Feste’s Songs and Their Contribution to Major Themes of the Play

Feste’s songs and their contribution to major themes of the play

Music played an important part in the sixteenth and seventeenth century during which Shakespeare was writing. Maybe this is the reason why there are frequent references to music in most Shakespeare’s dramas. Shakespeare’s plays like The Tempest and Twelfth Night are rich in songs and music.

The play Twelfth Night has four main songs all sung by Feste. Feste is officially the Clown in the play though he is sometimes referred to also as the Fool. One of the functions of the Clown in Shakespearean comedy is that of providing music. According to critic Richmond Noble the reason for this could be the fact that “The Clown in Shakespeare’s age was usually a man able to entertain his audience with music and song. Feste posses a ‘mellifluous voice’ in which he can sing with equal skill love songs and songs of life”. There are four songs in the play all sung by Feste beginning with “O Mistress Mine, where are you roaming?” (Act II, Scene iii). “Come away, come away death” which is the second song in the play and occurs in Act II, Scene iv. Festes song “I am gone sir” (Act IV, Scene ii) is the third song in the play and is Festes farewell to Malvolio. The final song in the play is the Epilogue in the end of Act V, beginning with “When I was a little tiny boy”.

The first song is performed at the enthusiastic requests from Sir Toby and Sir Andrew for a love-song. “O Mistress mine, where are you roaming.......youths stuff will not endure” (Act II, Scene iii, Lines 39-52). The song portrays the events of Twelfth Night. “Journeys end in lovers meeting” hints at the ending of the play. He predicts the events that will occur later in the play. The song also talks about the cheerfulness of the season and how the uncertainty of what's to come shouldn't be unsettling or disturbing , but instead motivating to take life as it comes and to live life to the fullest possibilities. According to critic Walter William “The lines "Present mirth hath present laughter, what’s to come is still unsure," (2.3.49-50) can be interpreted as the modern clichй of "Live for today." These words also represent Sir Toby’s idea of living life. The Clowns representation of this song brought out from Sir Andrew the compliment of a ‘mellifluous voice’. This song contributed to the development of the play.

.It is the singing of the clown that made Sir Toby and Sir Andrew set up noisy catches which provoked Malvolio’s interference, which were so uncontrollable that they roused the whole place and forced Malvolio’s interference, which then set forward the plot against Malvolio.

The second song in Act II is a sad and serious song. The Clown sings it in such a way that it adapts to the melancholic mood of the Duke. The clown in this song “Come away, come away death,…….weep there” expresses a playful pity for the Dukes passion and obsession. At Orsino's request, Feste sings a somber tune about a boy who dies for love. This link between love and death affects both Orsino and Viola. They listen and compare themselves to the boy in the song. For Orsino, the song's "fair cruel maid" (2.4.61) is Olivia, and the song represents what will become of his indulgence for her. For Viola, the song's "fair cruel maid" (2.4.61) is Orsino, and the song represents how her unreturned longing for him is killing her.

The third song occurs at the end of a very humororus and diverting scene where Feste teases and taunts Malvolio . This song is different in tone than other songs. This song serves as a means for the Clown’s exit from the stage after throwing his final insult at Malvolio. Moreover this song helped Shakespeare to effectively end the situation. Feste withdraws gradually after the final insult where he