Lit 3000 In the play Twelfth Knight the effect of cross-dressing is quiet important to the play, because with out it Viola could have never married Orsino and Olivia would have never married Cesario. In the case between Olivia and Cesario who is earlier play by Viola, it is apparent that Viola and her brother look alike so the first attraction of Olivia would be Viola's looks even though she comments on how young Viola (Cesario) …showed first 75 words of 265 total…

…showed last 75 words of 265 total…their bonding experience. Cross-dressing is very important in this case because Orsino truly falls in love with Viola because he learns of the type of person she is. The fact that she dresses as a man, allows Orsino to say and act in ways he would have normally not around a female. Without cross-dressing the play would have never been able to have an ending where so many secrets were exposed with a happy ending.