Mistaken identity and disguise are important aspects of the comedy in Twelfth Night that are at the forefront of the play's comedy. Not only are mistaken identities and disguises evident in the main plot of the play, but also in various other situations. Sexual confusion among characters, subversion of gender roles, and slapstick elements through set design all effectively contribute to the comedy-drama genre. However, it can be suggested that some elements of Twelfth Night are not interpreted as purely comic; Shakespeare incorporated serious and controversial topics such as the idea of ​​genuine love, the patriarchy of the time, and Malvolio's cruel deception. Therefore, cross-dressing and mistaken identity are not exclusively for the purpose of comedy and one could infer that it also borders on the genre of tragedy. Throughout Twelfth Night, cross-dressing and mistaken identity function as a catalyst for confusion and disorder that consistently contributes to the comic-dramatic genre of the play. Many characters in Twelfth Night take on disguises, starting with Viola, who disguises herself as a man to serve Orsino, the Duke. By dressing his protagonist in men's clothing, Shakespeare creates ongoing sexual confusion with the characters, including Olivia, Viola, and Orsino, creating a "love triangle" with each other. Implicitly, there is a homoerotic subtext here: Olivia is in love with a woman, despite believing she is a man, and Orsino often comments on Cesario's beauty, implying that he is attracted to Viola even before her male disguise is removed . However, even after revealing Viola's true identity, Orsino declares his love for Viola, implying that he likes to stretch Vio's pretense... middle of paper... disguise to add comic effect by encouraging humor . of an audience through the 'theories of laughter'. The comic effect is carefully demonstrated by Shakespeare's incorporation of confusion, disorder, and farce. However, it can be concluded that Shakespeare's use of mistaken identity and disguise was not only intended to achieve comic effect, but to highlight more serious topics to the audience and challenge the social norms and values ​​of the period. Ironically, it can be inferred that Shakespeare disguised his underlying purpose of switching identities and disguising himself with comedy. Works Cited Twelfth Night – William Shakespeare Twelfth Night: a comedy of misreading – Jerome Monahan, English review 1996 A Holiday Humor - Shakespeare's comedies and Bakhtin's Carnivalhttp:/ /mural.uv.es/juver/concept.htmlhttp://www .sparknotes.com/shakespeare/twelfthnight/canalysis.html