Examining the character of Viola in Twelfth Night"I may not be a lion, but I am a lion cub, and I have the heart of a lion." These words are spoken by one of the most famous and authoritative women of the 16th century, Elizabeth I. Although at that time authority was in the hands of women, a dominant woman was unnatural in society itself. The presence of such a powerful female figure creates an interesting situation for playwrights and playwrights in terms of portraying the condition of women at that time. Using the psychological concept of liminality; I will examine Viola's character by referring to the two main parts of her life: private life as Viola and public life as Ceaserio, her speech in both parts and the authority of society. Liminality can be defined as a psychological state when a character vacillates between two worlds. The character's life is both destructive and creative as one identity dies and another is born. Thomas Coryat, an English traveller, wrote in his Coryat's Crudities in 1611, a travelogue, about his experience in Venice "I saw women acting, a thing I had never seen before, though I heard it was sometimes used to London". In the 16th century, women were not allowed to act on stage. If they had done so, they would have been despised by society and considered obscene and immoral. Women at court; however, they perform private shows for Elizabeth and her guests. Therefore, in a public space such as the theater, boys or young people played female roles. The uncertainty of sexual identity was one of the Elizabethan stereotypes. So, acting out Twelfth Night could double the humor by letting a boy play the role of viola disguised as a boy while we... middle of paper ......serve her "lord" the duke Despite her be in love him; and how Viola expresses her love for him through multi-genre speeches. Although the cross-dressed Viola experiences freedom behind her disguise, she finds herself between fear and hope - afraid to express her true feelings to the Duke and reveal her true identity and is punished and hopes that the Duke will somehow decipher her words and reciprocate his love. Outside of this liminality, Viola develops a multi-genre discourse to express her love for the duke while discussing the nature of love. In act 2, scene 4 Viola expresses her love through Ceasrio by saying "My father had a daughter, she loved a man, as perhaps it would be, if I were a woman, I should Your Lordship." As the duke's servant, Viola has the freedom to talk about love, but as Viola she could not unmask this love.