Twelfth Night Fool

William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night introduces a wise fool named Feste. As a licensed fool, Feste plays an integral role within the plot of the play. Feste acts as the voice of truth in a play filled with cross-dressing, disguises, confusion, trickery, and chaos. Feste has the ability to break down the barrier between the cast on stage and the audience members, while also embodying the festivities of the feast of the Epiphany and the beginning of Carnival. Even though Feste maintains a position as a licensed fool, he becomes the only character to not be foolish in nature. Shakespeare uses the character of Feste to provide a running commentary on each of the characters while also participating in the action unfolding on stage. Feste’s role

Feste says of Orsino, “Now, the melancholy god protect thee; and / the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, / for thy mind is a very opal” (Shakespeare 2.4.73-75). Feste gives the audience an intimate understanding of Orsino by the way in which he describes his actions. The phrase “melancholy god” (2.4.73) indicates that Orsino’s melancholy is self-indulgent. Feste reveals Orsino’s personality when he compares Orsino’s mind to an opal. An Opal is a stone that will change color in different lights, which mirrors the way that Orsino handles his affairs. Alan S. Downer writes, “Feste ‘exposes’ the Duke as he had earlier with Olivia. By mocking them both, he points out that their lovers are sentimental and foolish” (121). Feste presents Orsino to the audience as a man that is temperamental, unstable, and easily changeable to prevent the audience from feeling misplaced sympathy for

Without his commentary, the course of the play would be altered dramatically. Feste’s insight into characters such as Orsino and Olivia allow for an understanding of the true intentions of each while still under the guise of comedy when the information comes from the jester of the play. Feste delivers the true nature of each character laced within a riddle or song to the audience, which breaks down the barrier between the cast on stage and the audience. Feste’s role takes place within the world of Illyria and the outside world with the audience. The double role presents Feste with the opportunity to comment on the nature of the holidays. Within his profession as a licensed fool, Feste subjects himself to the revelry of cross-dressing and humor year-round, so the allowed actions of the holidays are pointless for him. Feste critiques the festivities in the same way that he comments about the true nature of the characters. He believes that there is no point in the revelry just on the holidays when one can continue the behavior all year. This idea becomes apparent in his critiques of each character and each one follows through on exactly what Feste said of them. Shakespeare makes the argument that the nature of people does not change regardless of the