Meg's Godfather Week 2: The Human Condition

"Women and children can be careless, but not men." (Don Vito Corleone)
"Let still the woman take
An elder than herself: so wears she to him,
So sways she level in her husband's heart:
For, boy, however we do praise ourselves,
Our fancies are more giddy and unfirm,
More longing, wavering, sooner lost and worn,
Than women's are." (Twelfth Night, Orsino, 2.4.28-34)

Both "The Godfather" and "Twelfth Night" illuminate truth about men and women. The roles of both genders play an extremely important part in these stories and further investigate the minds of the sexes.
In "Twelfth Night", Viola disguises herself as a man to gain work, and ends up falling in love with Duke Orsino. This notion is absurd and hilarious to its audience, because we cannot understand how this is possible. For example, take the book, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" by John Gray. Most psychologists and doctors tend to focus on similarites, but what is interesting...is the differences. John Gray brings up that men descend into a cave to feel in control and put up a sign that says "Do not Disturb." Women also do this, but put up a sign that says, "I need to talk." This quote from Twelfth Night shows that women tend to have one true, dear love that they put everything into, while men are "giddy" and more "longing" where they jump from love to another love.
"They're all so pretty! Who do I stay with? Who do I commit?"

"The Godfather" on the other hand, shows women as the supporters on the outside. A symbol of a door is consistently shown throughout the movie. This usually demonstrates the woman on the outside listening or trying to get in, and the man on the inside working, being with friends, and discussing something important. Women, in "The Godfather", are the sweet, careless, emotional counterpoints to the men. As Vito Corleone says, "Women and children can be careless, but not men." Men are supposed to be the strong, powerful, stable people in this film, that do not make mistakes nor does anything personally before business. However, the finale of the movie shows Kay on the outside of Michael's office. (He is the new Don Corleone after the passing of his father.) The audience wonders when things will go wrong for Michael as it has to his brother, father and other members of the family who let their emotions get in the way.

It's funny that women like their men to be a little emotional when supporting or understanding them, but not as emotional as themselves. Men prefer to be appreciated as they make the way up the ladder, and women tend to create problems to gain support. So, are women needy and men un-emotional? In relation to both "Twelfth Night" and "The Godfather", "Twelfth Night" switches the roles of men and women (showing men as emotional, and women as stable and strong) while "The Godfather" takes the stereotypes to the extreme.