Take the "fool" away
In the words of the great Greek poet Aeschylus, "it is best for wise men not to be seen as wise" (Aeschylus, brainyquote.com). This quote seems to be exactly what playwright William Shakespeare kept in mind while creating the character Feste in his play Twelfth Night. Shakespeare created a character that at first glance, seems to be a fool. Nevertheless, upon closer inspection, they were a wise and intelligent person. Feste is often perceived as the fool in the play. However, it is undeniable that he is characterised as a wise person. This will become indisputable through a detailed exploration of Feste's wit and intelligence and his ability to play around with words.
First of all, Feste proves himself to be wise through his intelligence and wit. Feste often shows his intelligence in the play, stunning his peers with its extent. For example, when Sir Toby and Maria ask for Feste's help in pranking Malvolio, Feste disguises himself as Sir Topas and asked Malvolio an important question, "What is the option of Pythagoras concerning/ wildfowl?" (4.2.47-48). Pythagoras' theory is not one known by many fools. So for Feste, a character viewed as witless, using it so easily truly showcases how intelligent this so-called "fool" can be. Using such a theory in a normal conversation would be a struggle for many, however, Feste's intelligence allows him to introduce and incorporate it fluently while still making sense in the matter of things. Feste's intelligence is also shown through his significant wit. Feste's wit is highlighted often in the play for comedic purposes, an example of such being when he proves Olivia to be a fool, stating "The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brothers/ souls, being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen" (1.5.63-64). Wit is often viewed the highest form of intelligence, proving that someone as witty as Feste is extremely intelligent. In this scenario, Feste only requires a couple of sentences to prove Olivia a fool and not get fired from his job. He uses his wit and clever thinking to immediately come up with a way to defeat Olivia at her own game. By presenting himself in a funny and witty way, Feste has established a place in Olivia's household. This is a fact that proves his wit is quite significant, as it is has reached such extremes that his job is based around it. And quite frankly speaking, he wouldn't have his job if he wasn't witty and intelligent.
Secondly, Feste's wisdom is proven through his ability to play with words and their meanings. One of Feste's greatest qualities is his ability to utilise words and twist them for his own purpose. He does this several times, for example, when he dresses up as Sir Topas to make Malvolio think he is mad by contradicting his own words saying, "...it hath bay-windows transparent as barricadoes,/ and the clerestories toward the south-north are/ lustrous as ebony..." (4.2.35-37). In this example, Feste plays around with words so that he contradicts himself for the sole purpose of confusing Malvolio, which he does effectively. This example blatantly shows how easily and fluently Feste was able to play around with the words and use them to his own benefit. He cleverly uses antonyms to defeat his enemy. Feste strategically used words to confuse and therefore, defeat his enemies and those around him. In fact, Feste does this quite often, as when Viola first met Feste, she is startled with his ability to play around with words as he tells her "I live by the church" (3.1.3). In this moment, Feste cleverly fooled Viola into thinking he was a church man. He did so by playing around with words and their meaning to use them to his own ability, a trick that only few can do. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Feste sees the opportunity and uses his quick thinking and intelligence to seize it, once again proving his wisdom. The ability to twist words so easily and bend them to one's ability is one craved by many but only achieved by practice and intelligence, two of the main factors in wisdom.
In conclusion, Feste's wisdom is undeniably evident due to his intelligence and wit and his ability to play around with the meaning of words. Someone who was once introduced as a fool in the beginning has proven himself to be a wise character that is more than what is presented on the outside. Feste has shown extreme wisdom with his abilities and changed the audiences view on him completely proving that, Shakespeare has done a wonderful job on creating a character with immense depth and meaning. Shakespeare has done a wonderful job creating Feste.
