Frye's Mythos Of Spring: Comedy

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare follows Northrup Frye’s archetype of comedy. This is illustrated in his “Mythos of Spring: Comedy.” Northup Frye says that there must be obstacles to a hero’s desire (typically love), and that this obstacle is usually a fatherly figure (Frye 164). Frye also argues that in the beginning of every comedy there is trouble in society. The older generation’s rules are irrational and illogical. Then at the end of the comedy the older generation is subverted and the newer generation is put into place. “The society emerging at the conclusion of comedy represents, by contrast, a kind of moral norm, or pragmatically free society” (Frye 169). However, in Twelfth Night the opposition to love is not a father upset that his daughter is being married. Instead opposition to love arises from the characters themselves. For example Orsino and Olivia “inhibit the fulfillment of love by assuming wholly literary self-images as romantic lover and mourning lady, respectively” (Bloom). Viola, arguably the sanest, entangles herself in a web of lies because of her disguise. It will be acts of self-less love and self-enlightenment that will overcome the obstacles to love, and thus reestablishing a new society. Northup Frye

The reason in is that Malvolio wants to misappropriate love for self-gain (Bloom). Malvolio wants to be a count, and thus scorn others for their drunkenness and revelry. Northup Fry argued that in every comedy there is a reestablishment in society. This is because the old generations rules are irrational and illogical. The parents prevent their children from marrying. However it Twelfth Night, it would end up being the current generations self-centered, melancholy love that serve as the obstacle in preventing marriage and love. It would be through self-enlightenment and discovery of identity which will create a new society with