Twelfth Night – Feste’s self

Feste is an observer. He sees through people. Though hes a kind of entertainer, who pass on only perform for money, what he chooses to sing to people is intentionally relevant and disturbing to them. People find the truth very hard to deal with, for example, Peace, you scamphere comes my lady. This story submits people avoiding the truth at every level.Especially since they are being called fools or clowns, and non really taken seriously. For example, the fool in King Lear was constantly being be with hangings and beatings, scarcely this was only as he was a witty fool. Again with Feste in Twelfth Night, who also is threatened with hangings, due to his absence. But Feste does not fear this threat, and in fact devils a joke of it mocking Maria and using a sexual pun at the same time.This confidence comes from the fact that it wasnt their job to simply provide amusement, but also to make critical comments and provide advice, as Olivia asks him Whats a rummyen hu humanity bein gs like, fool?. And because he is an allowed fool he was able to say what he hypothesizes, without fear of punishment, theres no slander in an allowed fool.Since the only relationship that involves Feste, is that between Olivias family, he has the aptitude to mediate between the on the whole cast. He is regarded as a close friend to Olivia, What is a drunken man like, fool?, as well as Sir Toby, by engaging in their folly and shouts.But he also has the ability to distance himself from everyone when needs be. Because he is constantly mocking people with puns and soliloquy, the interview gets the skin perceptiveness that he doesnt really feel close to them.A well as being incredibly comic, Feste is probably the more or less perceptive character in the play. He comments on people in ways some other people over look, whether be their appearance or their mind. For example, in Act ii iv, he show up blank tells Orsino what he thinks of him, saying his mind is very opal and the tail or make thy doublet of changeable taffeta (a silk which changes colour). The joke here is Feste telling Orsino that he is very fickle and has a very changeable mood, so changeable that he should have matching clothes.He then goes on to say that he is so changeable that he would sail around the world to justify purposeless busyness. Feste hardly go to beds Orsino, who in turn scarcely knows Feste, but for Feste to cast this view shows his perceptiveness. This view is so accurate, that it leads Orsino to make Cesario go to Olivias and tell her that his love is more noble than the world.Furthermore, he also suspiciously notices Viola, and is the only one start suspecting her, send thee a beard he says, hinting that he knows of her such disguise. Festes perception was depicted in Trevor Nunns production of Twelfth Night, where he has Feste give Viola a necklace. A necklace that she abandoned in Act 1 scene 2, on the seacoast, showing that he has always known of Violas situation.This in terpretation of Feste means that throughout the play, Feste has always known of Violas situation and was always playing along, once more showing his nature.Festes LanguageFeste has a very sophisticated way of speaking that allows him to climb up and deplete the social ladders of Illyria and be able to talk with headmaster Orsino, Sir Toby and Fabian. This becomes significant when he is able to get himself out of situations or even to make other people react, which may otherwise be foxy and use his language skills to make mockery. Such as the the more fool, Madonna, to mourn for your brothers soul a. This is the first scene that he is present in and he direct proves Olivia to be a fool. This kind of humour was taken kindly by Olivia and an Elizabethan auditory sense would of enjoyed it more.However, Feste has proved two things here, the first is that he is not dry and the endorse that he can provide the humour if is someone does minister occasion to him or invites him to make t hat good. By get set up for this comedy, or getting invited, the audience would get ready and find the punch line slightly more comical.Another key figure of Festes language, are his uses of Latin. He talks and refers a few times in Latin, and all times, he is either talking to Olivia or Orsino. This again proves his versatility talking appropriately with people and it also shows the audiences his education.All his Latin sayings convey messages. For example, the first, to Olivia, cucullus non facit monachum, which refers to an overriding theme in the play dont judge by outward appearances, as if preparing her for his foolery.The last Latin reference is to Orisino in Act 5. Primo, secundo, terito is a good play, here simply begging for a third coin.Festes songs do hold a bidtic function, and depending on the scene, the melodramatic function changes. wholeness of the most dramatic things, are the songs that he sings. The are not just for entertainment, but they hold meaning and are sung for a reason. Such as when Feste asks would you have a love song or a song of good life. He feels as though he has to please its his duty as a fool, and his song will reflect the audiences mood at this current moment in the play. Or as he said in his last-place song at the end of the play And well strive to please you every day.The meanings of Festes songs, are always significant. They are either used to create dramatic personal effects or represent/ echo his feelings about a situation or a scene. In Act 2, Feste sings Come away, Come away, death, a drab song to Orsino about a lover who dies for love, which echoes Orsinos mood and his situation. The listener can read into this as Orsino being the lover and Olivia being the maid, making sense as the lover is slain.The words that are used mirror what Orsino has already said, such as My partshare it hold similar meaning to that in If medication be the food of love.Orsino then immediately acts on the song and tells Viola/ Cesar io to go to Olivias.This is one example of the role of Feste do we value what he says or laugh at what he says? here(predicate), Orsino values what he says, we know this as he sends Viola to go to Olivia and tell her that nature pranks her in attracts my soul not her money.However, after the song is sung, Feste then casts a point blank opinion, face-to-face of Orsino. This creates a lot of tension, especially with the use of words like pain and ..bones shall be thrown. Here is a good example of the dramatic significance of Feste as this scene ends in tension. This is the part where Viola nearly reveals of her accredited love for Orsino, and the audience think that Viola efficacy reveal who she really is, so the audience are anticipating and waiting for Violas next words . And the next scene starts in comic humour. The drama in each scene seems heightened due to the massive contrast.At the end of the play, Shakespeare provides what seems to be an epilogue, like other plays, such a s A Midsummer Nights stargaze and Alls Well That Ends Well. However, unlike these, Feste sings it. The song is about Feste growing up, about being tolerating in childhood, rejected in adult hood, unsuccessful in marriage and drunk in old agebut nothing really matters, the actors will always try an please.Although this song is about Feste, the overall meaning of it reflects the whole play. For example, he talks about himself growing up with bad experiences, his life circle from childhood to being an old man. This is a slight re-iteration of a song he sang earlier What is loveyouths a stuff will not endure, This song is telling the audience that we should enjoy the present because nobody can know what the future holds, it could be good e.g. Viola-Orsino and Sebastian-Olivia, or it could be terrible e.g. Malvolio.Feste uses word play frequently throughout this play. These word plays, or puns, can make the audience laugh or even add to the tension so far. A good example is in Festes fi rst scene he that is well hanged in this world needs to fear no colours. The first interpretation of this pun, is the word colours which can mean enemy or war. So, logically, someone who is already dead, cant fear.However, an Elizabethan audience could of heard it as collars (meaning noose or hangmens nooses) so they dont fear them. The Elizabethans enjoyed such punning jokes, and the pun itself would relax the mood. With Maria threatening Feste with death, and then Feste making the whole audience laugh. This is an example of the dramatic significance of Feste.The role of FesteFestes appearance in the play is held off until the fifth scene of act I. In this scene the lecturer is introduced to the clown through a conversation with Maria. In this scene his contribution to the play is revealed through Wit, ant be thy will, put me in good fooling Those marbles that think they have thee, do very oft prove fools, and I that am sure lack thee may pass for a wise manbetter a witty fool th an a zany wit. These lines indicate that Festes presence is not merely comic relief through foolish acts and show that the role of the fool requires much intelligence, or being a wise man.Festes contribution to the exposure of underlying themes of love is essential to the understanding of the plays messages. The clowns most profound comments often take the form of songO mistress mine, where are you roaming?Youths a stuff will not endure.Its in this song where we could perchance see Feste uncovering viola, Trip no further, pretty sweeting, where the pretty sweeting may be Viola, and the wise mans son is Feste. If this is so, then it suggests that Viola-Orsino may end up as lovers.This song is performed due to the requests of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew for a love-song. The song plays on the events of Twelfth Night itself. The song echoes the cheerfulness of this play and how the uncertainty of whats to come shouldnt be a negative thought as there lies no plenty. Feste also foresees ev ents that will occur later in the play. When he speaks of journeys ending in lovers meeting, he hints at the resolution in which several characters are married.Festes intuition is comparable only to the perception of Viola. Because both characters are the only ones who are involved in both houses, Orsinos and Olivias, they rival each other in their knowledge and putting their wits against each other. Namely act3i, where, they both delight in using word play, a sentence is but a cheveril glove to a good wit- and later Viola saying I understand you sir, as if showing him that she is clever. Apparently, Viola is the only character who recognises Festes true intelligence This fellow is wise enough to play the fool, and to do that craves a kind of witbut wise men, folly-falln, quite taint their wit. This shows Violas sentience of Feste and his ability to read people in order to say the right thing at the right time. Through this keen observation by Viola, she is peradventure acknowledg ing that the clown might even have the ability to see through her own disguise. Although Feste never openly claims to know of Violas deceptive dress, it is indicated that he might be on to her Now Jove in his next commodity of hair send thee a beard.Hes used to change the audience if Shakespeare wanted to portray thoughts or morals, he would do so with the puns and songs Feste tells the audience. For example, Act 1v, he says many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage communicates as if you are well hung then you need not love. And if we look back, to Act 1, the Latin quote refers directly to how Shakespeare felt. So, it is possible that Feste was the voice of Shakespeare, and if Shakespeare wanted to make the audience happy, for dramatic effect or other, then he might use Feste to sing a song. And when Feste says lines 359-354 in act5i, he quotes the things that Malvolio has said, and a feeling of what goes around comes around. This putting down of Malvolio would of been particular ly enjoyed by the audience, because of his puritan nature. So by Feste putting down and mocking of Malvolios nature would of caused great humour.I detected this in act 2iv, where we are faced with a melancholy ending about love and passion then straight after, we see the trap that is set for Malvolio. This comic scene gets compound because the mood of the preceding scene was sorrowful and sad, but the beginning of this one is very jovial.The plot in Twelfth Night is very convoluted. This is why fools might of been used in such plays as King Lear, Alls well that ends well and Two gentlemen of Verona to underline and reinforce important parts of the plot to the audience, and make their songs and folly hunt parallels to the play. For example, in Twelfth Night, Feste sings to Malvolio She loves another. As if, Feste has seen through Malvolio and knows of his affection for Olivia, and crudely tells him there is no likelihood for him, moreover, he already must know of Olivias affections for Viola.With the indictment of Malvolio and other happy endings in the form of marriages, the future seems delightfully optimistic, Festes final song lessens the hope of a completely happy ending. The refrain of this song, which states the rain it raineth every day, insinuates that at any time the happiness that now occupies the characters in Illyria could at any time be swept away. The song as a whole seems to show maturation from innocence to experience and through this development was a continuum of the wind and the rain. With this song, Feste seems to suggest that even as a person goes through life, with its ups and downs, he or she must remember that at any time one can end up in an unfamiliar place with a completely dissimilar life, exactly like Sebastian and Viola. There will always be unpredictability, as long as there is wind and the rain.Ironically, Feste is the only person not to be seen as the fool. Olivia is the fool, as she has fallen in love with a woman, Orisino is seen the fool, because his Viola has tricked him into thinking she is a man. Sir Andrew comes across as the fool because of his foolish remarks, like taking the word ass literally and believing PigrogromitusThis irony will add humour and dramatic irony to the audience and again make Feste look the cleverest by default. By acting the fool he comes across as the wise man he is.The Twelfth Night was know as the Feast Of Fools, which is very similar to Feste the Fool. This seems highly significant, due to the similarity, as the Feast of Fools always appointed a Lord Of Ridicule. It is possible the an Elizabethan audience would of got this (intentional) similarity and therefore see Feste as this Lord Of Ridicule.If Feste was this lord, then he would become the master of the household, for this short holiday period, and organise dances, folly, pranks and deceptions, in order to entertain the rest of the household. If this case, it would then explain Festes songs, drunkenness, create verbally of letters to Malvolio and of course dressing up as Sir Topas.