Feste: The Clown Who Sees Everything

Feste is the only character in the play who moves freely between households. He works for Olivia, drinks with Sir Toby, and entertains Orsino. Nobody owns him, which means nobody can fully trust him, and he can say things nobody else can say.

His songs carry the play's melancholy. 'O mistress mine, where are you roaming?' in Act 2 Scene 3 is a song about the brevity of pleasure. 'Come away, come away, death' in Act 2 Scene 4, sung for Orsino, is darker still. He performs happiness while articulating sadness, which is roughly what fools are for.

His treatment of Malvolio in Act 4 is his one moment of straightforward cruelty. He visits the imprisoned steward disguised as Sir Topas, prolonging his confusion and distress. He does it partly for revenge (Malvolio has called him a 'barren rascal') and the play allows it. The final song, 'When that I was and a little tiny boy,' belongs entirely to him, and it ends the play in a different register from the weddings.