespeare provides Maria (a maiden at Lady Olivia’s household)
with agency to construct the subplot of the play, driven by her hatred
and animosity towards Malvolio, which led to his downfall. The
scheme engineered by Maria reveals Malvolio’s intentions for falling
in love with Olivia, as she wrote a letter addressed to Malvolio that
tricked him into believing that Olivia had written a love letter
expressing her feelings towards him. When Malvolio receives the
letter he does not question whether he is being deceived by someone,
and most definitely not a woman. Malvolio expresses his excitement
after reading the letter “Remember who com- / ended thy yellow
stockings and wish to see thee ever / cross-gartered” (2.5. 143–145).
Malvolio’s desire to receive love and affection from Olivia stems from
his powerful ambitions to become a member of the noble class.
Maria’s affectionate letter fills Malvolio with hope of a better life, “I
will wash off gross acquaintance, / I will be point-device the very
man” (2.5.152-153). Maria demonstrates her power to persuade and
control Malvolio’s emotions with the intention to make Malvolio
suffer. The complexity of the sub-plot deepens as Maria collaborates
with Feste to persuade Malvolio he is in a state of insanity. Maria
locks Malvolio in a small dark chamber and Feste declares him a
madman “Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits
than a fool” (4.2. 88–89). Maria’s ability to control and manipulate a
male character’s emotions and actions, emphasizes the radical change
that Shakespeare suggests for women’s position within society. A
society in which women are the agents of change and can exert power
over those men who have dominated and caused women to live in a
subordinate position.
Shakespeare describes Viola as a complex female character who
challenges the gender identity norms by disguising herself as a man
who works for the noble class and educates Orsino who resembles
societies stereotypes regarding female inferiority by demonstrating the
true nature of women as intelligent and powerful. Viola conceals her
true identity to obtain work for the prestigious upper class, requesting
the Captain to “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 an eunuch to him.” (1.3. 51-54).
Women disguising themselves as men, and vice versa, was not heard
of nor pursued in the Renaissance period; thus, Shakespeare contests
the role that gender performs in one’s identity and worth, as Viola
becomes respected in her male disguise. Orsino represents the
derogatory perceptions of women that society holds, as he expresses
that women are unable to love and are inferior to men. Viola refutes
the belief of female weakness by claiming “We men may say more,
swear more, but indeed / Our shows are more than will; for still we
prove / Much in our vows but little in our love” (2.4.116-118). Viola
expresses that men make grand gestures and flatter women into falling
in love, but their love is not sincere, nor more worthy than the love
women express. Viola educates Orsino by refuting the belief that men
are superior in love and courtship, as their love is no more genuine
than women’s, thus, they are more equal than Orsino believes.
Shakespeare challenges the traditional gender relationships by
proposing a society in which same-sex relationships could transpire.
After the large climax of the play when Sebastian and Viola are
reunited and the misunderstandings are resolved, Orsino confesses his
love for Viola (Cesario). He declares his love and willingness to wed
Viola “If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, / I shall have share in
this most happy wrack. / Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand time /
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.” (5.1. 265–266). The
gender confusion between Viola and her disguise as Cesario remains
as Orsino addresses her as “Boy” in his love declaration, implying that
he is attached to Viola’s masculine qualities that he is familiar with.
Shakespeare has structured this into Orsino’s speech for the reader to
question who he is in love with, the beautiful young man Cesario, or
the beautiful young women Viola. For a man to fall in love with
another man would be abhorrent and frowned upon by Renaissance
society as same-sex relationships were not accepted nor explained in
literature. Therefore, Shakespeare proposes a society in which there
are same-sex relationships, confirming that Twelfth Night is a
progressive text that defies conservative societal life.
Twelfth Night assesses the power of gender roles and relationships
within courtship through the actions of Viola, Olivia and Orsino.
During Viola’s (as Cesario) first encounter with Olivia, she is
instructed to repeat the prepared speech by Orsino.
Instead, Viola (as Cesario) tells Olivia what she would do if she was
in love with her: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate / And call
upon my soul within the house, / Write loyal cantons of contemnèd
love, / And sing them loud even in the dead of night; / Hallow your
name to the reverberate hills,” (1.5. 254-258). Viola (as Cesario) is
suggesting that she would be outside of Olivia’s gate day and night
expressing her love. Shakespeare explores the rich implications of
women understanding and dominating a relationship of love by
demonstrating high levels of understandings of what women desire.
This contrasts the initial representation of women’s capability to love
and present passion towards men that Orsino expresses in the opening
scenes. Shakespeare is reinforcing the possibility of same sex
relationships, as with Orsino falling in love with Viola (as Cesario) in
her masculine form, Olivia develops feelings for Viola (as Cesario) as
her true identity being a female.
Furthermore, Shakespeare demonstrates Viola’s power to influence
others with her ability to persuade Olivia to remove herself from a
state of mourning and hiding. Based on Viola (as Cesario’s) request,
“Lady, you are the cruel’stshe alive / If you will lead these graces to
the grave /And leave the world nocopy” Olivia removes her veil and
reveals herself (1.5. 227-229). This symbolic moment represents
Olivia’s transition from grieving the death of her brother to being
present in the living world. Shakespeare demonstrates the power and
influence that women can have on others, that they are able to change
the course of actions, and are not just mere unintelligent humans with
the sole purpose to reproduce.
However, upon close examination of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare fails
to end the poem in a progressive nature, as the women in the play
return to their subordinate and oppressive state within society. In the
final scenes of the play, it is revealed that Maria marries Sir Toby,
Olivia marries Sebastian, and Viola marries Orsino. Although the
female characters had a moment of freedom, during which they
obtained power and control, escaping form their subordinate position,
they eventually returned to an oppressive patriarchal institution that
subordinate’s women into serving and being dominated by their
husbands. Although, Shakespeare provides a radical and progressive
view of women throughout the production of the play, the play returns
to a conservative and oppressive position of women.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost are both
great works from the Renaissance era that open up nontraditional
ways of thinking about the place of women within society. Twelfth
Night is a play set outside of England in a fantasy world that is a
parallel to the country and societal life by which Shakespeare
experiments new ways of living and thinking. The imaginary setting
of Twelfth Night permits Shakespeare to suggest new ideas about how
one should live life and the possibility of new gender roles and
relationships. In comparison, Paradise Lost is providing an alternative
representation about one of the core ‘myths,’ meaning the story that
we as a society believe in and use as a blueprint for our way of
thinking and as guide to how we should act. Milton is dealing with
charged material regarding the fall of man that he is unable to change;
however, there is an attempt to divert society’s attention away from
the conservative traditional thinking of women. Twelfth Night and
Paradise Lost are bound together by their effort to raise awareness
about the discriminatory and prejudiced views about the place of
women within society. Women become empowered during certain
parts of the play and the poem providing them with control and
agency over others. Shakespeare pioneers an interpretation of gender
roles and relationships that Milton has the opportunity to develop in
the poem Paradise Lost. Shakespeare displays a society whereby
women are categorized as smart, powerful and the agents of change.
Olivia is smart and intelligent as shown in her ability to maintain order
within her household and delegate the responsibility of work.
Likewise, Maria and Viola embody their power and demonstrate their
abilities to create change as Maria provides a subplot for the play and
Viola exerts power over Orsino’s way of thinking. Therefore, by
comparing Twelfth Night against Paradise Lost raises the question:
does Milton provide a progressive piece of literature similar to the
works of Shakespeare?
Paradise Lost details the events of Adam and Eve’s fall from the
Garden of Eden, whilst presenting a different interpretation of the
traditional Biblical text of the fall of man. Milton’s version of the fall
of man challenges the conservative ways of thinking about the place
of women and gender roles within society. Although Milton does not
change the entire story of the fall of man, he evokes a new way of
perceiving it. Paradise Lost provides a complex perspective regarding
the culpability of Eve in the fall of man, as the in-depth analysis of the
events mitigate her responsibility and reduce the blame worthiness of
her actions.
However, Milton remains to represent the traditional stereotypes of
women as inferior and subordinate to men due to their lack of
intelligence and spiritual purity. Upon initial examination of Adam
and Eve’s relationship, it is apparent that Eve is subordinate and
inferior to Adam based on the circumstances from which they are
created, which asserts the dominant position of man, as Adam was
created from God’s image. Whereas Eve was created based on
Adam’s request, “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to
participate / All rational delight, wherein the brute / Cannot be human
consort; they rejoice,” and God grants Adam’s desire of having a
companion (8. 389-392). Eve is created from Adam’s rib, suggesting
that she is already inferior as her creation was from man, whereas
Adam’s is formed by God. It is also important to examine the
awakening of Adam and Eve.
Adam recalls his awakening to Raphael “Soft on the flow’ry herb I
found me laid / In balmy sweat, which with his beams the sun” (8.
254-255). He woke in the surrounding of sunlight and God aware of
who he is and knowledgeable about Earth. Conversely, Eve woke up
alone in the shade, “I first awakened, and found myself reposed /
Under a shade of flowers, much wond’ring where” (4. 450-45).
Evidently, God did not bestow upon Eve the same knowledge as
Adam, as she is unaware of her identity and her surroundings;
therefore, their awakenings reinforces the female inferior and
subordinate position within society. Not only did Eve wake in the
shade, whereas Adam in the sun, but her misunderstanding of the
reflection she sees in the water, with which she becomes mesmerized
with, demonstrates her vanity and foolishness. Eve’s depiction as
described by Milton emphasizes the patriarchal society which operates
to dominate women and label them as inferior.
Furthermore, Milton compares the importance of Adam and Eve,
concluding that Adam holds more spiritual purity and importance in
comparison to Eve, reinforcing her subservient position. Milton
assesses the different roles that Adam and Eve acquired, “Not equal,
as thir sex not equal seem’d; /For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
/ For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, / Hee for God only,
shee for God in him:” (4. 295–311). Adam is perceived to be more
spiritually pure as he was created from God, in comparison to Eve
who was created for Adam’s pleasure, suggesting that Eve is further
away from God’s grace. Milton’s assessment implies that gender roles
are unequal and imbalanced, further suggesting that the Bible
promotes unequal roles by proposing that the female is of lesser
importance, causing her to submit to man. Milton explicitly states that
Eve is a subordinate figure to Adam, “Of nature her th’ inferior, in the
mind / And inward faculties, which most excel” (8. 541542). This
inferiority and dominance that Adam holds over Eve is reinforced
throughout Paradise Lost, however, there are moments that
demonstrate an alternative way to address Eve’s position.
Upon close examination of Paradise Lost, it is apparent that Milton
challenges and explores a different interpretation of the
Biblical texts in regards to how we view women. Milton provides
three different interpretations of Eve: Satan’s perspective, Adam’s
perspective and Eve’s perspective on herself. Satan views Eve as
inferior and subordinate to Adam’s command, by which he rules and
dominates her actions. Satan claims that they are not equal as Adam
governs Eve, “Not equal, as their sex not equal seem’d;/For
contemplation hee and valour form’d,/ For softness shee and sweet
attractive Grace,/ Hee for God only, shee for God in him;/ His fair
large Front and Eye sublime declar’d/ Absolute rule”(4. 294–99).
Milton includes the Satan’s view of Eve to highlight that this
misogynistic wrong view of women is the product of the fallen mind.
Milton provides Eve with the status of the first love poem writer on
Earth which immediately grants her status and power. In this love
poem it is implied that she sees herself as inferior to Adam, but is
content in her status “to know no more / Is a woman’s happiest
knowledge and her praise” (4. 637-638). However, Milton could be
posing that the lower social status and importance that Eve has been
provided leads her to believe she is of less worthiness in comparison
to Adam.
In the closing two lines of her love poem, Eve questions what the stars
are suggesting that she wishes to learn more “But wherefore all night
long shine these, for whom / This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut
all eyes?” (4. 657-658). Milton is implying that women are inquisitive
and wish to become more knowledgeable, rejecting previous
assumptions of women being incompetent and unable to acquire more
information. Similarly, Milton provides Adam’s interpretation of Eve
as he wishes to have an equal who he could share his thoughts and joy
with and develop a companionship. He wishes to have a companion
who he shares reason and intellect with, as the animals in the Garden
of Eden do not possess such attributes. Therefore, Milton implies that
Adam desires an equal companion but Eve’s qualities hold less
importance in comparison to Adam due to their creation and
connection with God.
Furthermore, Paradise Lost mitigates Eve’s culpability and blame
regarding the fall of man, by suggesting that Adam persuades himself
to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam realizes that he cannot live
without Eve and begins encouraging himself to join her in sin, “From
this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting; if such
pleasure be / In things to us forbidden it might be wished, / For this
one tree had been forbidden ten.” (9. 1023-1026). As Adam decides to
eat from the Tree of Knowledge with little influence from Eve, Milton
suggests that we cannot blame women for the entire destruction of the
fall of man and we cannot continue to blame women for our setbacks
in life, as Adam performed the same role as Eve in their sins. Paradise
Lost presents Eve as a resemblance of Jesus’s sacrifice earlier in the
poem, as she is willing to give her life in redemption for eating from
the Tree of Knowledge, demonstrating her strength, power and
selflessness. Milton depicts Eve as a heroic figure as she wishes to
accept full responsibility and blame as she recognizes her choices of
disobeying God “On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, / Me me
only just object of his ire” (10. 935-936). In doing so, she is prepared
to receive God’s anger and punishment to prevent Adam from
suffering. However, it is possible that Eve’s desire to eat from the
Tree of Knowledge was rooted in her characteristics of inferiority and
naivety. God gave her these characteristics which developed her
vulnerability to be persuaded by Satan to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Satan uses his flattery “A goddess among gods, adored
and served” to gain Eve’s trust and manipulate her into disobeying
Gods wishes (9. 547). Therefore, it is suggested that if Eve were a
man, she would not have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge as she
would not have been so naive to give into temptation.
To conclude, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Milton’s Paradise Lost
represent the progressive views of gender roles and relationships,
through the embodiment of the character’s actions and descriptions.
Twelfth Night provides a radical interpretation on challenging the
traditional and conservative views that oppress women and confine
them to a subordinate position. Shakespeare pioneers his work to
allow other writers to expand upon his presentation of a society in
which women have more equality and control. Milton’s Paradise Lost
attempts to incorporate the characteristics of women being smart,
intelligent and the agents of change, as presented in Twelfth Night,
but is restricted to elaborate due to the confinements of the Biblical
texts. Therefore, although Paradise Lost can be seen as a progressive
text, there is still an apparent chain of command regarding certain
attributes of Eve’s descriptions and actions that remain conservative
and traditional. Overall, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night remains the
most progressive due to its radical and challenging nature of
traditional gender stereotypes.
