Cross-Dressing and the Performativity of Gender in Shakespeare’s plays Twelfth Night, As You Like It and The Merchant of Venice – Then and Now

In her highly influential book Gender Trouble, as well as in other publications such as “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution” and “Imitation and Gender Insubordination,” Judith Butler argues for the performative nature of gender and especially the performativity of heterosexual masculinity. She discusses gender as a theatrical performance and claims that gender is, in essence, an imitation of a non-existent original. She argues that gender is collectively produced by society in a way similar to how plays are produced for the stage. The performance of cross-dressing can be especially disruptive of the illusion that gender identity is built around a stable core, and often highlight the every-day performance that is masculinity. Although most Shakespeare plays do not explicitly discuss cross-dressing practices, female roles in Shakespeare’s England were performed by young boys. Some of the plays do discuss the theme overtly, especially those that feature double cross-dressing. In...Show moreIn her highly influential book Gender Trouble, as well as in other publications such as “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution” and “Imitation and Gender Insubordination,” Judith Butler argues for the performative nature of gender and especially the performativity of heterosexual masculinity. She discusses gender as a theatrical performance and claims that gender is, in essence, an imitation of a non-existent original. She argues that gender is collectively produced by society in a way similar to how plays are produced for the stage. The performance of cross-dressing can be especially disruptive of the illusion that gender identity is built around a stable core, and often highlight the every-day performance that is masculinity. Although most Shakespeare plays do not explicitly discuss cross-dressing practices, female roles in Shakespeare’s England were performed by young boys. Some of the plays do discuss the theme overtly, especially those that feature double cross-dressing. In the plays As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, female characters disguise themselves as men for an array of reasons. The boys in these plays literally perform two genders as a role – both the (traditional) female and male gender role are performed on the stage. Through this, the boundaries of gender are blurred and its performativity highlighted. Scholars such as Michael Shapiro and Stephen Orgel have researched gender in Shakespeare’s plays extensively. In their respective books, Gender in Play on the Shakespearean Stage and Impersonations: The performance of gender in Shakespeare’s England, they discuss what effect the presence of the boy actors has on the plays and how Shakespeare deliberately alluded to their presence. Through jests, comments and allusions, Shakespeare’s plays explore the act of cross-dressing, homoeroticism and question gender boundaries. Shakespeare’s (double) cross-dressed characters highlight the performativity of gender, especially masculinity, in a way similar to what Butler discusses in her works on gender performativity. Casey Charles, in his essay “Gender Trouble in Twelfth Night”, applies Butler’s ideas to several scenes in the play. He argues that “Judith Butler's critique … provides a useful model for understanding” how Shakespeare’s plays disrupt traditional ideas on gender and sexuality. His application of Butler to Twelfth Night in turn provides a model for the analysis of other plays in this thesis. In this thesis, I will first discuss Butler’s ideas on performative gender. Secondly, I will analyse how gender is portrayed as a performative act in three plays: The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night and As You Like It. Thirdly, I will discuss how the casting boys or (young) men in original productions of these plays impacts the meaning of the disguises, as well as that of the plays as a whole. After investigating the original texts and productions, I will also analyse modern productions of the three plays by Shakespeare’s Globe company, and show how they deal with the notions of boy actors, performative gender and cross-dressing, as well as Shakespeare’s original comments and allusions. I will argue that within the three plays, comments, humour, and reflexive allusions highlight the presence of the boy actor. Through these, the plays also portray gender – especially masculinity – as a performative act that is similar to the acts that Butler describes in her work. Since most modern productions opt for women to play the cross-dressed characters in the play, many of the intended allusions are lost. Therefore, it is essential for the preservation of both the originally intended plays as well as the timeless messages on gender they carry that all-male productions remain.Show less

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Cross-Dressing and the Performativity of Gender in Shakespeare’s plays Twelfth Night, As You Like It and The Merchant of Venice – Then and Now