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"One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons!"

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Date Issued:
2010
Summary:
This thesis considers the relationship between scientific advances, identity formation, and literature in an early modern print culture. As medical theorists made their discoveries and defended their work they did so within the literary world; turning to the printed word to cultivate their personal identity and rebut dissenting colleagues. Subsequently, playwright William Shakespeare employed common medical knowledge within his plays. Twelfth Night presents male and female twins within the scope of a comedy that plays upon the issues of cross-dressing and mistaken sexual identity. During the Renaissance, it was believed that male and female seed was co-present in every person and through dominance a distinct sexual identity was developed. This thesis argues that while Shakespeare initially convoluted this by allowing one of the twins to cross-dress; he resolved the anatomical doubling by presenting both characters together on stage at the close of the play.
Title: "One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons!": twinship and doubling in Twelfth Night.
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Name(s): Puehn, Amanda M.
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Thesis
Issuance: multipart monograph
Date Issued: 2010
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic resource
Extent: v, 52 p. : ill.
Language(s): English
Summary: This thesis considers the relationship between scientific advances, identity formation, and literature in an early modern print culture. As medical theorists made their discoveries and defended their work they did so within the literary world; turning to the printed word to cultivate their personal identity and rebut dissenting colleagues. Subsequently, playwright William Shakespeare employed common medical knowledge within his plays. Twelfth Night presents male and female twins within the scope of a comedy that plays upon the issues of cross-dressing and mistaken sexual identity. During the Renaissance, it was believed that male and female seed was co-present in every person and through dominance a distinct sexual identity was developed. This thesis argues that while Shakespeare initially convoluted this by allowing one of the twins to cross-dress; he resolved the anatomical doubling by presenting both characters together on stage at the close of the play.
Identifier: 779616577 (oclc), 3335455 (digitool), FADT3335455 (IID), fau:1411 (fedora)
Note(s): by Amanda M. Puehn.
Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Honors College, 2010.
Includes bibliography.
Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subject(s): Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
Symbolism in literature
Identity (Psychology) in literature
Sex role in literature
Literature and medicine -- England -- History -- 16th century
Held by: FBoU FAUER
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335455
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU

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