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 .
Is Feste the fool in Twelfth Night?
Feste is a fool in William Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night. He is attached to the household of the Countess Olivia. He has apparently been there for some time, as he was a “fool that the Lady Olivia’s father took much delight in” (2.4).
What does Feste symbolize?
Feste has an almost omniscient role in the play, revealing the foolishness of those around him. He can be seen to represent the spirit of Twelfth Night festivities , when the social order was turned upside down through traditions such as the Feast of Fools and the election of a Lord of Misrule.
What does Feste say to Olivia?
As Feste says to Olivia when she orders him to be taken away, “Lady, ‘Cucullus non facit monachum ‘—that’s as much to say as I wear not motley in my brain” (I.v. 48–50 ).
What kind of person is Feste?
Feste. The clown, or fool, of Olivia’s household, Feste moves between Olivia’s and Orsino’s homes. He earns his living by making pointed jokes, singing old songs, being generally witty , and offering good advice cloaked under a layer of foolishness.
Is Feste intelligent?
As Feste insists, “he wears not motley in his brain,” meaning that he still has his wits about him. As we quickly learn, Feste is the most intelligent and incisive character in Twelfth Night . His brand of foolishness consists of funny puns and innuendos, but these are often quite poignant.
Why does Feste Call Olivia a fool?
Throughout the play, Feste calls other people fools as an insult. ... She mourns for the loss of her brother , but if his soul is in heaven, as she believes, then there is no reason to mourn, Feste says. Therefore, since she is mourning her brother even though he is in heaven, she is a fool.
What type of fool is Feste?
He is a jester , employed by Olivia, a wealthy lady of Illyria. His job is to make her laugh and his particular skills are singing and dancing. He also moonlights, going to the houses of other wealthy people to perform for them.
What is the importance of Feste in Twelfth Night?
Feste’s role in this Illyrian comedy is significant because he assists in making the comedy work in many senses . Feste as well creates the confusion through humour and works out everything at the end to make Twelfth Night a really amusing Elizabethan play.
What does Feste’s song mean?
It uses wind and rain as symbols of life’s hardships, and thus concludes the poem on a somewhat bittersweet note. All revels and festivities – such as those enjoyed at Twelfth Night – are short-lived intervals in life’s daily grind (‘the rain it raineth every day’, after all).
What is the significance of the title as you like it?
The title refers to the carefree life of the Arden forest where each one is at liberty to live as he pleases and what he desires . This far from this material world of ‘sick hurry and divided aims’, the beautiful and romantic forest of Arden becomes a favorite haunt for love- the likes of everybody.
What does Feste say he can prove if Olivia gives him a chance to?
What does Feste say he can prove if Olivia gives him a chance to? Permission to prove that you are a fool.
On what pretext does Olivia ask Cesario to come back again what is Olivia’s real reason for asking him to return?
Why does Olivia ask Cesario to come back? She says Cesario might be ablle to make himself fall in love with her.
Why did Duke Orsino send Viola to Olivia?
Viola laments the loss of her twin brother, Sebastian, in the shipwreck. ... Despite his former rejection, Orsino sends his new page Cesario (Viola in disguise) to court Olivia for him. Cesario/Viola fell in love at first sight with her master Orsino, so she goes to court Olivia unwillingly.
Why does Olivia fall in love with Viola?
Olivia quickly falls in love with the witty Cesario (Viola’s name when she is in disguise) because Cesario is unafraid of saying what he/she is thinking, even though Cesario never says anything nice to Olivia (except, of course, when speaking Orsino’s messages).
Is Feste a stock character?
William Shakespeare, in the Twelfth Night; or What You Will, chooses Feste as a stock character to emphasize the Romantic issues within the comedy and the spirit of Twelfth Night festivities they took place in Illyria.
Who is Sir Topas in Twelfth Night?
In Twelfth Night, Sir Topas is the priest, who is actually Feste, the clown , in disguise.
Who are the fools in Twelfth Night?
In Twelfth Night, Feste, Maria and Sir Toby are the fools that make the comedy work in many senses.
Who does Feste Love in Twelfth Night?
The song he chooses as he goes to visit Malvolio in prison speaks of an unkind lady, who “loves another,” perhaps hinting towards the idea of Feste having been jilted by a woman he loved, or having the woman he loved not return his affections (according to Greif, there have been productions of Twelfth Night that ...
What does Shakespeare say about fools?
“ The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. ”
What is the name of Olivia’s steward?
Sir Toby Belch is related to Olivia. He is often drunk and enjoys playing tricks on people. Malvolio is Olivia’s steward, the manager of her household.
Who is the biggest fool in Twelfth Night?
Sir Andrew Aguecheek is a comic character in William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, or What You Will. One of the supporting characters, Sir Andrew is a stereotypical fool, who is goaded into unwisely duelling with Cesario and who is slowly having his money pilfered by Sir Toby Belch.
What Olivia gives Cesario?
1.5. 48: Olivia sends “Cesario” a ring (by way of Malvolio) to let the page know she’s in love with “him.”
How does Feste the fool’s song summarize the play by singing the song at the end?
Olivia is proven foolish for her mourning, and Orsino is proven foolish for his obsessive love. In contrast, Feste, the fool or court jester, ronically proves to be the only one who is not foolish. ... Hence the purpose of Feste’s final song is to make one final comment on reality .
What is Feste’s final insult in this scene?
Feste refers again to it in the final scene, so the insult has not been forgotten: ‘ and you smile not, he’s gagged ‘ (line 353). Like any professional comedian, Feste needs the approval of an audience: without that, he is as good as gagged. Malvolio’s refusal to play along is the source of Feste’s opposition to him.
What does Feste’s love reflect?
Cesario now becomes bolder still and says that women can indeed love with as much passion as men can. ... Later in the scene, Feste will appear and sing the song “Come away, Come away, death.” The theme of this lyric is the sadness unto death of a young man whose love for a fair, cruel maid is unrequited .
What does Olivia do when Cesario politely rejects her message of love?
She lets Cesario know how deeply in love with him she is. Cesario tells Olivia as politely as he can that he cannot love her . Olivia seems to accept this rejection, but she realizes privately that she cannot so easily get rid of her love for this beautiful young man, even if he scorns her.
What is the meaning of As You Like It?
As You Like It is a stage play in the form of a comedy, a literary work with a happy ending . ... The subject matter and setting of most of the scenes also qualify the play as a pastoral romance, a literary work about love and life in the countryside.
What is the meaning of seven stages of man?
/ðə ˌsevn ˌeɪdʒɪz əv ˈmæn/ /ðə ˌsevn ˌeɪdʒɪz əv ˈmæn/ seven periods into which a human life can be divided , i.e. those of the baby, the child, the lover, the soldier, the middle-aged person, the old person, and second childhood.
What does Olivia reveal to Cesario Viola in this scene and how does Cesario Viola respond?
What does Olivia reveal to Cesario and how does Cesario respond? Olivia reveals that she loves Cesario . Cesario says he is not who Olivia thinks he is.
What impression does Cesario Viola make on Olivia?
Scene 5: What impression does Cesario (Viola) make on Olivia? Cesario makes a good impression on Olivia and Olivia ends up liking “him.”
What’s the dramatic significance the forest of Ardenne?
In As You Like It, the Forest of Arden represents the country life and an escape from corruption while the Duke’s court represents corrupted city life . Literary critic Kenneth Muir points out several pastoral conventions Shakespeare uses to illustrate the pastoral genre he is satirizing.
Why is Olivia mourning in Twelfth Night?
The Countess Olivia is mourning the death of her brother . She says she will refuse to meet with any suitors , though when Cesario (Viola) is persistent she agrees to see him (her).
How does Olivia react to Duke Orsino’s proposal?
Olivia refuses the Duke’s proposal because she is has unwittingly fallen in love with Cesario , who is really Viola in disguise.
What are Malvolio’s thoughts about the letter?
Malvolio spots the letter lying in the garden path. He mistakes Maria’s handwriting for Olivia’s, as Maria has predicted, and Malvolio thinks that the letter is from Olivia . Apparently, Maria sealed the letter with Olivia’s sealing ring to make the letter look even more authentic.
