12th Night Essay - If one character from 12th Night could feature in a Simpsons Episode, who would it be?

William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a comedy about a young girl, Viola, who is separated from her twin brother due to a shipwreck. Viola dresses up as a man in order to make a living, but runs into some dilemmas along the way. During her endeavors, some interesting characters are introduced in Twelfth Night, one of whom is the humorous Sir Toby Belch. Sir Toby is Countess Olivia’s alcoholic uncle, who loves to play pranks and have fun. He could appear on an episode of the Simpsons, because he adds to the plot, and he has comedic potential guaranteed to appeal to Simpsons fans.

        Sir Toby Belch would be a great guest star to appear on the episode “Twelfth Night, or Whatever.” because of his ability to add to the plot. Sir Toby is an alcoholic, and this could be greatly exaggerated in the Simpsons episode. In a scene from the play, the extent of Sir Toby’s alcoholism was portrayed when he commented “I’ll drink to [her] as long as there is a passage in my throat and drink in Illyria.” (1.3.35). This would be a sight to see, and maybe lead to Sir Toby drinking too much and learning a lesson. Sir Toby’s love of alcohol could be helpful in his interaction with other Simpsons’ characters.  For example, Sir Toby is seen persuading Sir Andrew to join him, saying “Come come, I’ll go burn some sack. ‘Tis too late to go to bed now.” (2.3.165)”.  Seeing how he loves to interact with friends while drinking, he could easily become acquainted with Homer and his friends in settings like Moe’s Tavern. Perhaps they could could become drinking buddies.  The interactions in their inebriated state could result in some very amusing and interesting scenes.