Essay on Appearance vs Reality in Othello and Twelfth Night

Appearance versus Reality in Othello and Twelfth Night Shakespeare cleverly uses the art of disguise, in both his tragedies and his comedies, in order to employ a literary device known as dramatic irony, where the audience members are aware of something (in this case the true identity of characters) that characters in the play are not. This, of course, creates tension in a play and excites the audience; actions take place on the stage, of which the audience knows the import, but characters on the stage do not. It also creates a setting for a great deal of irony where characters make comments that take on a double meaning. Two examples of characters who utilize such disguise are Iago, from Othello, and Viola, from†¦show more content†¦He himself, in attempts to protect his disguise, stabs Cassio, Roderigo, and his wife. The reasons Viola chooses to disguise herself, however, are to protect herself from danger, and to win the love of the Duke. In a few days time while masked in this disguise, through her wit, charm, loyalty and musical ability she wins the trust of the Duke, who employs her to woo Olivia. In her loyalty to the Duke, though she is deeply in love with him, she makes an honest attempt to win Olivias love. Violas speech throughout the scenes where she attempts to woo Olivia for the Duke provide a great deal of irony such as when she tells Olivia, I swear I am not that I play (I, v, 180). The entire dialogue between Viola and the Duke about the love of a man versus that of a woman is also quite humorous, especially when she, through cryptic language, tells him shes in love with him, saying, My father had a daughter loved a man as it might perhaps, were I a woman, I should your lordship (II, iv, 107-109). Later, her punning almost commands sympathy when while jesting with Viola, Feste makes a quip about her lack of a beard, and she responds, By my troth, Ill tell thee, Im almost sick for one [aside] though I would not have it grow on my chin (III, i, 46-48). It is, of course, also quite humorous when Viola unwittingly earns Olivias affection--for herself, and