Mistaken Identity in Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night is one of William Shakespeare’s so-called transvestite comedies that features a female disguising herself as a young man. This concept might be difficult to grasp by today’s audience but during Shakespeare’s time it was not unusual for female roles to be played by young boys. Every character in the play is involved in a situation where they think one person is someone else. These situations lead to turmoil and humor in the play. The many instances of mistaken identity and uncertainty of gender in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night contribute to the theme of confusion in the play.
The first character in the play to introduce the theme of confusion is Viola. She is distraught after being separated from her twin brother, Sebastian, in a shipwreck. In hoping that he could still be alive, she is determined to support herself in an unfamiliar land by getting a job as a messenger in town. She says to the captain that rescued her, “conceal me what I am, and be m...