Viola
By: Kaitlyn Schwarz
Identity of Viola in Twelfth Night
Viola thinks of herself as a strong headed girl. She is very confident and smart. Viola is also very trust-worthy and caring. She tries taking care of herself even though she has never done it before. "With this thy fair and outward character. I prithee- and I'll pay thee bounteously-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"(I.i.47-51). She trusts the captain to help her disguise herself as a guy so she can make money. She thinks she lost her brother and is on her own so she is very determined to be able to make enough money for herself.
Gender of Viola in Twelfth Night
Viola is a girl dressing as a guy so she can work for Orsino and make money. She goes by Cesario. She is forced to hide her love for Orsino and has to go to Olivia's house and express Orsino's love for her. Viola also cannot make it obvious that she is a girl and she is lying to so many people. She also knows that Olivia fell in love with her so she has to try and make it clear to her that nothing would ever happen between them and also try and not lead her on. The benefits of pretending to be a guy would be that she is getting paid and also she is able to live somewhere for being a servant. "It gives a very echo to the seat, Where love is throned" (II.iv. 20-21). Viola fell in love with Orsino and always gives him advice based on how she feels but he doesn't realize how Viola feels. She has to hide her own feelings.
Perception of Viola in Twelfth Night
Other characters in Twelfth Night view Viola in all different ways. Orsino sees Viola as a trustworthy servant who is really good with Olivia. Olivia sees Viola as a handsome boy who she fell in love with. Sir Toby thinks that Viola is hiding something and that she is very mysterious. Viola sees herself as trustworthy and loving. "Oh, what a deal of scorn looks beautiful inn the contempt and anger of his lips" (III.I.135-136). Olivia thinks so highly of Cesario. She loves how he looks no matter if he's mad or not. She thinks that he is really amazing.
Similarities and DIfferences of Viola in Twelfth NIght
Viola is a very independent, strong, caring, loving girl. She is very strong headed and determined. I am also most of those things. When I set my mind to something, I follow through with it. I don't take things from people and I don't let them push me around. I am an extremely caring and loving person, especially when it comes to my friends and family. Viola thought she lost her brother and pushed through it very well. If I ever thought I have lost my brother I would be a complete mess. I would never be able to do what she does. She has to hide her love for Orsino so she can keep a job. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to hide your feelings from someone who you see everyday. Viola also is very smart until her brother comes back into the picture. I don't understand how she wouldn't think Sebastian was her brother or that he was a ghost or that they couldn't figure it out because I would defiantly be able to figure that out. Viola is independently trying to make a living after losing her family and very strong for doing so. If I really had to, I would be very independent in that case and keep myself steady.
Identifiy of viola from Shes The Man
Viola in Shes The Man sees herself as a tomboy. She doesn't like really girly stuff. She also sees herself as trustworthy and is very determined to prove people wrong. Her favorite sport is soccer and her team got cut. She tried to play on Cornwall but couldn't because they wouldn't allow girls on there team. She was walking home and her brother Sebastain's girlfriend thought that she was him from behind. Then Viola went inside and looked at herself and said I do look like Sebastain. Then thought to herself "I could go to Illyria and pretend to be Sebastain" (She's the Man). She is very smart because she was able to pull all of it off.
Gender of Viola from SHes the man
Viola is a very athletic, determined girl. When she tried to play on the boys team, the coach and the boys laughed at her and said she wasn't good enough. She went to prove them wrong and pretended to be Sebastain at Illyria. Her friends helped her look like him and thought she was crazy. As the lie went on she showed up at Illyria and made herself look weird because she didn't know how to act like a guy. The guys in her dorm thought she was like a weird boy. They gave her weird looks. When she got there as she was unpacking, her tampons fell out and the boys asked her why she had them. She said "I use them for nose bleeds" (She's the Man) and put one in her nose. They laughed at her and made fun of her. Most her peers at Illyria think that she's cool after they get to know her and start to trust her. So they also see her as a trustworthy.
Perception of Viola in She's the Man
People in She's the Man think that Viola is her brother Sebastian. Duke Orsino's first impression on her is that she is weird but as the movie goes on he starts to think of her as a really good friend and starts to trust her. The guys on Illyria's soccer team do not have any idea that she is a girl. At the end of the movie she reveals her true self because everything starts to get out of control so she cannot take it anymore and she lifts up her shirt and shows everyone that she is a girl (She's the Man. Her mom and dad are very proud of her at the soccer game and her mom starts to think more highly of her. Her soccer team looks up to her because they think she's so amazing to have proved the guys coach wrong.
Viola's Similarities and Differences of She's the Man
The similarities between me and Viola would be that we like being correct. The soccer coach at Cornwall do not think that the girls are able to keep up with the guys and she goes to Illyria and then proves them wrong. I love the feeling of proving people wrong. She is also a very determined and smart girl and I would consider myself that way as well. The differnces between us would be I would think it would be extremely hard to have feeling for someone and have to fake it to be someone else. To be sleeping in the same room as someone I like. She's also really mentally strong and I think I am sometimes but I would never be able to keep the secret that long.