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I Am Not What I Am

Langlois 1
Jean- Philippe Langlois
English  
Prof. Barnard
May 8th, 2006

‘‘I am not what I am''

In both Twelfth Night and Othello, we are presented to the strange statement ‘‘I am not what I am''. Viola makes this odd statement in order to change her appearance, identity, and gender. Iago makes this odd statementwith the intention of hiding reality and truth. With this statement, Iago is able to gain Roderigo's trust, while Viola tries to discourage Olivia' love for Cesario. In these two plays, Iago and Viola both appear to be someone who they really aren't. In Twelfth Night, Viola, even though she is disguised, keeps her personality and acts the way she would in normal circumstances. Iago, on the other hand, only appears to act for duty when in reality he is pursuing his own peculiar ends. Viola and Iago are keys to meaning in Twelfth Night and Othello because the action of each play evolves around these ‘‘fake'' characters. The statement ‘‘I am not what I am'' helps understand why they do what they do.

In the first scene of act III of Twelfth Night, Olivia confesses that she sent Viola ring and tell her that she is ashamed. She also says that the emotions of her face are hidden by a cypress, but her heart displays all her love. Viola then tells her that she pities her in a negative way and then Olivia says she might as well accept it and tells her she
      Langlois 2
can leave. As Viola is about to go, she asks one last time if Olivia has any message for Orsino. She does not, but she does wants to hear from Viola:
      OLIVIA
        Stay.
        I prithee tell me what thou think'st of me.
        VIOLA
      That you do think you are not what you are.
            OLIVIA
      If I think so, I think the same of you.
            VIOLA
      Then think you right. I am not what I am.
            OLIVIA
      I would you were as I would you have be.

Viola is suggesting that Olivia thinks she is in love with a man...