Heteronormativity and Transvestitism in Twelfth Night

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Heteronormativity and Transvestitism in Twelfth Night
Heteronormativity is the common societal belief that sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex is the only way of expressing sexuality. It is closely linked to transvestitism which assumes that some clothes are only appropriate for a particular gender. In the 'Twelfth Night by Shakespeare,' Orsino is heteronormatively attracted to Olivia, who is of the female gender. In the same account, Viola, a female, is sexually attracted to Orsino, a male (Charles 126).
Viola was disguising herself as a man creates confusion among people. Her dress code makes her attracted to Olivia, who is also a female like her. It seems like a norm that people of opposite sex attract each other. It is clear that even if she were a man dressed in clothes attached to feminine, some confusion would still arise to the extent of confusing even other men. It is common to believe that only a male and female should fall in love with each other. From the confusion of Olivia to fall in love with Cesario, unknowing that 'he' (Cesario) is just a female impersonating a man. Transvestitism is a societal norm directly linked to heteronormativity. Just like Viola being allowed to perform on the Elizabethan stage with assumptions that she is a man, no man dressed in female attire would be authorized to act on the scene, as he will be assumed to be of the female gender. The resemblance of Sebastian to Viola confuses Olivia to mistake him for Viola (Klett 74). Transvestitism also continues in this scenario when Antonio insists that Viola, a lady is Sebastian, her lover.
Heteronormativity and transvestitism have therefore been manifested, owing to the events revolving around Viola. She portrays how certain clothes are deemed explicitly for a particular gender and that persons of the opposite sex have a unique romantic attraction to one another.
Othello
As the state of being different from the rest, otherness has been presented in Shakespeare's Othello play. The play shows how individuals, especially those in the United Kingdom, face hatred based on their ethnicity, race, and religion. Based on religion, Muslims faced segregation and discrimination as they were labeled as a group of persons that invaded and threatened Europeans. Queen Elizabeth is portrayed as a leader who had a passionate hatred for the blacks, claiming that they posed an economic threat to the state.
Moors, who are the Muslims of Nor...