Twelfth Night - Feste

What is Feste's role in Twelfth Night?

Feste is a seer

How does Feste subvert ideas about social class?

Feste is able to travel between the houses

What is the significance of Feste's costume?

Feste's costume is a joker/fool's outfit. The significance of this is that his outward appearance does not match his internal qualities. Feste is extremely intelligent showing that we should not judge people by their external appearance.

Which two themes does Feste mostly serve to develop?

festivity and foolishness and deception, disguise and performance

Give one quote from Feste from Act 1 Scene 5.

"no true cuckold but calamity so beauty's a flower"

Give two quotes from Feste from Act 2 Scene 3.

- "Would you have a love song or a song of good life?"

- "your true love's coming that can sing both high and low"

Give three quotes from Feste about Orsino from Act 2, Scene 4.

- "put to sea that their business might be everything and their intent everywhere, for [...] a good voyage of nothing"

- "changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal"

- "melancholy god protect thee"

Give four quotes about foolishness and the corruption of words from Feste in Act 3, Scene 1.

- "Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun, it shines everywhere"

- "I am indeed not her fool, but her corrupter of words"

- "A sentence is but a cheverel glove to a good wit: how quickly the wrong side may be turned outward"

- "But indeed words are very rascals since bonds disgraced them"

Give one quote from Feste from Act 4, Scene 1.

"Nothing that is so is so"

Give five quotes from Feste from Act 4, Scene 2.

- "Out hyperbolic fiend, how vexest thou this man! Talkest thou nothing but of ladies?"

- "I will dissemble myself in't"

- "woodcock"

- "goodman devil"

- "Nay I'll ne'er believe a madman till I see his brains"

How do Feste's songs provide social commentary?

They consider themes of love, disguise and the human nature, offering insights to the audience that reflect characters in the play.

How does Feste moving between household serve the plot?

Feste is a connector of plots. By interacting with characters of each household, he is able to see their connections and as a result weave the plots together.

Who does Feste act as a foil to?

Malvolio and the lovers - serves to bring out their flaws and shed light on the ironic situations they find themselves in

What does Rumens suggest about Feste?

"Feste represents Shakespeare himself"

What does Winterman say a fool's role is?

"A fool's role is to expose the vain and mock the pompous"