FESTE IN TWELFTH NIGHT

1. INTRODUCTION

When I first read Twelfth Night there was a character that drew my attention because he was apparently placed away from the other characters. He was not, however, excluded from the action of the play though he was, in a way, distinct from the rest, as if playing under different rules or being moved by a different motivation. This character was the clown and servant of the Countess Olivia, Feste. I found him extremely interesting from the very beginning, which is not difficult since he stands out from the rest. The way he speaks is unusual, and so are his manners, acting too freely for a servant. Besides, due to the fact of being a licensed clown, he is allowed to criticize or ridicule other characters behavior, and it is through this device that we get to a deeper understanding of the play and its figures. Feste provides the audience with an insight into the characters of the play and, at the same time, with a greater knowledge of himself.

In this paper I will analyze Festes uniqueness as a character and the importance of his role inside the play. I will examine those traits that make him move away from the other figures and try to sketch a portrayal of this clown Shakespeare presents us here. I am also very interested in the way Feste conforms to the norm of the archetypical fool of comedies and to what point he withdraws from it. At a first glance Feste may look just like the other fools we have come across in Elisabethan literature: a fool whose only task is to entertain his audience (usually nobles), a superficial clown who makes fun of everything but only looks at the cover of it. From our background information of what a clown is and what he represents within a comedy, we may wrongly expect Feste to be a jolly supporting character, rather flat and dispensable. However, his attitude is at times sadder, at times more melancholic (this is clearly patent throughout his songs) and,

even, a little more malevolent than we may have anticipated. Again, Shakespeares greatness makes its appearance on stage and fools us by presenting something completely different from what we would expect, playing with the traditional concepts of theater and its characters.

Finally, I will compare Feste with Puck from A Midsummer Nights Dream, who was the character I chose for my first paper. The fact that I had to set the first character against the second one was also one of the reasons why I decided to choose Feste. He reminded me of Puck in a subtle but strong way, overall in the way they both move away from our expectations of what their attitudes should be, setting a difference between themselves and the traditional stereotype of their characters. Both of them also depart from the image they deliver at the beginning of both plays, that is, a second look is required in order to distinguish their exceptional way of being. Feste is a jester and Puck a joker, and they resemble each other more than we may think, though differ at certain points. What I am most interested in is to what extent they are similar and in what aspects they are different, and whether this will lead them to end up as completely divergent characters.

2. FESTE THE CLOWN.

2.1. A foolish fool?

Following the Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles the word fool can mean: 1. a silly person; 2. one who professionally counterfeits folly for the entertainment of others, a jester or clown; 3. one who has little or no reason or intellect; 4. one who is made to appear to be a fool. (www.field-of-themes.com). Though Feste is more closely related to the second meaning of the word, Elisabethans were familiar with all of them

and they would usually come across with characters who would play the part of the fool, and who could be said to have such characteristics as the ones given by the Oxford English Dictionary. Besides, In the English literature, the two main ways which the fool could enter imaginative literature is that he could provide a topic, a theme for meditation, or he could turn into a stock character on the stage, a stylized comic figure (www.field-of-themes.com). Feste is everything but a stock character. Stock characters are usually flat characters who do not undergo any kind of development throughout the play and whose presence, though patent in the play, is not essential to the story line nor to the action. Feste is a wise character, probably the wisest of the play, as Viola indicates after her first meeting with him: This fellow is wise enough to play the fool (Twelfth Night, Act III, Scene 1, line 21). His wit is also manifest when Feste talks to himself, or rather to his wit, before encountering his lady Olivia who may turn him out for disappearing without permission: Wit, andt be thy will, put me into good fooling: those wits that think they have thee, do very oft prove fools: and I that am sure I lack thee, may pass for a wise man. For what says Quinapalus, Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit (TN, I: V, 21-25). These lines indicate that Feste's presence is not merely comic relief through inane acts and show that the role of the fool requires much intelligence. Feste is also able to recognize and criticize the fools subject to foolery, the self-proclaimed wits who are not witty at all. Since it is their lack of self-knowledge what makes them fools. (www.wowessays.com).

These examples show that Feste, differently from other fools or clowns depicted in the English literature, is witty and intelligent. He needs to be so in order to carry out his duty as a licensed clown and his function as a commentator in the play. Thus, he is able to visualize the foolishness in the rest of the characters, and criticize their actions, for instance when he mocks Olivia because she has been long mourning for a brother who is in heaven and refers to her as a fool: Clown: Good Madonna, why mournst thou?

Olivia: Good fool, for my brothers death. Clown: I think his soul is in hell, Madonna. Olivia: I know his soul is in heaven, fool. Clown: The more fool, Madonna, to mourn for your Brothers soul, being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen. (TN, I: V, 21-27)

2.2. The sad clown.

There is another aspect which has been long discussed and that I am interested in: the sadness in Feste, who has been referred to as the sad clown, the person intelligent enough to see through any of the easy superficial solutions to life's pains but wise enough to understand that there is little use in protesting the tribulations of human life (since that leads to self-destructive tragic conclusions). (Johnston) Feste is a rather melancholic clown, as may be inferred from his songs. From the information in the play we learn that he is probably a middle-age man, apparently he has been working in Olivias household for a long time, as it is mentioned by Curio: A fool that the Lady Olivias father took much delight in. (TN, II: IV, 24-25, p. 51) The fact that he is not a young fellow any more may be the reason why he sings a song that is a testament to carpe diem (http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net) What is love? 'Tis not hereafter; / Present mirth hath present laughter; What's to come is still unsure: / In delay there lies not plenty; Then, come kiss me, sweet and twenty, / Youth's a stuff will not endure. (TN, II: III, 1-6, p. 47)

The fact is that Festes claim for the enjoyment of the moment and youth conceals a bitter raison dtre, which is that time passes by inevitably. There is an ironic tone in his songs that provides the play with a bittersweet ending. The play is a comedy because it has a happy ending; actually it is Feste in one of his songs who foreshadows the happy ending: 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. (TN, II: III, 25-30, p. 46)

The ending is structurally comic in a very conventional way (lovers reunited, villain no longer present, marriages pending), but the ironic undertones of his presence, more than anything else, inject a note of fragility into the proceedings, not enough to destroy the joy, of course, but sufficiently strong to cast some shadows around the young lovers. (Johnston)

2.3. Feste: an omniscient presence.

There is an interesting interpretation about Festes presence within Twelfth Night that regards him as an omniscient figure who is able to peep at everyone and watch all the actions taking place even though he is not on

stage. The best example to support this idea is found in Act 3, when the clown says to Viola, disguised as Cesario: Now Jove in his next commodity of hair, send thee a beard. (TN, III: I, 5-6, p. 63) Although we are not completely sure of Festes intention when remarking that Viola does not have a beard, it is very possible that he did so because he knew, or at least suspected, that Cesario was in fact a woman. Shakespeare may have wanted to provide Feste with a wider view and knowledge of all the characters, since he is the one to carry out the judgements on the other characters. . In Trevor Nunn's film adaptation, Ben Kingsley is constantly present in the scenes that reveal the plot, from the very beginning where he watches Viola arrive in Illyria to watching Olivia and Sebastian marry outside the chapel. (wikipedia.org)

This is just an interpretation very much subject to checking, however, I agree with some of the reasons which motivate it. Firstly, it is worth noting that Feste is not involved emotionally with any of the characters in the action. This is the fact which supports the idea commented a few paragraphs before that Feste is not a participant but rather a commentator of the action. This gives him the status of a character placed above the action. Secondly, he is in contact with all the characters in the play since he has access to both houses: Orsinos and Olivias. In this way he knows everyone in the play and can infer more information about them than any other character. Finally, and in spite of interacting with all the characters, it is his ability to avoid attachment to them which allows him to become a critic of their actions. It is () his licensed foolery that enables him to become a critic on the actions of others and allows his character to thrive. It is through this commentary that Feste can assert his true wit over the true foolishness of the other characters. His insightful dialogue provides criticism and interpretation of the central events of the comedy. (www.wowessays.com)

3. FESTE AND PUCK: A JESTER AND A JOKER.

Both Feste and Puck are adjacent characters to the story whose function turns out to be essential for the action of the play. Though they are provided with a different hue, they both belong to the same color. I will focus here on the similarities held by these two charming and complicated characters and to what point they differ in what they resemble.

They are both under someone elses orders, Olivias, in the case of Feste and Oberons in the case of Puck. However, both of them get into trouble with their masters just for the same reason: they act rather freely for a servant. Feste leaves without permission, blatantly ignoring his mistress rules. Puck mistakes Oberons orders and applies the juice to the wrong young boy, not caring about the mortals fate. They also reconcile with their masters later on, by using each their best strategy: Feste wittily holds a conversation with Olivia that makes her forget about his misdeed and Puck uses his management of magic to sort the situation out. They both love to play pranks on the rest of the characters and humor is their most important trait. Nevertheless, Feste proves to be a more malevolent or rather selfconscious figure than Puck. While Puck simply does not care about humans and plays pranks on them just for fun, Feste takes revenge on those characters he is not in good terms with, like for instance Malvolio. Despite Feste's playful and outwardly frivolous nature () he has a very much darker and more mysterious side to him. Malvolio's insulting account to Olivia of Feste's defeat in a battle of wits by a village idiot obviously makes Feste angry and he joins in with a plot of revenge against the arrogant steward conducted chiefly by Maria and Sir Toby Belch. (wikipedia.org). This is, from my point of view, the aspect in where both characters mainly withdraw from each other, that is, their inner motivation for their actions. In my paper about Puck I stated as one of my main points that "Shakespeares Puck is not a malevolent character but a prankish figure that misleads the fool mortals more by accident than on purpose

(...) what motivates Puck to enjoy any messy situation he is involved in, is his necessity of having fun, and what leads him to fix it up is his inevitable sympathy for humans." However, Feste is more caustic and the reason for his unkind treatment of other characters is not motivated by his carelessness for them or even clumsiness (as in the case of Puck) but more by a conscious act of truth revelation, as he does with Malvolio. He is, as we have said, a very wise character, and since he has access to the rest of the characters, he is able to judge them and criticize them. The interesting point here is that, while on the one hand Puck was expected to be a malevolent figure, due to the traditional character Elisabethans were familiar with (let us remember that "all along the English tradition Puck has been regarded as a devil. In fact, Pouk was a traditional medieval term for the devil." (www.boldoutlaw.com), he ended up being rather a prankish figure than a devilish one within "A Midsummer Night's Dream". And on the other hand, Feste, whose nature was apparently more playful (due to his profession) becomes, along "Twelfth Night", a slightly tragic character provided with a dark side. However, even this trait may seem a difference between them, it is actually a parallelism of the way they develop into something distinct, or rather the contrary of what they seemed to be.

There is another similarity between these two characters which has to do with the way Shakespeare sets a contrast between them and the other figures. In "Twelfth Night", "Shakespeare's contrast of Feste's true wit with the unconscious and actual foolishness of the others is the focal contribution of his role to the factual insight of this play." (www.wowessays.com). On the other hand, the character of Puck serves the purpose of trivializing love affairs by contrasting his indifference towards those matters with the mix-ups and confusing situations that mortals undergo because of love. Let us not forget one of the main sentences by Puck in the play: Lord, what fools these mortals be! (MND, III: II, 28, p. 56). We may then conclude that, the ones playing the part of the fools or jesters, that is, those related to pranks and jokes, are not the ignorant characters, but rather serve the purpose of making the audience realize about the other characters' stupidity.

We may also compare these two characters with regard to their presence in the plays. I have dealt with the interpretation of Feste as an omniscient presence. Whether we support this interpretation or not, there are evidences in the play that prove that Feste knows more than would be expected if we take into account his appearances on stage. I have also said that he is in contact with both houses and, thus, knows all the characters surrounding him. Puck has also access to both worlds: the fairy world and the mortals' world. He is, actually, the only figure in the play to interact, either directly or indirectly (as he does with humans), with all the characters, whether they are fairies or mortals. Puck can be easily said to be an omniscient presence, as well as Oberon, since they are able to peep at the mortal's world. They are placed above the real world so they can see the action without being noticed. Besides, as happened with Feste, Puck does not involve himself emotionally with other characters in the play. He is, then, rather an observer than a participant of the action, in the same way that Feste was a commentator.

Finally, there is something that joins them together and reveals the fact that both, Feste and Puck, have an essential role in their respective plays: they are the last characters to speak. Puck is responsible for the epilogue in A Midsummer Nights Dream and Feste sings one of his songs right at the very end of Twelfth Night. Even though this does not necessarily mean that they are the main characters of both plays, it is in fact, an evidence of how unique and extraordinary they are. Their last speeches encode a message. Puck makes a speech explaining his actions that serves to trivialize the play itself if it has offended the audience. (libertyfund.org). Feste's final song lessens the hope of a completely happy ending. The purpose 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. (www.wowessays.com)

4. CONCLUSION

Through this paper I have analyzed the character of Feste and I have reached the conclusion that definitely he is an irreplaceable figure. He is responsible for part of the comic tone of the play due to his puns and jokes. Within the play he plays his part as a clown entertaining other characters, but outside the play, he has a different role, which is to entertain the audience of the play (us) and comment on the action for the public to follow every detail. He is the character who, at times, introduces a feeling of melancholy and even bitterness through his songs. He is a witty jester whose wisdom may be due to his age and his experience. He plays with words though knowing that words may lead to confusion, though that is exactly what he tries to do, to confuse and play pranks on the other characters using language wittily.

Feste is not a traditional clown, and his presence drains the comic tone of the play. He is the figure who presents reality just as it is, and tries to present mean just as they are. This is clearly seen in his last song, where he tries to be realistic about life, though some negativity is concealed regarding the future. He states that the world has been running for a long time, and nothing will change but continue just the way it has always been, and so it will happen with men.

Finally, the parallelism between Puck and Feste is evident; however, Puck and A Midsummer Nights Dream are, in general, more optimistic and comic, while Feste and Twelfth Night leave us with a bitter-sweet end, in spite of being a comedy. I believe this may be caused by Shakespeares own feelings. He wrote A Midsummer Nights Dream between 1594 and 1597, and Twelfth Night between the years 1601 and 1608. This means he was younger when he wrote A Midsummer Nights Dream and maybe his opinion about life and love was more romantic and, thus, more optimistic than a few years later. This could explain why there is such a difference at the end of these plays, being both of them comedies. I think Shakespeares view point in real life influenced his comedies and, in this way, we get two happy endings with different expectations. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

A Midsummer Nights Dream. William Shakespeare. Ed: 1994. Penguin Popular Classics. ISBN: 978-0-140- 62095-5

Twelfth Night. William Shakespeare. Ed:2001. Penguin Popular Classics. ISBN: 978-0-140-62126-6

Twelfth Night- Analysis of fools. EasyLit. Ed. Matthew Monroe. Accessed 3, May, 2007. http://www.field-of-themes.com/shakespeare/essays/Etwlefth.htm

Twelfth Night. Accessed 3, May, 2007. http://www.wowessays.com/dbase/af3/lva231.shtml

Ian Johnston. The Ironies of Happy Endings: An Introduction to Twelfth Night. Ed: Ian Johnston. Accessed 4, May, 2007. http://www.mala.bc.ca/~Johnstoi/eng366/lectures/twelfthnight.htm

Feste. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Ed. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed 3, May, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feste

Michael J. Cummings. Twelfth Night or What you will.A Study Guide. Ed. Michael J. Cummings. Accessed 7, May, 2007. http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xTwelfth.html#Twelfth Shakespeare, the complete works of William Shakespeare, The Online Library of Liberty. Ed. Liberty Fund. Accessed 20, March. 2007. http://oll.libertyfund.org/Home3/HTML.php?recordID=0612.09

DISDUISE ON CONFLICT.

Shakespeare uses disguise in his play, Twelfth Night, to cause confusion and internal conflict between his characters and it is this confusion and conflict that appeal to the audience. It keeps them wondering how many more of these situations will arise, and in the end, how will this confusion and conflict be resolved? The first time that this is evident is in Act I, Scene IV, where Cesario, really Viola is sent by her master, Orsino, to win the love of Countess Olivia

for him. At first it seems as if nothing is out of the ordinary, but Cesario throws a spin on things with his last words of the scene. Cesario indicates that he will do his best to win over the lady, but then in an aside says Whooer I woo, myself would be his wife. (I. IV.41) This makes things much more difficult. What will happen when a messenger who loves his master is sent to win over the love of the one his master desires? This is a case where Shakespeares use of disguise has left the audience in suspense. The audience is left waiting to see how this matter will play itself out. Little do they know, that disguise will play another important role, in muddling this problem even further. In the scene, Act I, Scene V, Cesario arrive at the home of Countess Olivia, expressing what love that the Duke Orsino has for Olivia, but Olivia rejects the Dukes offer, saying that she cannot return his love. Once Cesario exits, Olivia reviews what Cesario has said, and begins to think of the messenger. At this point, the audience realizes what has happened, Olivia has fallen for the messenger. Now we can see what has happened because of Violas disguise, it is very overwhelming and quite hard to explain without sounding redundant. To me this is the main conflict in the play. Viola is a young woman who has disguised herself as a eunuch in order to gain the employment of the Duke Orsino and falls in love with him. The Duke, who is unaware that Cesario is really Viola, or that she has these feelings for him at all, sends Cesario to win over the love of the Countess for which he lusts, but the Countess instead falls for the messenger, whom, again is really Viola, a young woman in disguise. And that is only what comes about as a result of disguise in Act I. There is more to do with disguising in the later acts, for instance, Feste disguising himself as Sir Topas and visiting Malvolio after he had been locked up. Without the use of disguise, Shakespeare wouldnt have been able to generate enough confusion and internal conflict in his characters, thus,

disguise is the basis for his entire play.

LANGUAGE ON CHARACTERS

Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed to an audience from different social classes and of varying levels of intellect. Thus they contain down-to-earth characters who appeal to the working classes, side-by-side with complexities of plot which would satisfy the appetites of the aristocrats among the audience. His contemporary status is different, and Shakespeare's plays have become a symbol of culture and education, being widely used as a subject for academic study and literary criticism. A close critical analysis of Twelfth Night can reveal how Shakespeare manipulates the form, structure, and language to contribute to the meaning of his plays.

Form

Through the form of dialogue Shakespeare conveys the relationship between characters. For example, the friendship and understanding between Olivia, and her servant Feste, the clown, is shown in their dialogue in Act 1, Scene 5. In this scene Shakespeare shows that both characters are intellectuals by constructing their colloquy in prose.

Characterising Feste, Shakespeare gives him the aphorism,

Better a witty fool than a foolish wit. [Feste. Act 1, scene 5]

This line illustrates the clown's acumen; and is a delightful example of the way in which he uses language, as well as form to manifest Feste's character. Far from being a fool, the clown is erudite and sagely and able to present the audience with a higher knowledge of the plot than that presented by the other characters in the play. This witty remark is a clear indication of his aloofness from the events of the play. He can look upon the unfolding scenario with the detachment of an outsider due to his minimal involvement with the action. Feste is a roaming entertainer who has the advantage of not having to take sides; he is an observer not a participant.

Another illustration of the way in which Shakespeare uses form to give meaning is in the dialogue between Viola and the Duke Orsino in Act 2 scene 4, where one line of iambic pentameter is frequently shared by the two characters. For example:

Viola: I should your Lordship. Orsino: ...................................... And what's her history?

...

Viola: Sir, shall I to this lady? Orsino: ..................................... Ay, that's the theme.

The merging of the characters' half-lines into one whole line is cleverly used by Shakespeare to show that the two characters are destined to be together. This technique of linking lines, which Shakespeare uses elsewhere, for example in Romeo and Juliet, shows the balance that the

two characters provide for each other. This is an example of how he uses the form of language to aid the actors in portraying the characters in the way he intends.

Structure

The structure of a Shakespeare play also contributes to its meaning. In most of his plays there is a pattern consisting of three main sections:

Exposition - establishing the main character relationships in a situation involving a conflict.

Development - building up the dramatic tension and moving the conflict established to its climax. (In Twelfth Night, increasing complications resulting from love, and mistaken identity.)

Denouement - resolution of the conflict and re-establishing some form of equilibrium. (In Twelfth Night, the realisation of the disguises and the pairing up of the characters.)

The scenes of Twelfth Night are carefully woven together in order to create tension and humour, and to prepare us, almost subconsciously, for what is going to happen. We are given fragments of manageable information throughout the play so that when the complex plot unfolds we understand it by piecing together all the information given to us in previous scenes. For example, to return to the Duke and Viola, the audience is aware of the fact that she is disguised as a man, so understands more than the Duke himself

does as he struggles with his feelings, believing he is falling in love with a man.

The audience is fed important information in Act 2 Scene 1 when Antonio and Sebastian meet and converse:

Sebastian: . . . some hour before you took me from the breach of the sea was my sister drowned.

Antonio: Alas the day!

Sebastian: A lady, sir, though it was said she much resembled me, was yet of many accounted beautiful. [Act 2, Scene 1]

Through these lines Shakespeare lets the audience in on the fact that Sebastian is alive, and that he believes his sister Viola to be dead, and that the two resemble one another in appearance. We also see how Sebastian feels for his sister as he talks about her so passionately. This is an important part of the development stage of the play as it prepares us for the role which mistaken identity will play in the plot, and sets up the potential for dramatic irony.

Another scene which prepares us for dramatic irony is when Maria, Sir Andrew, and Sir Toby write the letter to Malvolio, under the pretence that it is from Olivia. As we the audience are aware of this deception it sets up the dramatic irony, because Malvolio himself is not aware of it when he finds and reads the letter during Act 2, Scene 5. Presuming the letter is for him, and from Olivia, he proceeds to embarrass himself.

The structure in which many subplots run through the play can be described as 'River Action'; actions not closely linked are moving in parallel to be integrated at the end of the play. This contrasts to the single or episodic action in Macbeth, or the mirror action in King Lear where there is both a main and a sub-plot present. Shakespeare has used this structural technique to create both humour and tension. The subplots also pick up on the themes of love and mistaken identities, preparing us for the part those themes will play in the main plot.

Language

Shakespeare also supports the events and actions in the play through language, using it to convey to the audience the feelings and thoughts of the characters as they respond to events.

Language is used first and foremost for the purpose of conveying a difference in feelings or attitudes in different situations. For example Malvolio speaks in prose at the beginning of the play, showing intelligence, but near the end he speaks in verse;

Lady, you have. Pray you, pursue that letter. You must not now deny that it is in your hand: Write from it, if you can, in hand or phrase, Or say 'tis not your seal, not your invention. [Act 5, Scene 1]

Here Shakespeare has distorted the rhythm so that it cannot fit the rule of iambic pentameter, thus showing that Malvolio is feeling strong emotion. His confusion and humiliation becomes apparent through the breathless manner in which he speaks.

In contrast, we have these smoothly-flowing lines from Orsino:

If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die. [Act 1, Scene 1]

By using iambic pentameter here Shakespeare defines Orsino's character to a certain degree. Iambic pentameter shows control and yet the emphasis here is on the instability and the intensity of his love for Olivia. The audience cannot help but feel pity towards his self-induced love sickness, but at the same time the situation provokes hilarity, as he has never actually met Olivia. This leads us to believe he is 'in love with being in love'.

Characters are there to instigate an emotional reaction from the audience, and when considering the characters of a Shakespeare play we may find as much characterisation as in a novel, but we must also consider that the characters have a mechanical function in the scheme of the play as a whole. It can help to think of them as vehicles to carry ideas or themes; for example Orsino introduces the theme of love.

The diction Shakespeare gives to his characters contributes to their characterisation. He gives characters with more intelligence a large vocabulary, where feeble-minded characters are more limited. Evidence of

this in Twelfth Night is perhaps not as obvious as in other plays such as The Tempest, where Caliban has a very limited vocabulary, and struggles to find words. But characteristics of language such as imagery, metaphors, vocabulary and syntax used by Malvolio contrast for example with those used by the Clown. Although both characters are of a higher intelligence, the language chosen for each is very different;

Feste, the Clown, often plays with words, uses puns and aphorisms.

Wit, and't be thy will, put me into good fooling! Those wits that think they have thee do very oft prove fools; and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise man. For what says Quinapalus? 'Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.' God bless thee, lady! [Act 1, Scene 5]

He proves to be intelligent in that he is witty and wise. He also proves to be quite mysterious, seeming to know more than most, but still being observant and quiet.

Malvolio is more well-spoken than witty, but he is more pompous and arrogant.

I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you! [Act 5, Scene 1]

That final line from Malvolio's is there to make the audience pity him. By using the metaphor of 'the whole pack of you' an image is immediately created of a group surrounding him. The metaphor describes how he has been made a fool of by all of them, and also signifies his isolation from the rest of the cast and how he has become a loose end of the play, as

everybody else has found love or companionship with another person in the play.

After analysing the way in which Shakespeare uses form, structure and language to shape meaning I have come to the conclusion that we are not consciously aware of these techniques when we are the audience. Directors and actors may take these factors into consideration when performing a play, to assist in conveying meaning to the audience. Different directors may interpret the text in different ways, but the play should be performed in such a way that subtle clues help the audience receive messages and understand the complexity of the developing plot, so that we are not obliged to be continually struggling to interpret the text for ourselves.

CHARACTERS IN TWELFTH NIGHT Shakespeare's Twelfth Night has a variety of characters. Alongside the main roles there are smaller characters who still have their own important part to play. Twelfth Night focuses mainly on the storyline of Viola, Orsino and Olivia, but a number of other characters star in their own subplots which tie in with the main plot.

Malvolio If it wasn't for Malvolio, the ending of Twelfth Night could be regarded as a smooth conclusion, albeit one with several abrupt marriages lightly. However, Malvolio is seen as "most notoriously abused".

He is unwilling to join in with the activities of the other characters in the household, perhaps taking himself too seriously. He regards himself highly

and has no humour, and for this reason is mocked by the rest of the characters, in a world where wordplay and wit are the foundations of intelligence.

Malvolio is tricked by the rest of the househould when they write him a letter pretending to be Olivia and confessing her love. This results in his humiliation and when Olivia orders for him to be looked after, the other characters lock him in a dark room, and continue to mock and confuse him. This evokes the readers sympathy as it is too strong a punishment.

He has been knocked off the pedestal he has placed himself on, and his suffering seems too cruel. At the end of the play he curses the rest of the characters, and stops the conclusion of the play from being an entirely happy ending.

Sebastian Sebastian is absent for much of the play, but is still an important character. Viola's missing brother is used as a plot device to help with the theme of mistaken identity. He mourns for his sister as she does for him. He is shown as a good character, similar to Viola in terms of independence and strength. He is grateful to Antonio for rescuing him. Antonio Antonio rescues Sebastian from the shipwreck and cares for him afterwards. He shows good qualities of friendship, risking his own safety to accompany Sebastian to Orsino's court. He is generous, as shown when he lends Sebastian his purse which ofcourse leads to more confusion when he asks Viola/Cesario for his purse back, causing bewilderment all round.

Sir Toby Sir Toby is regarded as a drunken fool who enjoys humour at others expense. He takes advantage of being in Olivia's home and only cares about enjoying himself, even at a time when Olivia is in mourning. He mocks Sir Andrew constantly and has respect only for those with wit. He is also part of the group that humiliate Malvolio after Olivia has ordered for him to be cared for.

Sir Andrew Sir Andrew is the foolish fool of the play; he stands in contrast to the wise fool Feste, whose clever word-play is admired, Andrew is a fool due to his simple mind. The other characters mock him by using language he doesn't understand, and he doesn't realise that he is being made a fool of. He does however show tender emotions and evokes sympathy; he laments "I was adored once". Although lacking in intelligence, he still wants to be cared for.

Maria Maria enjoys causing trouble along with Sir Toby. She shows two sides of herself an intelligent and well-behaved character in the presence of Olivia, and a calculating troublemaker as she instigates the trick played on Malvolio. She is capable of holding her side of a witty repertoire with Feste. She is wed to Sir Toby, thereby rising in rank from maid to wife, and Toby claims that it is because of the cunning she showed in the tricking of Malvolio.

Feste Feste sets the standard of word-play throughout Twelfth Night. The other characters intelligence is measured against his own. He joins in with the

trickery throughout the play, and appears at certain times to show the mood by singing appropriate songs or making relevant comments LANGUAGE

Shakespeare also supports the events and actions in the play through language, using it to convey to the audience the feelings and thoughts of the characters as they respond to events.

Language is used first and foremost for the purpose of conveying a difference in feelings or attitudes in different situations. For example Malvolio speaks in prose at the beginning of the play, showing intelligence, but near the end he speaks in verse;

Lady, you have. Pray you, pursue that letter. You must not now deny that it is in your hand: Write from it, if you can, in hand or phrase, Or say 'tis not your seal, not your invention. [Act 5, Scene 1]

Here Shakespeare has distorted the rhythm so that it cannot fit the rule of iambic pentameter, thus showing that Malvolio is feeling strong emotion. His confusion and humiliation becomes apparent through the breathless manner in which he speaks.

In contrast, we have these smoothly-flowing lines from Orsino:

If music be the food of love, play on,

Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die. [Act 1, Scene 1]

By using iambic pentameter here Shakespeare defines Orsino's character to a certain degree. Iambic pentameter shows control and yet the emphasis here is on the instability and the intensity of his love for Olivia. The audience cannot help but feel pity towards his self-induced love sickness, but at the same time the situation provokes hilarity, as he has never actually met Olivia. This leads us to believe he is 'in love with being in love'.

Characters are there to instigate an emotional reaction from the audience, and when considering the characters of a Shakespeare play we may find as much characterisation as in a novel, but we must also consider that the characters have a mechanical function in the scheme of the play as a whole. It can help to think of them as vehicles to carry ideas or themes; for example Orsino introduces the theme of love.

The diction Shakespeare gives to his characters contributes to their characterisation. He gives characters with more intelligence a large vocabulary, where feeble-minded characters are more limited. Evidence of this in Twelfth Night is perhaps not as obvious as in other plays such as The Tempest, where Caliban has a very limited vocabulary, and struggles to find words. But characteristics of language such as imagery, metaphors, vocabulary and syntax used by Malvolio contrast for example with those used by the Clown. Although both characters are of a higher intelligence, the language chosen for each is very different;

Feste, the Clown, often plays with words, uses puns and aphorisms.

Wit, and't be thy will, put me into good fooling! Those wits that think they have thee do very oft prove fools; and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise man. For what says Quinapalus? 'Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.' God bless thee, lady! [Act 1, Scene 5]

He proves to be intelligent in that he is witty and wise. He also proves to be quite mysterious, seeming to know more than most, but still being observant and quiet.

Malvolio is more well-spoken than witty, but he is more pompous and arrogant.

I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you! [Act 5, Scene 1]

That final line from Malvolio's is there to make the audience pity him. By using the metaphor of 'the whole pack of you' an image is immediately created of a group surrounding him. The metaphor describes how he has been made a fool of by all of them, and also signifies his isolation from the rest of the cast and how he has become a loose end of the play, as everybody else has found love or companionship with another person in the play.

After analysing the way in which Shakespeare uses form, structure and language to shape meaning I have come to the conclusion that we are not consciously aware of these techniques when we are the audience. Directors and actors may take these factors into consideration when performing a play, to assist in conveying meaning to the audience. Different directors may interpret the text in different ways, but the play should be performed in such a way that subtle clues help the audience receive

messages and understand the complexity of the developing plot, so that we are not obliged to be continually struggling to interpret the text for ourselves.

http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/eng366/lectures/twelfthnight.htm