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Explore and debate the function of the fool Feste within this dramatic comedy
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Feste initially appears to be limited by his appearance as a fool, seemingly seen as
simply a jester, and entertainer by the likes or Sir Toby, yet he regards himself as a
‘’corrupter of words’’
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Feste also comments on
his own character when he says, ‘’I wear not motley in my brain’’, which indicates that he
could feel constrained by his title; though he may look like a fool, he is not one
intellectually
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It seems throughout Twelfth Night that Feste holds no significant relationships with any
character in particular, even Olivia, whom Feste manages to outsmart within the first act,
showcasing his wit and knowledge when Olivia says ‘’take the fool away’’, and reversing
this remark back to her, branding her the fool: ‘’to mourn for your brother’s soul being in
heaven’
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As the play progresses, it seems that the majority of the characters start to become
more accustomed to Feste and his humour, Maria even recognizes him as one who is
able to adapt and disguise himself as Sir Topas in Act 4 Scene 2; ‘’put on this gown and
this beard’’
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Meanwhile Malvolio cannot actually see Feste
and he believes he is in ‘’hideous darkness’’
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’’
This comment is coming from one character who disguises herself, and is acquainted
with the concept, to another character who is, arguably, disguised also, as his
intelligence is masked by his exterior and his position in society
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In addition to other character’s reactions to Feste, it is also important to note Feste’s
reactions to other characters
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He even gives an overall evaluation of the play in
Act 4 Scene 1: ‘’Nothing that is so is so
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A notable moment of perception within the play occurs in Act 2 Scene 4 when Feste
compares Orsino’s mind to an ‘’opal’’ – implying that he is changeable
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This offers honest insight to both the audience,
who most likely have this attitude towards Orsino too, as well as to the other characters
present, including Orsino, none of whom comment on what Feste has said
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This perceptiveness adds to his
function as an ‘’allowed’’ fool, someone who has a license to make sarcastic comments
and bluntly poke fun at others without any major opposition
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For example, in Act 3 Scene 1, he starts to suspect that
Viola is not who she says she is by remarking: ‘’Now Jove in his next commodity of hair,
send thee a beard
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It seems that Feste is starting to realise
this, providing the audience with another instance in which his intelligence is showcased
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Shakespeare has portrayed Feste’s relationship with Malvolio as one that has
been turbulent from the outset of the play
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’’ Unusually, Feste does
not retort back to this comment, he seems some truth in it, perhaps because he has

been away for a while
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An audience might question whether he feels more confident
voicing his opinion on Malvolio when he realises that the other characters dislike him
also – Olivia branded him ‘’sick of self-love’’ in Act 1 Scene 5
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A defining point in Malvolio and Feste’s relationship is when Maria asks him to act as Sir
Topas (the Elizabethan belief was that the Topas jewel cured madness) - he is doing so
to fool Malvolio
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Though there is an obvious dislike to Malvolio,
this act of disguise does exhibit a nastier side of Feste – he uses his wit and dramatic
form to deceive and torment him
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Despite his seemingly mocking outlook on a variety of situations, Feste is also quick to
bring the characters and audience back down to Earth through the use of song
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This is another honest reality that Feste
feeds to both the audience and the characters alike, and also highlights his supposed
disguise (an intelligent man in the garments of a fool), portraying him as more aware of

his surroundings, as opposed to someone who is blind and too absorbed in being
portrayed as a comic
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It seems that the most relatable party to Feste is the audience
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’’
This intertwines with Feste’s role as a jester, someone who is there solely to provide
entertainment to the characters
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Within the play Twelfth Night, Feste provides a moderate amount of humour and honest
insight to both the audience and the characters because he has a license to do so, and
a talent for wit and playing on words
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His final interaction with Malvolio,
however, portrays a malicious and dishonest side to his character
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