Carnival is purposefully meant to contradict and confuse social structures placed by society. The foolishness behind the masquerade of carnival shows the impermanence of any relationship between the individual and the social identity claimed by the symbolism of his clothes. The idea of costumery and disguise plays a large role in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The character of Viola would have been played by a male actor, dressed as a woman, dressed as a man – adding to the comedic value of the play. Viola’s cross-dressing as a whole is politically subversive however, it seems that in society, the position of an individual in life is more determined by what they wear and how they act than by anatomy.

Bristol touches on the ‘topsy-turvy’ behaviours of theatre, the notion of smashing and destroying is not something we particularly encounter in either Mankind or Twelfth Night, at least not literally. Bristol notes that Carnival celebrations indiscriminately attack both legitimate authority and illicit sexual activity. The violence suffered by constables and bill-men is an act of resentment and resistance. The abuse suffered by Malvolio and Mankind is an attack on the hierarchical characters and peace-keepers. Malvolio’s status is arguably ‘smashed and destroyed’ using his love for Olivia as a tool.

Carnival seems to have an anarchistic tone, where Bristol states that an oppressed social group is acting out their frustration by victimising an even more disadvantaged group, such as bawds and panders, which he calls ‘ displaced abjection. The Carnivalesque deemed useless as it contradicts itself and (according to Bristol) reinstates order and hierarchy, even though order’s true attributes are easily discovered.
Bristol says that carnival is therefore anarchistic and anarchy does not work as it reinforces the status quo – This idea is also contemplated by Rosario in her lecture where she writes that the Carnivalesque could even reinforce the existing hierarchy by how people (society) feel a visceral shock to invert such rules and thus become more aware of their power.