The ‘love’ he has for Olivia should actually be defined as infatuation because his love is simply not sacrificial and true love is the total opposite as true love is very sacrificial.
Twelfth Night is also at the same time a play where mostly all the women are witty and intelligent. Even the female servant is intelligent in this play. The fact in twelfth night is that apart from Feste there is no other male in this play who is witty and intellectual. In my opinion I think that Viola is the most intelligent female character. For example Orsino recognizes the intelligent side of Caesario→ Viola and thus she stands out from the rest because of it. For example, he says, "Caesario, / Thou know'st no less but all". ) Viola is obviously very perceptive. She is a good judge and reader of character. In such a short time, she has gained the duke's favour unlike others like Valentine who would have worked for Orsino for a long time. This suggests that she understands him well, what he likes and wants and is able to use this knowledge to her advantage. It also suggests she is a person who adapts well to situations. In such a short time, she is able to fit in. This also points to her intelligent and sharp nature. The evidence for this is the quote, “he hath known you but three days, and already you are no stranger”. Viola constantly finds opportunities to seek out information. She wants to know how constant and stable Orsino is. This is because on the one hand, it would be to her advantage if he continues his favour towards Caesario. On the other hand, if he is inconstant, it would also be to her advantage because it would show that his love for Olivia would not last. This again points out her wittiness. She finds every opportunity and makes use of it and does not waste any time. On the outside she appears to be naïve, this is shown my the amount of question she asks, but this shows that inside she is a very cautious person. On the outside, she may appear generous, kind for example, she gives captain a lot of money but actually this is all part of her planning, which shows her scheming and clever/ manipulative nature. Viola is basically a strategist, she is very quick thinking. An example to prove this is that when captain told her that she cannot work for Olivia she quickly thought of working with captain. Then again, this shows that she makes use of opportunities. All these shows that she is very talented, educated and not forgetting she is incredibly learned. Unlike the males in twelfth night who are so Lenten [lame]! The best example for this characteristic is the male character Sir Andrew in this play. He is simply dumb to the extent that he does not even realize when someone pokes fun at him.
Maria being a servant is also very witty. She pokes fun at Sir Andrew without him realizing, this is caused only because of two things, firstly it could be because Maria is too witty or it could be because Sir Andrew is to dumb to understand what she is saying. Either way, it proves that Maria is witty. An example of how she poked fun at him without him realizing is when she said. “Ay, Sir. I have them at my fingers’ ends. Marry now I let go your hand, I am barren” What she meant by that is that she has all jokes at her hand but once she lets go of Sir Andrew’s hand she would be empty. She is trying to imply that Sir Andrew is the cause of all the jokes she has been making so about him so far. Straight after this she exits, but Sir Andrew does not utter a word about the comment she made, this happened most likely because he did not understand what she said as it might have been too complex for him to understand. Another evidence that shows us that Maria employs wit and intellect is when she wants to take revenge on Malvolio when she says, “Sweet Sir Toby, be patient for tonight. Since the youth of the Count’s was today with my lady, she is much out of quiet. For monsieur Malvolio, let me alone with him. If I do not gull him into a nayword, and make him a common recreation, do not think I have wit enough to lie straight in my bed. I know I can do it.” This shows that she is a very strong lady and has a lot of confidence in herself. She is also very sure of what she is doing and she makes full use of her wit. This all sums up and tells us that in this play the women are rather intelligent. Because besides Feste, all the other males are rather laid-back and slack. They are not really intelligent or for some cases like Sir Andrew, he is not intelligent at all, but is only a good source of entertainment.
In this play, Olivia does not like people who are inferior. This goes to show that she cares a lot about her status. An evidence that proves this point is when Sir Toby tells Sir Andrew, “She’ll none o’ th’ Count; she’ll not match above her degree, neither in estate, years, nor wit. I have heard her swear’t. Tut, theres life in’t, man.” This implies that Olivia will not marry anyone above her anyone who is better than her in terms of social status, wealth, age or wit. She wants to be in charge and have authority. She wants to rule and does not want to be ruled around. Olivia does not like people who are inferior. This is usually a very manly kind of choices, usually man have this kind of requests and orders, but in this play it is opposite as the man in this play are passive and have nothing important to do while the women are those in action.
In this play, the women are in power, I say this because Olivia controls Orsino and Viola is in disguise and she is able to fool Orsino. Maria, the servant is in control of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. An example to prove the Maria is in control of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew is when she says this, “Sport royal, I warrant you. I know my physic will work with him. I will plant you two and let the fool make a third, where he shall find the letter, Observe his construction of it. For this night, to bed, and dream on the event. Farewell.”. This evidence tells me that she is in control of them. The way she phrases what she says gives me a sense that she is the leader and Sir Andrew and Sir Toby are her followers. I say that Olivia controls Orsino because Orsino likes Olivia and Orsino is so called ‘dancing on her fingertips’. He would do whatever she says. She is the only person on his mind. She is the only thing he has to work for. All he ever does is to think about Olivia, send messages to her through messengers saying the same old things. Orsino has everything in life accept for his ‘love’ the person he ‘loves’ which is non-other than Olivia. Therefore, his only motive and aim in life is to achieve her. This leads to him only being able to concentrate on her. This implies that she has full control over him.
I only agree that Twelfth night is a feminist play to a certain extent because somehow, I do not agree with the above statement as well. This is because in this play women are in disguise and are deceptive and manipulative. Viola dresses up as man to gain entry to Olivia’s house and Orsino’s house this shows that man have much more authority then women.
Feste is the wisest MAN in this play. He is no fool and is tremendously clever and witty. He is the official entertainer of the Court. He speaks words of knowledge, wisdom and is very perceptive. In addition loves adding proverbs to whatever he says, which is something that a wise MAN would do. For example, a proverb that he used is. “Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage; and for turning away, let summer bear it out”. In this proverb he means that a person who is dead does not need to fear a bad relationship and he ends off this by saying lets go through the seasons. He is very perceptive person. He launches in proverbial statement and wise statements. An evidence to prove my point is, “Those wits that think they have thee do very oft prove fools; and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise man. For what says Quinapalus? ‘Better a witty fool than a foolish wit’ God bless thee, lady!” This tells us that he is very perceptive and brings out the wittiness in him. Another evidence that shows that he is very sharp and that he knows how to trick people very well is, when he had a conversation with Olivia which went like this,
“ Feste: Good Madonna, why mourn’st thou?
Olivia: Good fool, for my brother’s death.
Feste: I think his soul is in hell, madonna.
Olivia: I know his soul is in heaven, fool.
Feste: The more fool, madonnna, to mourn for your brother’s soul, being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen. ”
This above conversation shows us that Feste has tricked Olivia and has made her say that her brother is in heaven. He insults her so that she can say that her brother is in heaven. This shows that he can really read people very well. It is a sort of talent in him.
The male characters also carry the humor and comedy of the play. They males in this play are surely more entertaining than the women in this play. The most entertaining would be Sir Andrew. He is renowned for his stupidity. Another entertaining character would again be Feste. He is famous for his wittiness in whatever he says. Sir Andrew is so stupid to the extent that he does not even know when someone is making a fool out of him. For example when Sir Toby asked Sir Andrew to dance, he danced thinking that he was looking very professional and elegant, but the truth was that he looked stupid and ridiculous. He is so dim and unintelligent that he does not even know that Sir Toby is making fun of him. This stupid and ridiculous but entertaining dance ends the scene. Sir Andrew also does not even know the meaning of accost and mistakes it for Maria’s last name when Sir Toby tells Sir Andrew to accost Maria. Sir Toby meant Accost as in to assail Maria, to make love with Maria, to get on top of Maria, but Sir Andrew took it the wrong way thinking that it was Maria’s last name.
In conclusion, I only disagree because Feste brings out the main theme of the play. Women are deceptive meaning Viola is in disguise and Olivia indulges in pretenetence. In this play, men also make the choice and women do not really have a say they do not really have a voice and have no place to voice their feelings.
But in an overall conclusion, If I am really asked to make a decision, I would surely say that yes, Twelfth Night is a feminist play because all the women are witty wherelse only one male is witty and entertainment is not all that is needed in a play there are also other factors to consider.
