The Fool In Twelfth Night Essay

Discuss the significance of the fool in Shakespeare’s comedies with specific reference to twelfth night.

Oxford English Dictionary defines a fool as " a silly person" or "one who professionally counterfeits folly for the entertainment of others" .The fool is a typical character that Shakespeare employs in many of his comedic plays, and feste the fool is not exempt from this. Feste is employed as a licenced fool and adds the tones of farce and humour to the play. In twelfth night feste plays a cardinal role as subversion occurs due to the topsy-turvy, role reversed nature of the play due to events taking place in the festival of the twelfth night otherwise known as the feast of fools which marked a period of festivities as social roles were
reversed. Feste is a lower order, lower class working man yet he often trumps the upper class in intellect and wit and sometimes uses these traits to analyse and manipulate situations. However feste is not the only fool in the play, there are other fools like “sir Andrew” who also contribute to the significance of fools.

The first use of the fool came from Greek comedy.
Initially the purpose of a fool is to entertain or amuse causing light relief, theories of laughter would categorise these aims under relief and superiority theory; however the first perception of the "fool" is somewhat superficial in comparison to what 'their real role is, the role has always typically had some socio-political importance. Historically the role of the fool has become a Shakespearean archetype. Feste is employed by Olivia’s father "a fool that the lady Olivia's father took much delight in.”; therefore he is a licensed fool ,as he is liscened "open reproaches are met with pleasure", his role I so offer light relief to the Elizabethan elite who trump him in class and repute. Feste is much like the harlequin of commedia dell'arte of which who employed slapstick, Wit and repartee for example how he employs wisdom "The more fool, Madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul being in heaven”.The nature of the harlequin is also evoked by other shakespearean fools such as "puck" who is infamous for his pranks "Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?" Due to the topsy-turvy nature of the play one of feste's main roles is to cause subversion through highly farcical and chaotic antics and serves as the Lord of Misrule. This is contextually relevant as during the ferocious festivities that climaxed on the “twelfth night” roles were
reversed.

Feste’s language is the form in which he conveys his contributions towards the play and through this gains significance as a plot vice as he ties the main and sub comic plots together such as “provoking malvolio's insanity” and also the mistaken identity and disguise caused by viola . he does this by fluidly moving between both the house of orsino and olivia .
He elegantly ties the plots together through his use of wordplay and witt by adding comic factors to the more tragic tones of the play This is supported by the fact that “comedy is tragedy narrowly averted” . “Take the fool away.” “Do you not hear, fellows? Take away the lady.” In this example he manipulate words like a “chervil glove” this shows the malleability of language ,he does this for comic implications.

However this is just one of many of feste's roles and another one of these is characterised the stock character that roman comedy pioneered; the servi (slaves) this stock character acts as a chorus something on others and their actions, they are typically more intelligent than their masters and often partake in neo clownish activities and also help the play progress to a happy resolution, this shows how he is like a Greek chorus that was a stock feature of the Aristotelian era. This characterises feste and as he acts as a vice, who ties the main and sub plots together making him structurally important. (Add An example of how feste acts as a chorus to comment on societal order.)

We have established that the fool has numerous roles to fulfil in the play and is multi faceted mass of contradictions.
However the fool is not just significant due to the fact that he has these roles, the fool is structurally significant. Feste plays a part in the slapstick and farcical aspects of the play for example as Ben Kingsley says "provoking malvolio's insanity”. Feste tries to assure malvolio's insanity by verbally tormenting him as he dawns the facade of "sir topaz the curate”, feste linguistically changes his dialogue in an effective manner for example “Maintain no words with him, good fellow. Who, I, sir? Not I, sir. God be wi' you, good Sir Topas.Merry, amen. I will, sir, I will.” This shows how feste can use language and have the role of the "corrupter of words, making him structurally important as he contributes to the rising action leading to the
climax.
This is exemplified through Freytag’s pyramidal structure of a five act comedy showing how the rising action and climax are required for falling action and then denouement (resolution) to occur, "plays that work towards a happy final synthesis are said to have a comic structure " (Micky Wallis and Simon Shepard). An example of how feste contributes toward this rising action and climax is how he attempts to bring down malvolio the antagonist as he attempts to provoke his insanity and in doing so he still employs tactics of witty wordplay and repartee to mock malvolio . For example in an attempt to assure his sanity Malvolio says " I am as well in my wits as thou art" , feste intelligently replies "then you are mad indeed , if you be no more in your wits than a fool" .

The fools participation in farcical antics brings a comedic tone to the play “farce may be the purest, quintessential comedy, since it so rigorously excludes any sentiment at all, especially feelings of sympathy, compassion, or empathy for the characters. It is also unintellectual, unpsychological, and uncomplex" this statement by literary critic Maurice Charney conveys my viewpoint of the fools contribution to the farce aspects therefore the significance of the play

The significance of the fool is carried thought shakespeare's works ; for example bottom of a midsummer nights dream who is a natural fool and is said that “he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft man in Athens”. This paradoxical idea of higher intellect and wit being present in characters deemed foolish by natural repute or social license .
The Shakespearean fool often uses contradictory statements in the form of oxymoron’s and juxtapositions to create contrast between the higher order, higher class characters and the lower order , lower class characters an example of this is how feste says "south north" or when bottom says "best to call them generally, man by man" however feste uses them in a more fluid and intellectual way . Bottom from a midsummer nights dream often reciprocates yet contrast the typical archetypes of the Shakespearean fool in comparison to feste ; For example both of the characters exemplify traits of commenting on social order and society in an omniscient way acting as a Greek chorus and the purpose of this is to frame character but also to provoke deeper thought which creates an immersive gravitas.

However feste is not the only fool in twelfth night as we have established the "fool" can be "a silly person" supporting the fact that there are many fools or foolish people in the play . A main example of this is sir Andrew aguecheek the natural who of which alongside Maria indulges in silly activities such as how he is unaware of the higher order more intellectual humour; Maria calls him a "foolish night" yet he is unaware of the point of topic and also joins in with the jokes however he is unaware of why they are funny .Sir Andrew aguecheek tries to flirtatiously exhibit his non existent intellect to Maria however his attempt fails, sir Toby advises sir Andrew to "accost" her yet he is not aware if the meaning of the word and thinks that it is Maria's name "good mistress accost". The natural fool is significant to the extent of mere comic relief, but this does not make the character insignificant, as the play is a comedy.

The fools intellect has , as theorised by Jonothan Bate in "the genius of Shakespeare" a "foolosophy" , it is a profound and philosophical intelect in nature which is arguably the biggest contribution to the significance of the fool as we are prejudice to the title "fool" . In conclusion i believe that the factors of the argument that i have constructed show the paramount significance of the fool; there is a paradox between the perception of the fool the fools role and how significant the character is. The fools initial perspective is greatly ironic as we can conclusively say the fool is actually not foolish and holds great significance within the play.