Foolish in Twelfth Night

In English literature, the two main ways which the fool could enter imaginative literature is that "He could provide a topic, a theme for mediation, or he could turn into a stock character on the stage, a stylized comic figure". In William Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night, Feste the clown is not the only fool who is subject to foolery. He and many other characters combine their silly acts and wits to invade other characters that that either escape reality or live a dream.   It is not unusual that the fool should be a prominent figure and make an important contribution in forming the confusion and the humor in an Elizabethan drama.

In Twelfth Night, the clown and the fools are the ones who combine humor and wit to make the comedy work. Clowns, jesters, and Buffoons are usually regarded as fools. Their differences could be of how they dress, act or are portrayed in society. A clown for example, was understood to be a country bumpkin or 'cloun'. In Elizabethan usage, the word 'clown' is ambiguous meaning both “countryman” and “principal comedian”. Another meaning given to it in the 1600 is “a fool or jester”. As for a buffoon, it is defined as "a man whose profession is to make low jests and antics postures; a clown, jester, fool". The buffoon is a fool because "although he exploits his own weaknesses instead of being exploited by others....he resembles other comic fools". This is similar to the definition of a 'Jester' who is also known as a "one maintained in a prince's court or nobleman's household". As you can see, the buffoon, jester and the clown are all depicted as fools and are related and tied to each other in some sort of way. They relatively have the same objectives in their roles but in appearance (clothes, physical features) they may be different.

In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Feste's role in this Illyrian comedy is significant because "Illyria is a country permeated with the spirit of the Feast of Fools, where identities are confused,... [continues]

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