Julie Tagg| Think and Write for CSEC English A and B

Shakespeare’s play ‘Twelfth Night’ is a comedy that explores the themes of love, identity, and the power of illusion. The tone of the play is irreverent and bemused, and it mocks the self-seriousness and pretensions of the most self-deluded characters in the story. The play’s cheerful energy, which is supported by songs, jokes, drinking, and dancing, incorporates the topsy-turvy and irreverent spirit of the Epiphany celebration.

During Epiphany, the social order is temporarily suspended, and in the play, those who aspire to gain power are the most viciously mocked. Malvolio, the puritanical steward of Lady Olivia’s household, is the chief example. Once he finds Maria’s note and believes that Lady Olivia loves him, he instantly abandons his sober, straight-laced demeanor and becomes unexpectedly giddy at the prospect of elevating his social status through marriage. This fevered list of “I wills” makes Malvolio’s thirst for power glaringly obvious. The exaggerated, pompous tone of his declaration suggests his plan is worthy of derision, and we should root for him to fail.

The tone of the play becomes more serious to punctuate specific scenes and provide contrast to the apparently boundless good cheer and mischief of the plot. The songs performed by Feste, the fool, are romantic and mournful, representing a departure from the lighthearted tone found throughout most of the play. The lyrics of “Come away, Come away death” are distinctly grim, relating a fatal case of unrequited love. The forlorn tone here reveals the internal weather of Duke Orsino, whose unrequited love for Olivia mirrors the lovesick, tragic narrator of the song.

The play’s closing song, which may have been written by Shakespeare himself, is similarly melancholy. It is sung by Feste and tells the story of the fool’s life from when he was a “little tiny boy” up until the present, throughout “the rain, it raineth every day.” The more elegiac tone of these songs suggests that under the mischievous fun of the play lies the bittersweet reality of the brevity and hardships of life.

In conclusion, the tone of ‘Twelfth Night’ is varied and complex, reflecting the play’s exploration of contrasting themes. The play’s humor is often undercut by moments of melancholy, and the characters’ self-delusions are balanced by moments of genuine complexity and pathos. Overall, the play’s tone is a testament to Shakespeare’s mastery of both comedy and tragedy.

See more @ Motifs in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”