Twelfth Night, or What You Will Foolishness and Folly Quotes

Valentine's message for Duke Orsino (that Olivia has sworn off the company of men to mourn for seven years) is somewhat comedic. Here, Valentine says that Olivia's salty tears are a kind of "brine" that will preserve her dead brother's memory. This suggests that Olivia's dead brother is, well, like a pickle (a cucumber preserved through the process of brining). Yuck! Olivia's situation is sad, sure, but Shakespeare also pokes fun of Olivia when he compares her to a pickle-maker – the implication being that Olivia should find a better use of her time. Like falling in love with a living person.

Sir Andrew Aguecheek's not the brightest bulb, as Maria mocks him without Aguecheek realizing what's happening. (By taking his hand, Maria calls Andrew a "fool.") Aguecheek is also gullible when Sir Toby tricks him into challenging "Cesario" to a duel in order to win Olivia. This places Aguecheek in the same group as all the other silly characters that pursue unrealistic romantic partners.

Sir Andrew Aguecheek is not serious when he claims he wishes he had spent more time studying foreign languages and less time fooling around. Like Aguecheek, the play often mocks the serious pursuit of all things serious. On the other hand, Aguecheek's excessive foolery also seems to make him the play's poster child for how not to live one's life.

Here, Feste points out that foolishness is a relative term when Olivia asks her "Fool" to look after the drunken and passed out Sir Toby Belch.

It's true that Feste is a professional Fool, but the play seems pretty intent on demonstrating that he is also the wisest figure in the play. Here, he deftly shows Olivia why she, not him, is irrational in her love for a dead brother.

When Feste says Orsino ought to wear a "taffeta" doublet, he gives voice to the idea that Orsino is moody, fickle, and silly. (Taffeta is a fabric woven of various colored threads, which gives it an iridescent quality that changes color depending on the angle at which it's viewed.) If Orsino were to wear a taffeta coat, his costume would match his "changeable" mind, which has been made "melancholy" by the Duke's obsession with love. Shakespeare beats us over the head with the idea that love, especially the Duke's self-love, is utterly ridiculous.

We love this moment in the play, especially because Aguecheek is proud of the fact that he guesses correctly that Malvolio is talking about him when M refers to a "foolish knight." Aguecheek knows enough to recognize when he's being slandered but he isn't smart enough to be mad at the insult.

When Feste asks Malvolio if he's faking his madness, we're reminded that madness is often synonymous with foolishness and folly in the play. Feste knows that Malvolio is neither insane nor pretending. In fact, Feste has just returned to Malvolio's dark prison in his disguise as "Sir Topas," the priest who conducts a mock exorcism to rid Malvolio of his supposed "demons." Still, Malvolio's ridiculous behavior and silly costume cause others (like Olivia) to think he's a "lunatic." Fun tip: Shakespeare will later return to the idea of madness as demonic possession in King Lear (c. 1603-1606) when Edgar, disguised as "Poor Tom," pretends to be a lunatic possessed by the devil.

The play's notion of folly is not limited to the silly antics of characters like Aguecheek and Feste. Here, Antonio mistakes "Cesario" for Sebastian and accuses "Cesario" of cruelty and dishonesty. Though we know "Cesario" is innocent, this passage reminds us that Antonio has foolishly pursued Sebastian, who does not return Antonio's love.

Olivia's sympathetic response to the revelation that Malvolio has been duped seems to be the only voice of compassion directed at Malvolio's folly. How do you respond to the prank on Malvolio? Do you read it as a funny situation that shouldn't be taken seriously? Or, do you respond to it as a dark, disturbing element in an otherwise light-hearted play? Something else?

When Toby asks for "Dick" the surgeon after Sebastian bloodies his face, Feste informs him that the doctor is unavailable. In any other play, the lack of available medical help for a wounded man would be tragic. In Twelfth Night, however, the situation is comedic. In a play where just about everyone engages in outlandish behavior, even the doctor is too drunk to function.