Feste

As Feste torments the trapped Malvolio in Act IV Scene II, we get the sense that he is being too harsh. Though it was originally Maria and Sir Toby’s plan to seek revenge on Malvolio, Feste seems to go along with it just for his own entertainment. It wasn’t until Malvolio is already trapped in the dark room that Feste is involved in the plot against Malvolio. However, once we see him in league with the others, he acts more severely than the rest. Feste puts on robes to torment Malvolio and make him believe that he is actually a priest, even though Malvolio is trapped in the dark room where he clearly cannot see Feste. Feste seems to put on the costume only to further the enjoyment he gets out of tormenting Malvolio and even Maria points to this, saying “Thou mightst have done this without thy beard and gown. He sees thee not.”(64). Sir Toby remarks “I would we were well rid of this knavery.”(67) after telling Feste to drop the disguise. Yet even after Sir Toby relays his disinterest in teasing Malvolio further, Feste torments Malvolio again in line 94 and even continues to imitate Sir Topas the priest. After witnessing the interactions between Feste and Malvolio and between Feste and those who created the plot, we get the impression that Feste is only trying to amuse himself. What do you think Shakespeare meant to imply with Feste’s questionable behavior? Does he want us to understand that Feste is a deceitful and unkind person? Perhaps he wants us to pity Malvolio now that the joke has gone “too far”.