Reading As You Like It and Twelfth Night, I noticed that being a woman in these plays is treated like a limitation, especially when it comes to your body and how people see you. Both Rosalind and Viola have to change how their bodies are presented just to exist more freely. They don’t change who they are, but the second they put on men’s clothes, everything about how they’re treated shifts. People listen to them more, trust them more, and give them more space.
It made me think about how much of “being a woman” in these plays is tied to appearance and not just beauty. Rosalind talks about how being a woman on the road is dangerous and how her body makes her a target. So when she disguises herself as Ganymede, it’s not just for fun, it’s for safety. Even now, women are way more aware of how their bodies are perceived in public spaces, such as what they wear, how they walk, and how they’re looked at. Rosalind’s decision feels less like a joke and more like a way to survive.
Viola’s situation is similar, but very sad. As Cesario, she gets close to Orsino in a way she never could as a woman. He trusts her, confides in her, and even prefers her company over others, but only because he sees her as male. This led me to a question, which is whether he would value her the same way if she looked like herself?
There’s also how women’s bodies are tied to emotion and instability in these stories. Orsino argues that women can’t love as deeply as men, as if their feelings are weaker or shallower. Meanwhile, Viola is right there, proving him wrong.
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