This research is concerned with the issue of Viola's – the
heroine - disguise in Twelfth Night. This young woman, who
has closed the sad chapters of her life, decides to begin a new
life, as if she had not known desperation by disguising as a
you
ng man named ''Cesario''. In this play, we notice that
disguise turns from a simple device to a complicated one.
At the beginning, Viola's aim is to protect herself in a country
where she knows no one. But later, disguise comes to mean
more than this. Cesario begins to dominate Viola, the
characters and the play. He teaches everyone lessons in life
about true love, faithfulness, sacrifice for the happiness of the
others, and selflessness. Also, he removes the false masks of
the others. Sebastian's appearance gives Viola the strength to
admit, before all people, her real identity. This is what helps
to solve a lot of ambiguity and questions for us and the
characters. Viola's strength does not lie in her disguise as
a man but in the way that she uses disguise and directs it.
