Identity
Diving deeper into one of our core themes
Have you ever noticed how losing someone can completely change how you see yourself? Like why a bad break up will make you cut and dye your hair? Psychologists talk about grief as more than just sadness, it can actually reshape your identity. Identity isn’t just a word; it’s a layered concept: it can mean your unique personality, how you relate to others, or even the “sameness” that makes you recognizable to yourself and the world.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a masterclass in exploring this very idea. Take Viola, for example. Mourning the presumed death of her brother Sebastian, she adopts a male persona, Cesario. Her grief isn’t just about loss, it drives her to step into a new identity, one that allows her to navigate unfamiliar social worlds and explore parts of herself she might never have seen otherwise. Her individuality shifts, and her relationships, especially with Orsino and Olivia shift with it.
Contrast that with Malvolio, whose rigid self-image and desire for recognition clash with the chaotic fluidity around him. While Viola’s grief opens possibilities, Malvolio clings to the “sameness” of his identity, showing us that identity can be both a source of stability and limitation.
At its heart, Twelfth Night shows us that identity isn’t fixed: it’s alive. Grief, love, desire, and even comedy can nudge us into new versions of ourselves. Shakespeare knew that when life shakes our world, who we are on the inside can change as dramatically as the roles we play in public.