He's the Woman

            She’s the Man gives a modern-day adaptation (well, modern-day 2000’s adaptation) of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. There are many differences between the movie and the play, but one of the most significant differences is the reveal of Viola at the end.

            In She’s the Man, we see Amanda Bynes as Viola reveal herself at the end, shaking out her hair and showing her breasts to prove she is a woman (a cis gender woman, that is). However, in Twelfth Night Viola remains in a boy’s garb from her initial idea to employ herself with the Duke Orsino till the end of the play. In fact, Viola herself asks that until she removes her “masculine usurped attire… / [Orsino] do not embrace [her] till each circumstance / of place, time, fortune do cohere and jump / That [she is] Viola” (5.1.243-45). While thinking that in Shakespeare’s time a boy actor would be playing Viola, this breaks the illusion of the play and reaffirms that Viola, played by a boy, cannot end up with Orsino, played by a man, due to societal expectations of early modern times unless the boy was truly a woman. Having an attraction to one of the same gender is fine in plays, so long as in the end a cis gender man and cis gender woman end up with each other. However, because Viola only reveals herself as a woman through words instead of physically, the two characters cannot be together in front of an early modern audience while they both are portrayed as male.

This refers to As You Like It, but it's still extremely relevant in its rendition of Shakespearean boy actors.

            Orsino still refers to Viola as Cesario when he bids her, “Cesario, come— / For so you shall be while you are a man; / But when in other habits you are seen, / Orsino’s mistress, and his fancy’s queen” (5.1.372-75). He reinforces what Viola has expressed, except adding that she won’t even be known by her female name until she is dressed as one; until then, she is still Cesario to him, though he admits he is still her “master,” but now she will transform into his “mistress” instead of his servant (5.1.312, 314). Orsino establishes himself as still in charge of Viola, only now it is due to her status of being a woman and rather than her employment as a servant to him. Basically, he equates the two, and that’s not cool.

In the end, the lack of a reveal from Viola in Twelfth Night is indicative that the boy actor is playing the woman, but he will still be a man. Without revealing himself as a woman, even just as his character, for audiences in Shakespeare’s time they felt it was inappropriate for Viola and Orsino to show affection to each other while Viola is still dressed as a man. 

Crossdressing: Can it be taken seriously?

In William Shakespeare’s As You like It, many characters are forced to dress as the opposite Gender. Rosalind is disguised as a man as well as Lauren who is forced to also dress as a man under the circumstances of her situation. The play brings up many social issues regarding to homosexuality and gender identity, but one thing that stands out is the crossdressing of the play. Because the play is meant to be a comedy, it is hard to take the roles of the characters seriously when they are dressed as the opposite gender. That being said, can crossdressing be identified or taken seriously for something other than comedy?

Historically speaking, crossdressing has only been used for comedy. Take Eddie Murphy’s Nutty Professor. In the story, Eddie Murphy not only place obese yet remarkable scientist Professor Clump, but he also play just about everyone in Clump’s entire family, including his own mother. When doing so, Eddie Murphy portrays the mother as a caring if not enabling mother who wants to make sure that her son is well fed and nourished, often offering food as a way of making him feel better. In short, Eddie murphy plays the stereotypical yet loveable mother figure, and goes over the top to do so. In short, it is still a comedy role, and therefore hard to take seriously.

There of course have been roles in which crossdressing is often seen as a serious issue, or at least used to take a look at more serious issues. Take the popular film Franchise of Tyler Perry. In many of Tyler Perry’s movies, Tyler Perry plays an overly active older black woman named Medea. Medea’s attitude and funny remarks make the role one of comedy, yet in many of her movies Medea’s role as a family member allows her to consul her family when things turn for the worst. In turn, Tyler Perry’s movies show good old-fashion family values through a crossdressing effort.

Whether or not crossdressing can be taken seriously remains to be seen. Can it be seen as more than just a role for comedy? Are there case in which characters who are dressed as the opposite gender can be taken seriously?