Feste (in some versions of the text he's called The Clown)
serves the lady Olivia as her Fool. In Shakespeare's day, a Fool was someone that a
well-to-do person might keep around to amuse them with their wit. And it is this "wit"
that Shakespeare uses the character of Feste for in Twelfth
Night.
The first time Feste appears on stage, he
sets the tone for his witty observations of the other characters in the play. His lady,
Olivia, is in mourning for her brother. Some might call her mourning extreme, since she
has vowed to close herself off from human interaction for seven
years.
Feste arrives on the scene (after having been absent
for some time) to declare that he is not the "fool," but rather Olivia is -- and that he
can prove it. The upshot of his proof is that, if she believes that her brother has
gone to Heaven (where everyone desires to ultimately end up), why in the world is she
sad about that? She should be happy. So, she is a
fool.
It is common for the Fools in Shakespeare's plays to
stand outside the action, observing and commenting on the follies and tribulations of
the other characters, but never becoming too involved in the circumstances that drive
the plot. And this can definitely be said about Feste.
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