Jesters, Clowns, Buffons In Twelth Night Essay, Research Paper
A sap can be defined in many significances harmonizing to the
Oxford English Dictionary On Historical Principles. The word
could intend & # 8220 ; a cockamamie individual & # 8221 ; , or & # 8220 ; one who professionally
forgeries folly for the amusement of others, a fool,
buffoon & # 8221 ; or & # 8220 ; one who has little or no ground or mind & # 8221 ; or
& # 8220 ; one who is made to look to be a sap & # 8221 ; ( word originated from
North Frisian ) . In English literature, the two chief ways which
the sap could come in inventive literature is that & # 8220 ; He could
supply a subject, a subject for mediation, or he could turn into a
stock character on the phase, a conventionalized amusing figure & # 8221 ; . In
William Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s comedy, Twelfth Night, Feste the buffoon is
non the lone sap who is capable to folly. He and many other
characters combine their cockamamie Acts of the Apostless and marbless to occupy other
characters that & # 8220 ; evade world or instead recognize a dream & # 8221 ; , while
& # 8220 ; our understandings go out to those & # 8221 ; . & # 8220 ; It is natural that the sap
should be a outstanding & A ; attractive figure and do an of import
part to the action & # 8221 ; in organizing the confusion and the
wit in an Elizabethan play. In Twelfth Night, the buffoon and
the saps are the 1s who combine wit & A ; humor to do the comedy
work.
Clowns, fools, and Clowns are normally regarded as saps.
Their differences could be of how they dress, act or portrayed in
society. A buffoon for illustration, & # 8220 ; was understood to be a state
yokel or & # 8216 ; cloun & # 8217 ; & # 8221 ; . In Elizabethan use, the word & # 8216 ; clown & # 8217 ; is
equivocal & # 8220 ; intending both countryman and chief comedian & # 8221 ; .
Another significance given to it in the 1600 is & # 8220 ; a sap or fool & # 8221 ; .
As for a clown, it is defined as & # 8220 ; a adult male whose profession is to
do low jokes and jokes positions ; a buffoon, fool, sap & # 8221 ; .
The clown is a sap because & # 8220 ; although he exploits his ain
failings alternatively of being exploited by others & # 8230 ; .he resembles
other amusing saps & # 8221 ; . This is similar to the definition of a
& # 8216 ; Jester & # 8217 ; who is besides known as a & # 8220 ; clown, or a merry Andrew. One
maintained in a prince & # 8217 ; s tribunal or Lord & # 8217 ; s family & # 8221 ; . As
you can see, the clown, fool and the buffoon are all depicted
as saps and are related & amp ; tied to each other in some kind of
manner. They comparatively have the same aims in their functions but
in visual aspect wise ( apparels, physical characteristics ) they may be
different. In Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s Twelfth Night, Feste & # 8217 ; s function in this
Illyrian comedy is important because & # 8220 ; Illyria is a state
permeated with the spirit of the Feast of Fools, where individualities
are confused, & # 8216 ; rude regulation & # 8217 ; applauded & # 8230 ; and no injury is done & # 8221 ; .
& # 8220 ; In Illyria therefore the sap is non so much a critic of his
environment as a ringleader, a merry-companion, a Lord of
Misgovernment. Being every bit welcome above and below stairs.. & # 8221 ; makes
Feste important as a character. In Twelfth Night, Feste dramas
the function of a low buffoon employed by Olivia & # 8217 ; s father playing
the accredited sap of their family. We learn this in Olivia & # 8217 ; s
statement saying that Feste is & # 8220 ; an allowed sap & # 8221 ; ( I.v.93 ) significance
he is licensed, privileged critic to talk the truth of the
people around him. We besides learn in a statement by Curio to the
Duke that Feste is employed by Olivia & # 8217 ; s male parent. & # 8220 ; Feste the
fool & # 8230 ; a sap that the Lady Olivia & # 8217 ; s beget took much pleasance
in & # 8221 ; ( II.iv.11 ) .
Feste is more of the amusing truth of the comedy. Although he
does non do any profound comments, he seems to be the wisest
individual within all the characters in the comedy. Viola comments
this by stating & # 8220 ; This chap & # 8217 ; s wise sufficiency to play the
sap & # 8221 ; ( III.i.61 ) . Since Feste is a accredited sap, his chief function
in Twelfth Night is to talk the truth. This is where the wit
prevarications, his truthfulness. In one illustration he proves Olivia to be a
true sap by inquiring her what she was mourning approximately. The poi
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Feste tried to do was why was Olivia mourning for a individual
who & # 8217 ; s psyche is in Eden?
& # 8220 ; ClOWN Good Mary, why mourn & # 8217 ; st thou?
OLIVIA Good Fool, for my brother & # 8217 ; s decease.
ClOWN I think his psyche is in snake pit, Mary.
OLIVIA I know his psyche is in Eden, sap.
Clown The more sap, Mary, to mourn for your
brother & # 8217 ; s psyche, being in Eden. Take away the sap,
gentlemen.
Adding to the wit of the comedy, Feste, dresses up as Sir
Topaz, the minister of religion and visits the captive Malvolio with Maria
and Sir Toby. There he uses his wit to mistreat Malvolio
who is still incognizant that he is really speaking to the buffoon
than to the existent Sir Topas. Feste ( disguised as Sir Topaz )
calls Malvolio a & # 8220 ; moonstruck & # 8221 ; ( IV.ii.23 ) , & # 8220 ; satan & # 8221 ; ( IV.ii.32 ) and
confuses him by knowingly doing him a sap.
Throughout the drama, Malvolio has ever been the individual who
deliberately spoils the pleasance of other people ( spoilsport ) . He
is Feste & # 8217 ; s worst incubus in the drama, but in the terminal is
triumphed over by Feste wholly and is the lone character to
show a negative attitude and a self-respect reversed.
& # 8220 ; MALVOLIO: I & # 8217 ; ll be revenged on the whole battalion of
you! & # 8221 ; ( V.i.378 ) At the terminal of the comedy, Feste, & # 8220 ; is given the
last word and is left in ownership of the phase & # 8221 ; .
Maria, Olivia & # 8217 ; s comrade is another individual who seems
enthusiastic in playing buffooneries on other people. In Twelfth
Night, she plays the unsuspicious function of a behind the scene
sap who gives thoughts to Feste, Sir Andrew & A ; Sir Toby to
help her in her programs. In two incidents, she remains quiet
while her programs are carried out by either the Knights or the
Clown.
Part of the wit that lies in this comedy is that Maria & # 8217 ; s
buffooneries are rough & A ; cruel, utilizing love and power ( position of Olivia )
to assail Malvolio, steward of Olivia, who is & # 8220 ; & # 8230 ; .sick of ego
love & # 8221 ; ( I.v.90 ) . For this, Malvolio & # 8217 ; s greed for power terminals
himself locked up in a dark cell and is accused of being huffy.
She besides prepares Feste to mask as Sir Topaz. This is seen
in the quotation mark: & # 8220 ; Nay, I prithee put on this gown and this face fungus ;
do him believe 1000 are Sir Topas the minister of religion ; make it rapidly.
I & # 8217 ; ll name Sir Toby the whilst. & # 8221 ; ( IV.ii.1,2,3 ) Combined with other
saps, Maria helps do Twelfth Night a uproariously amusing comedy.
Last, Sir Toby Belch is another sap in Twelfth Night.
His function is assisting & # 8220 ; on the game of make-believe & # 8221 ; . Always
converting & A ; promoting the rich Sir Andrew Aguecheek that he
has a opportunity of winning Lady Olivia & # 8217 ; s love. He is similar to
Feste, except he plays the function of a knight and is Olivia & # 8217 ; s
kinsman. His function is similar to a sap because he depicts many
buffooneries of a sap. For illustration in Act II scene three, while he was
rummy he sings along with Feste when Malvolio barges in to close
them up. Whenever there is a buffoonery, Maria invites Sir Toby to
participate. One such buffoonery was to help Maria & # 8217 ; s fake
missive to do Malvolio believe Olivia is in love with
him. Sir Toby & # 8217 ; s pretend strategy works convincingly on
Malvolio. Another buffoonery was to attach to the cloaked Feste
( Sir Topaz ) into the dark cell where Malvolio was imprisoned.
This concomitant was likely to guarantee Malvolio that the existent
Sir Topaz is sing him. Yet it is another pretend strategy
of Sir Toby.
In Twelfth Night, the saps are the 1s that control the
comedy and wit in the drama. They assist in the brand believe
game and sap around with characters who & # 8220 ; evade world or instead
recognize a dream & # 8221 ; . In Twelfth Night, Feste, Maria and Sir Toby
are the saps that make the comedy work in many senses. They
make the confusion through wit and it all works out in the
terminal to do William Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s Twelfth Night a truly amusing
Elizabethan drama.
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