Analyzing Viola
By Blake Wiles
Viola's Identity
Viola is a woman who has a second identity as the butler named Cesario so she can be a butler to Orsino. She is in love with Orsino and at first he doesn't have feelings for Viola, he doesn't know that Viola is Cesario when she is pretending to be Cesario. "On your attendance, my lord, here." (I. IV. 10.) Viola said this when she was dressed as Cesario, when Orsino asked where Cesario is. This shows how Viola plays her part as Orsino's butler, Cesario.
Viola's Gender
Viola is a female who sometimes dresses as the butler, Cesario, so she can serve under Orsino. Before she became Cesario, she learned of the death of her brother Sebastian, which was not at all true, she felt that she needed to hide her identity to wait for her brother. "Conceal me what I am, and be my aid for such a disguise as haply shall become the form of my intent." (I. II. 49-51.) Viola is asking the Captain if he can help her become Cesario so she can become Duke Orsino's butler. She is ,all in all, not a typical girl or a tomboy.
Viola's Perception
Viola sees herself as a normal girl, even though normal girls don't disguise themselves as a butler. She is confident in her skills and her ability to act like a butler. Yet there are others in the story who see her differently. "Cesario, thou know'st no less but all. I have unclasped to thee the book even of my secret soul. Therefore, good youth, address thy gait unto her; Be not denied access, stand at her doors, and tell them there thy fixed foot shall grow til thou have audience." (I. IV. 11-17) This quote from Orsino shows that he has complete trust in Cesario (Viola).
Comparing myself to Viola
Viola and I are similar in quite a few ways such as we are both knowledge seekers. Viola is also quite smart and athletic as am I. Both Viola and I take risks so we can achieve what we want to happen.
Viola and I are also quite different in a lot of ways. She plays soccer while I swim, and she isn't very good at pretending to tell the truth when she's purposely lying. She is willing to cross dress as a guy in order to play soccer, while I wouldn't ever try something that risky.
Viola's Identity
Viola thinks of herself as a girl who is capable of doing things a normal girl can't do. She knows that she is very skilled at soccer and is willing to do almost anything to be able to play it. Viola states that it is unfair that the guys discriminate girls thinking that men are the more capable species (She's the Man). This shows how she goes so far as to disguise herself as a male so she can play soccer. She does this so she can show the guys that girls are just as capable as men in not only soccer, but life in general.
Viola's Gender
Viola is a girl who is very passionate about soccer. Viola, being a girl, is unable to play soccer because her coach cut he entire team. She decides to disguise herself as a boy so she can join the boy's soccer team and after she revealed herself to be a girl at the final game, she ends up convincing the coach that even girls can play soccer just as well as the guys (She's the Man). The coach lets her join the team and they finish the game by winning. In the end, she joins the guy's soccer team as a girl, having proven herself to be just as good as males.
Viola's Perception
The other characters in the movie think Viola is a normal girl, but they don't know about how she disguises herself as a male. When Viola is disguised as Sebastian, the guys at first saw him as a really weird guy. Viola (disguised as Sebastian) had her best friends act as if they were madly in love with her/him which shocked the guys and then they welcomed Sebastian as an honorary bro (She's the Man). At some point when he was trying to gain their friendship, Viola had her best friends act as if they were madly in love with Sebastian, causing the guys to become utterly shocked at how Sebastian was such a ladies' man. This shows how some characters in She's the Man see Viola/Sebastian.
Comparing myself to Viola
Viola from She's the Man and I are similar in a few ways, but not many. Her and I are both good at going undercover, such as when she disguises herself as a guy, and when I go undercover for my friends to help them with things such as hooking them up with a girl.
Viola and I are also different in many ways. She isn't very convincing at hiding the fact that she is really a girl. I am convincing when I'm undercover because I talk a lot of good things about my friend that I'm trying to hook up with someone.