Twelfth Night vs Sonnet 20

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Brit/Lit November 18, 2013 Compare “Twelfth Night” with one of Shakespeare’s sonnets The “Twelfth Night” and Shakespeare’s sonnet 20 are similar because in both his story and poem he talks about gender and disguise. Twelfth Night provides a context for understanding sex, gender, sexuality and desire in the early seventeenth century. Sexual ambiguity expressed both in appearances of the beloved and through the way in which desire is encountered crackles through this sonnet. The phrase ‘master-mistress’ seems to relate this poem to Twelfth Night, or What You Will, in which we hear Duke Orsino say to Viola disguised herself as Cesario. “Twelfth Night or What You Will,” setting takes place Illyria where we meet Duke who is in love with his neighbor Olivia. She pays him no mind and has sworn to avoid men’s company for seven years because; she is mourning to death f her brother. Meanwhile, I ship has been wrecked and twin Sebastian and Viola have lost each other. Viola trying o work has changed her gender to be a boy, now known as Cesario. Becoming a boy she now works for Orsino who she is now in love with. On another twist Olivia is in love with Cesario which is Olivia. Everyone seems to be confused about their sexuality and gender throughout the play. Viola's brother, Sebastian turns up and, believing him to be Viola (who Olivia thinks is a boy) she asks him to marry her and he does. Viola's identity is revealed and Orsino falls in love with her and they marry and it is revealed that Sir Toby and Maria have also married. Sonnet 20 is crucial, sensual sonnet, the young man becomes the "master-mistress" of the poet's passion. The young man's double nature and character, however, present a problem of description: Although to the poet he possesses a woman's gentleness and charm, the youth bears the genitalia ("one thing") of a man, and despite having a woman's
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