Performative Gender in Twelfth Night

Throughout history, the definition of what a man or a woman is has been defined by a set of social expectations, norms, and roles. However, research in recent decades of feminism has shown that there is little distinction between a man and a woman, but society plays a role in assigning gender based on a set of behavior. The term performative gender emerged in the early 1990s from Judith Butler, a feminist philosopher, in her writings, especially in her essay; Performative Acts Ans Gender Constitution. Butler states that one is not born a man or woman, but the environment they are raised in shapes their orientation, especially through gender roles, norms, and expectations. This essay analyses how performative gender has been portrayed in the play Twelfth Night, focusing on Viola, a character.