Gómez Blanco, Carlos J.Cabeza Añón, ManuelUniversidade da Coruña. Facultade de Filoloxía2023-11-282023-11-282022http://hdl.handle.net/2183/34350[Abstract] Literary works are quite relevant in the study of a certain period’s social attitudes and concepts such as gender and sexuality. This is especially true for drama as it provides a way to observe the characters as they construct an identity through their performances. This essay intends to analyse the ways in which gender, sexuality and overall masculinity and femininity were developed as social constructs in Shakespeare’s time. Using the theory of performativity (the belief that gender and sexuality are social performances characterized by their similarity to a given standard that is considered canonical) as a framework along with a comprehensive description of the history of gender and sex, an interpretation of the characters from Twelfth Night has been crafted that presents their acts of speech within a narrative context as a direct modifier of their material conditions. For this purpose, a materialist approach to history and politics has been assumed to assess the intents and purposes of the play’s narrative both in its form and from a pragmatic point of view. Additionally, Shakespeare’s historical context has been thoroughly explored in terms of gender—its conceptualization and power dynamics—and sexuality (due to its potential socio-political impact in the society of the 17th century). The results of this study support—in general—the subversive nature of Shakespearean drama as well as the fact that his characters construct their identities through performative acts that allow them to effectively achieve social mobility between different social classes thanks to the establishment of homosocial relationships.engOs titulares dos dereitos de propiedade intelectual autorizan a visualización do contido deste traballo a través de Internet, así como a súa reproducción, gravación en soporte informático ou impresión para o seu uso privado e/ou con fins de estudo e de investigación. En nengún caso se permite o uso lucrativo deste documento. Estos dereitos afectan tanto ó resumo do traballo como o seu contido Los titulares de los derechos de propiedad intelectual autorizan la visualización del contenido de este trabajo a través de Internet, así como su repoducción, grabación en soporte informático o impresión para su uso privado o con fines de investigación. En ningún caso se permite el uso lucrativo de este documento. Estos derechos afectan tanto al resumen del trabajo como a su contenidoShakespeare, WilliamGenderSexuality studies.DramaPerformance17th centurybachelor thesisopen access