what is the theme of the whole play?

I think that gender and identity make up the largest theme of the play. Gender and identity confusion are what drives the plot and characters forward. Shakespeare seems to be saying that one needs to know who they are before they are able to give love to someone else.

I think its identity. When they have a lack of identity, they try to be someone else. Like how Viola did. She became Cesario. Shebecame someone else whhich caused the problems in the play; the love triangles and the confusion between the twins, who is who.

i also think is love. Now, I want to involve something that perhaps not anwers the question, but i think is very iimportant while dicussing the themes of the play. I dont have the actual copy of the twelfth night written by willaim shakespeare, but I do have the Geraldine McCaughrean's stories from shakespeare and I think, the twelfth night is probably a contrast to twelfth night. In Romeo and Juliet, they both loved each other at first sight, but in the Twelfth night, the characters are confused of their emotions. They do not know what to believe. Their feelings for the people who knew them for a long time or Love at first sight. LIke how Orsino loved Olivia, but actually, Orsino tried to love something he couldnt have. as said in the play, almost everyone man was in love with her. But then, when Viola came along, he always felt this attraction towards her, which i believe is love at first sight. I think Shakespeare is trying to show the world that perhaps, first, you dont need to know someone to love someone. It depends on your and your gut. Perhaps your eyes to see, but your heart does the loving.

I believed that the theme of the hold play is ''The Triangular Love''