William Shakespeare often used disguised characters in his plays to enhance the plot; Female characters often disguised themselves as men in Shakespeare's plays. Shakespeare used these disguises to his advantage, especially the female characters. What other purposes did Shakespeare have for writing disguised characters in his plays? Most of the time, these disguises led to trouble, confusion, and misplaced affection. Shakespeare's use of disguises taught not only the characters involved but also the audience that appearances can be deceiving and that all is not what it seems. The best disguised Shakespeare characters are those who do not require a change of clothing or name. For example, in Measure for Measure, a character named Angelo is disguised as a moral and virtuous man but is soon revealed to be nothing more than a liar and a hypocrite. Normally, when Shakespeare wrote for his characters to be disguised, it was for safety reasons. However, as the plays progress, we see characters use their disguise to overcome social norms, observe behind the scenes, and teach other major characters about love. In this article I will compare and contrast the circumstances in which Rosalind and Viola from Twelfth Night disguised themselves as men, how they use their disguise, and the problems that were created in the game because of their disguise. In As You Like It, a comedy written by Shakespeare, Shakespeare has two major characters, Rosalind and Celia, disguised for safety reasons. Rosalind and Celia were banished by Celia's father, Duke Frederick. Rosalind and Celia decide to escape to the Forest of Arden (As You Like I.iii.107) and that it would be safer to disguise themselves as shepherds rather than just...... middle of paper .... ..ino that although women are not as passionate about love as they once were, they more than make up for it in their loyalty and fidelity, and refer to this in. “Too good, the love that women owe owes to men; as true as us, my father had a daughter who loved a man. Perhaps, if I were a woman, I would be Your Lordship. (Twelfth Night II.iv.105-108) Viola also teaches Olivia that love is not about vanity and materialistic things given to you, but rather about self-denial and that she is too proud (Twelfth Night Iv250). Viola helps Orsino understand that what women really want is not pretty words and jewelry, but a man with whom they can feel safe and see a future. Works CitedShakespeare, William G. Blakemore Evans and JJM Tobin. The Shakespeare by the River. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. Print.