Examine the role and function of Feste within the play. What is your opinion of him?

      “ Foolery sir, does walk about the orb like the sun, it shines everywhere”

What he is observing here is that he is surrounded by people who are fools.

In many ways Feste seems to be the wisest person in the play.

Feste accurately sums up the other characters. He mocks the Duke “For thy mind is a very opal” .  An opal stone appears to be many colours and he is suggesting that the Dukes mind is very changeable.

And of Sir Andrew

         “For what says Quinapalus?

           Better a witty fool than a foolish wit”.

Since Feste is a licensed fool his main role in Twelfth Night is to speak the truth. He proves Olivia to be a true fool when he takes her to task for the time she intends to spend in mourning for a person whose soul is in heaven.

Although he plays the fool he is not a fool and Viola is able to sum him up perfectly

             “This fellows wise enough to play the fool

              And to do that well craves a kind of wit”

  In the play Feste is probably most associated with music and sings three important songs. His love of music is clear. The love song he sings for Sir Toby and Sir Andrew in act two encourages the listener to grasp love whilst young because ‘what’s to come is still unsure’.  Festes next song is for Orsino and presents a tragic view of both love and life which fits the Dukes mood.

          ‘Lay me, O where

            Sad true lover never find my grave,

            To weep there’

Feste is clever in summing up the Duke’s mood which is melancholy, because Orsino is pleased with Feste’s song he pays him for his performance. Feste has successfully fooled money from Orsino.

The play ends with a song, with Feste singing directly to the audience. It is a sad regretful song about growing up, a knowing summary of human life.

  In my opinion Feste is a very entertaining character, he adds humour to the play when he dresses up as Sir Topaz, the curate and goes with Maria and Sir Toby to pay a visit to the imprisoned Malvolio. Malvolio has always been a bit of a spoilsport and likes other people’s happiness to be ruined. Malvolio is unaware that he is not talking to the real Sir Topas and because he is not conscious of this it adds humour to the play. I think Feste is a very enthusiastic and  comical character.