Curs monografic de literatura anglesa

Caterina Del Canto

Grupo A

 

 

                       

 

 

 

 

 

Camouflage: a way of safety or Shakespeare’s idea of entertainment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the three comedies we analysed exists the common theme of  camouflage as a way of safety. In these plays we can find characters who have to disguise themselves, or who pretend not to be  themselves, to escape from a problem which can find a solution in changing their own identity. The fact of playing the role someone else permits, first of all  to save theirs lives, to understand what’s happening around them.

In addition, through these camouflages the plays make the audience curious to know if in the end the protagonists will be able to resolve their troubles ( without revealing their real identity).

One of the comedies where this is shown, is Twelfth Night. In fact this comedy is one of Shakespeare’s so-called transvestite comedies, in which a female character -in this case, Viola- makes everyone else believe that she is a man.

Viola chooses to disguise herself as a boy because she has no alternative: she would like to work in Olivia’s home and in this way she could be herself, but it isn’t possible. Lady Olivia couldn’t talk with any stranger, so Viola has to find the next best thing to survive in this land where she has been found alone after a shipwreck and without her brother. All throught the comedy  she isn’t Viola but Cesario because this is the only way that  she can work: at the Orsino household as his servant.

During the play it’ s very difficult for Viola to keep her identity hidden because of  her love for Duke Orsino and the interest which Olivia shows in her; the audience is entertained from funny situations that arise just because of camouflage and in the end can be pleased with the happy ending: Viola’ identity is discovered and she can marry Orsino.

Duke Orsino to Viola (act5 scene 3):

”Boy,  thou hast said to me a thousand times

Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.

[…]
Give me thy hand;
And let me see thee in thy woman's weeds”.

 

 

 

Another comedy where there is a girl who has to disguise herself as a man is As you like it.

Duke Senior has been usurped of his throne by his brother, Duke Frederick, and has fled to the Forest of Arden. Duke Frederick allows Senior’s daughter, Rosalind, to remain at court because of her inseparable friendship with his own daughter, Celia. After their meeting, Rosalind and Orlando fall in love with each other, but he has to escape to save his life and leaves for the safety of Arden. She is banished from court so that she decides to leave too( but not together).

From this moment on Rosalind, to ensure the safety of their journey, dresses as a young man and takes the name Ganymede. She has to flee and the way she finds to feel safe is to disguise herself.

In the forest Rosalind meets Orlando, who can’t recognize her and from now it’s possible to see the funny situations which are caused because of disguise:

Orlando confides in Rosalind, in her disguise of Genymede, that his affections are overpowering him and she tells him to be an expert in exorcising such emotions and offers to pose as Rosalind and to allow Orlando to practice his wooing with her. Phoebe, believing Rosalind is a man, falls in love with her and as time passes, Phebe becomes insistent in her pursuit of Ganymede  (this is the same funny situation that we  have found also in the comedy: hopeless love of a woman who doesn’t know that she is loving another woman). All it is going to be even more complicated because Rosalind promises that Ganymede will wed Phoebe but secures a promise from Phebe that if for some reason she refuses to marry Ganymede she will marry Silvius.

Also in this plot we find the sourcing of safety through a modification of the character’s  aspect  and because of that we have the developing of the plot and of more amusing situations; just a little bit before Rosalind returns to her female self, there’s a moment in which the audience is amused and curious to see how  Rosalind will be able to resolve the situation in which they are in without cheating anyone. How can Phebe marry Ganymede and Rosalind marry Orlando?

At the wedding, Ganymede reveals her real identity, forcing Phoebe to marry Silvius.

The play ends, after a lot of misunderstandings and lies(if we consider the disguises as a lie), with many marries in which also the Orlando and Rosalind’s wedding, in which she returns to be to herself and only keeps her word:

 

ROSALIND ( actV scene IV)
“I have promised to make all this matter even.
Keep you your word, O duke, to give your daughter;
You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter:
Keep your word, Phebe, that you'll marry me,
Or else refusing me, to wed this shepherd:
Keep your word, Silvius, that you'll marry her.
If she refuse me: and from hence I go,
To make these doubts all even.”

 

The last play where we have a sort of disguising is Much Ado About Nothing.

In fact here we don’t see a real changing of identity but a changing of state: Hero finds herself in a situation in which it is better for her pretend to be dead.

Hero is one of the main characters of this comedy. She is the daughter of a nobleman from Messina, Leonato, who as the play begins is preparing to welcome some friends coming back from the war.

Claudio, a young nobleman, falls in love with Hero and they pledge their love to each other and decide to be married.

But Don John has decided to disrupt everyone’s happiness. He has his companion(Borrachio) who makes love with Hero’s serving woman, at Hero’s window in the darkness of the night, and he brings Don Pedro and Claudio to watch. Claudio, believing that Hero was the unfaithful woman, humiliates and abandons Hero at the altar.

Even if everybody knows that she’s innocent , she decides to hide herself  waiting for the truth about her innocence to come to light.

Leonato forces Claudio to marry his “niece”. On wedding day, Claudio goes to the church and he’s ready to marry the masked woman that he thinks is Hero’s cousin. She reveals to be Hero and Claudio overwhelmed with joy, can finally marry the woman that he loves.

 In the end, like in the other comedies, the character reveals his true identity and this permits to all the problems to be resolved.

In addition this kind of camouflage maintains the audience’ attention and interest, because everybody is hoping to see an happy ending.

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY