British Literature: Concealment in Twelfth Night
Throughout Twelfth Night, concealment influences each character’s life because it’s essential to portray how falsehood can be amusing or agonizing before they can discover their identity in life. Therefore, the concept of concealment not only affects the characters’ mistaken identities and abilities to express true love, but it gives the story comedic and entertaining qualities. Furthermore, concealment portrayed throughout this story makes each character develop an identity with either showing cleverness or madness, while it also makes each character realize the principles towards obtaining love and truth. For instance, Viola's disguise as Cesario and Feste’s costume as Sir Topas shows …show more content…

Sebastian hits him in return, but sevenfold, and Sebastian having been in Illyria only a few days is proposed to by a beautiful lady and is hit by a man he had never seen before, " Why, there’s for thee, and there, and there! Are all the people mad?"(4.1.16-17). This is a funny series of events started by the disguise of one single woman. It is evident therefore, that the disguises of Viola / Cesario as an example are very important and central to the plot. Also, it portrays how some characters are deceived about their true nature. An example of this is when Orsino sees himself becoming Olivia’s sweet perfections, fulfilling her sexual desire, thought and feeling. He naively believes that he is in love with Olivia when he has never really spoken with her. Another example is Olivia adopting the pretence of mourning and the puritanical Malvolio is tricked into the role of Olivia's suitor and becomes a smiling courtier. As a result, concealment contributes to most of the comedy because there is the occasion when Feste dresses up as Sir Topas and Sir Toby brings the joke to an end out of self interest than any concern for Malvolio. Feste uses a black parson's gown, which is, ironically, the color normally associated with Malvolio, who in contrast is dressed in bright colors. This reversal provides a visible symbol of just how thoroughly his pride has been humiliated. Feste says, "There is no darkness but