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Role of Feste in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Lecture No:89

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Role of Feste in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Lecture No:89 1 Subject: ENGLISH Class: B.A. Part 11 Honours, Paper-111[DRAMA] Topic: Role of Feste in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Lecture No:89 By: Prof. Sunita Sinha Head, Department of English Women’s College Samastipur L.N.M.U., Darbhanga ROLE OF FESTE IN SHAKESPEARE'S TWELFTH NIGHT In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Feste is the fool in Countess Olivia's household. He has served the house for years, entertaining Olivia's father until his death, but Olivia criticizes him over his frequent absence; however, he continues to spend the play entering and exiting the action seemingly at random. His primary job is to entertain, and he does so with songs, dances, wordplay, and mockery of the people around him. Feste's role as a character is primarily pointing out the flaws and absurdities in the behavior of the other characters in the play. For example, he mocks Olivia for her self-indulgent mourning, and points out the excessive moodiness of Duke Orsino's behavior. Feste's presence in the play seems almost omniscient, as he seems to know more about the characters than the audience does and appears in the midst of important actions or conversations frequently. 2 His role in the play is to inform the audience about the characters, make moral judgements about their behavior, and mock the absurdity of their actions. He exists outside of the society presented in the play, which puts him in the position of judging and mocking the inner workings of that society. Feste the fool represents the festive spirit of the play, and he makes an important contribution to the action. Fools were employed by noble families; Feste is employed by the Countess Olivia. His role in Olivia's household is to provide music, witty comment to engage in verbal repartee and to participate in slapstick comedy. He observes, " Foolery sir, does walk about the orb like the sun, it shines everywhere" What he is observing here is that he is surrounded by people who are fools. In many ways Feste seems to be the wisest person in the play. Feste accurately sums up the other characters. He mocks the Duke "For thy mind is a very opal" . An opal stone appears to be many colours and he is suggesting that the Dukes mind is very changeable. And of Sir Andrew "For what says Quinapalus? Better a witty fool than a foolish wit". Since Feste is a licensed fool his main role in Twelfth Night is to speak the truth. He proves Olivia to be a true fool when he takes her to task for the time she intends to spend in mourning for a person whose soul is in heaven. Although he plays the fool he is not a fool and Viola is able to sum him up perfectly "This fellows wise enough to play the fool And to do that well craves a kind of wit". In the play Feste is probably most associated with music and sings three important songs. His love of music is clear. 3 In the first song there is an undercurrent note of melancholy in that it adds poignancy to the happiness by reminding us. of the insecurity of mortal things. O Mistress mine, where are you roaming? O, stay and hear! Your true love's coming, That can sing both high and low. Trip no further, pretty sweeting; Journeys end in lovers meeting, Every wise man`s son doth know, The second song is the song of Feste in Act I1, Scene IV. This sad strain was sung evidently with taste and feeling by Feste to please the Duke so well helps to point us to the real character of the jester. “Come Away, Death,” is the second song which Feste sings in the play. The clown sings it to adapt to Orsino's melancholic mood. The third song is also sung by the Clown at the close of the play. It “seems to be the most philosophical Clown’s song upon record, and a treatise might be written upon its wisdom. It is the history of a life, from the condition of a little tiny boy, through man’s estate, ‘to decaying age’ “When I came into my bed-and the conclusion seems to be this what is true of the individual is true of the species; What was of yesterday was of generations long past away-for ‘A great while ago the world began .” This song has some of the pathos of King Lear. The rain that raineth every day, the men who shut their gates against knaves and thieves, the world that began a great while 4 ago, are like disconnected dim memories or portents, troubling the mind of a child.” The play abounds in many fragments of songs, which proceed from the Clown. This is because the chief duty of the clown was to entertain his master and the household. So, the significance of Feste cannot be overlooked. *** By: Prof Sunita Sinha Head, Department of English Women’s College, Samastipur L.N.M.U. Darbhanga Mob: 9934917117 E mail: [email protected] Website:www.sunitasinha.com .
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