Many
of Shakespeare’s plays often have a fool that is the wisest or sanest character.
In Twelfth Night, the “fool that the
lady Olivia’s father took much delight in,” is Feste (2.4.10-11). This would
make Feste a mature man that was passed to Olivia after her father passed away.
This supports the idea that he is the character of wisdom because Feste has been alive for a
long time. Even Viola remarks on his wisdom when she states, “this fellow is
wise enough to play the fool, and to do that well craves a kind of wit” (3.1.50-51).
Feste within Twelfth Night shows
wisdom and sanity with his wits, omniscient understanding, the atypical clown
that he plays, and his truthfulness. Feste says that he is not a fool by
saying, “I wear not motley in my brain,” or in other words, he suggests that he
may dress like a fool, but he does not have the knowledge of a fool (1.5.46). I
interpret it like this because only a fool would wear “motley,” and to say he
does not have it in the
brain suggests that Feste knows he is not a fool because there is no
foolishness in his brain.
Feste’s
first lines, “Let her hang me: he that is well hanged in this world needs to
fear no colours,” starts the play (1.5.4-5). This quotation sets the tone of
Feste for the rest of the play by signifying that he is not a normal character.
A normal person would most likely look for mercy when placed in the shoes of
Feste within this scene; however, Feste challenges Maria and then Olivia later
on. A foreshadowing of Feste is seen in this quotation because even though he
is witty, it underlines that Feste is “well hanged” or able to see the whole
picture and that he does not need to fear “colours,” which is a pun on collars.
The “colours” are the individuals found at the top of the social class that
would wear collars, such as Olivia, whereas the poor in Shakespearian time
could not afford such outfits, so the quote is a direct challenge to the upper
social class (Maginnis). I interpret it like this because when someone is
hanged they are strung up
high
and are able to look out and see everything in their final moments.
In
the play when the captain utters, “her brother, who shortly also died; for
whose dear God love (they say) she hath abjured the sight and company of men,”
shines light on Olivia’s issues (1.2.38-41). This is preposterous because the
captain’s words suggest that Olivia will not love or even look at another man
because she is mourning over her dead brother who she loved. This is
ridiculous, yet, none of this appears strange within the story.
The
conversation below between Feste and Olivia allowed the whole Twelfth Night story to happen and is the
most important for the play.
Feste: Good
madonna, why mourn’st thou?
Olivia: Good
fool, for my brother's death.
Feste: I
think his soul is in hell, madonna.
Olivia: I
know his soul is in heaven, fool.
Feste: The
more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's
soul being in
heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen. (1.5.54-59)
Feste
is making fun of her and is using his voice of reason to show her that she
should love a living man. He also starts the love triangle and makes it so that
she will go after Cesario. Comparing Olivia to Feste, Feste is demonstrating
that he represents wisdom and sanity because it is he that shows how ridiculous
Olivia is being. It could be said, that Feste has a deeper understanding of the
story because it is he that gets the story moving and keeps it moving.
A
quote that in not directly spoken to Orsino, yet still connected to him and the
story as a whole is, “Would you have a love-song, or a good life?” (2.3.30)
This quote by Feste underlines the whole concept of love and in the case of Orsino,
it questions if he would be better off chasing the love story with Olivia or
having a good life. It is just a bit of wisdom offered up by Feste that can be
contrasted with just about every character in the play. However, the comparison
between Feste and Orsino comes in the quote:
Feste: Now the melancholy God protect
thee, and the
tailor
make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for
thy mind
is a very opal. I would have men of such
constancy put to sea, that their business might be
everything and their intent everywhere, for that's
it that
always makes a good voyage of nothing. Farewell. (2.4.70-73)
Feste
offers up this wise statement by speaking the truth to Orsino that he is always
changing and is inconsistent in just about everything he does. He points out
that he does not truly love anything except himself. This demonstrates his
wisdom and sanity, because Feste knows Orsino’s true characteristics and is not
afraid to call him out on it. This plays on Feste’s first line of the play.
Building
on the theme that Feste seems to have a deeper understanding of what is
happening leads to the next point. It is suggested that Feste may know the
biggest secret of the entire play.
Feste: I
would therefore my sister had had no name, sir.
Viola:
Why, man?
Feste: Why, sir, her name's a word, and
to dally with that
word
might make my sister wanton; but, indeed, words
are very
rascals, since bonds disgraced them. (3.1.14-18)
This
seems to suggest that names are only words. Cesario is just a name and that the
true identity is still present. This offers a hint that the character is not
being totally hidden. Feste seems to be suggesting that he knows her secret, but
it does not matter because her name is only a word. If Feste does realize
Cesario is a girl, then he is much wiser than everyone else in the play is
because no one else until the end even suggests that they know her secret.
The
final comparison with a major character is during the Malvolio prank where
Feste has some fun. The quotation says, “she loves another-Who calls, ha?”
(4.2.65-66) Which suggests that he is alerting Malvolio that Olivia is not
interested in him, which is something that Malvolio could not comprehend. Yet,
the audience can see that Malvolio is not the wisest person in the world
because he did fall for the prank. Another great quotation which illustrates a
clever pun by Feste is, “Then you are mad indeed if you be no better in your
wits than a fool” (4.2.75-76). Some characters within the play cannot recognize
the identity of Feste because there is a false sense of identity that Feste is
portraying. Malvolio can only see Feste as a fool and is blind to the true role
that Feste plays throughout the story, which is not hard to imagine since
Malvolio is dense.
In
act five Feste explains why he did what he when he says, “and thus the
whirligig of time brings in his revenge” (5.1.353-354). Feste displays his dark
side by attacking and participating in the prank by dressing up as “sir Topas”.
People are not supposed to feel bad for this mistreatment because of the way
Malvolio acted because as the first three letters of his name suggests, he is
not a pleasant person. The combination of these scenes offers numerous glimpses
into the character Feste and allows the audiences too fully appreciate the many
aspects that he has to offer.
Feste
is a very depressed character throughout the play. This can be seen within many
of his songs, but the main one is, “When that I was and-a little tiny boy…”
(5.1.366). This is an unhappy and depressing song that sets a gloomy mood.
While he is singing the song, he is all alone on stage at the end of the play
without a partner. It is a tale of growing up and then old without ever finding
love. It is a last bit of wisdom from Feste that contrasts the ending of the
play to remind the audience that not everyone finds love and that sometimes the
ones who we do love can disappear or die. In addition, Feste serves as a
reminder that love can be painful and not always the way that society imagines
it. However, it does remind the audience that nothing in Twelfth Night should be taken seriously, including his own tale
that he had only seconds ago told. However, this is only because he is outside
the world of Twelfth Night, merely
checking in and observing. Feste is a middle point between the audience and the
characters on stage and thus is an omniscient character. So while some may
argue that it is nothing more than a traditional song, it is Feste speaking
strait to the audience starting with, “but that's all one, our play is done,
and we'll strive to please you every day” (5.1.384-385). He is the only character that breaks the wall
between the two worlds and is thus a character that breaks boundaries.
In
conclusion, the quote by Feste, “I am not her fool, but her corrupter of
words,” is a final bit of evidence that proves that he is not a fool, because
what fool could use words to his advantage (3.1.29). Feste when compared to the other characters is
the wisest and sanest character within Twelfth
Night; he is clearly not a normal character within the story. He is an
omniscient character that is able to really see all within the play and just
keep the play moving throughout. Using his talent, which he commented on early
in the play, “Well God give them wisdom that have it; and those that are fools,
let them use their talents,” he can manipulate the whole world of the story to
really any way he pleases and some may argue that Feste himself is a Godlike
character ( 1.5.12-13).
Bibliographical
References
Maginnis,
Tara, 2010, “The History of Fashion and Dress”. The Costumer's Manifesto.
Gibson,
Rex, 2012, “Twelfth Night”. Cambridge School Shakespeare.
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