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Despite Feste’s occupation as a fool, he proves himself to be one of the wisest characters in the entire play. He sees through the inauthentic personas of those around him, and he relies on his wit and entertainment skills to call them out. This free reign to cleverly mock others without retribution makes Feste a prime example of the Shakespearean fool archetype. Like many of Shakespeare’s other fool or clown characters, Feste’s commentary gives the audience a deeper look into the play’s key themes, such as love, appearances, and deception, as well as the true natures of other characters.
Feste may be an official employee of Olivia’s household, but his involvement in each of the play’s storylines makes him the perfect character to offer a broader overview of the unfolding events. He declares Olivia to be a fool, for example, due to her excessive mourning over a brother in heaven. Similarly, Feste criticizes Orsino for his fickleness and the absurdity of his pining for Olivia. These two assessments reveal that neither Olivia nor Orsino are genuine in their feelings, a quality which ultimately helps to explain the quick transfers of their love in the final act. Feste is also heavily involved in the plot to prank Malvolio, and this scheme allows his quick wit, clever wordplay, and character acting to shine through. While his treatment of Malvolio may seem a bit harsh in the end, their interaction reinforces Malvolio’s identity as a pitiable character.
Feste seems to embody the fun, topsy-turvy energy associated with the Twelfth Night holiday throughout most of the play, but his final song carries a somber tone. The lyrics trace events over the course of a lifetime in a less-than-ideal way, offering a vision of human life that is markedly different from the dream ending of the play. Even in his final moments on stage, Feste puts the play’s events into perspective and emphasizes the importance of entertainment.
