Twelfth Night as Romantic Comedy: Shakespeare Analysis

 

Shakespearean Comedy in general is romantic comedy as distinguished from the classical comedy of Ben Jonson and earlier dramatists. It does not observe the classical rules of dramatic composition e.g., the three unities of time, space and action. Its setting is not known of any familiar place but some far off country of the mind. Its aim is not satirical. We laugh with characters and not at them. It does not aim at bringing about an adherence to the established social order but presents an alluring, idealized and romantic picture of life and thus seeks to make men better, nobler and happier. It ridicules human vanities and affectations but with sympathy and affection. Its men and women are noble specimen of humanity and they never lose our sympathy and compassionate feelings.

‘Twelfth Night’ is primarily a tale of love and adventure. The entire atmosphere is surcharged with love and there is much music and dancing to heighten the general atmosphere of gaiety and merry-making. It is an imaginary world of love, an escape from compulsions of life but reality too is not long absent from it. Indeed as H.B. Chariton points out;

 

“Confrontation of realism and romance is one of the important characteristics of the romantic comedies of Shakespeare.”

 

 Moreover, in a Shakespearean Comedy, women hold the forefront of the stage. In fact, women are the vital force who bestow life to a Shakespearean comedy. George Gordon observes;

 

“It is true of Shakespearean comedies as it is of daily use where woman is the root and heart of every matter.”

 

Appearance, reality and friendship are the general themes apart from love and romance in Shakespearean comedy. ‘Twelfth Night’ is a typical dramatic comedy of Shakespeare but the merriest and the sunniest of all. It is basically a tale of love and not one or two but nearly all the characters are in love.

Duke Orsino is in love with Olivia, Viola disguised as Cesario falls in love with the duke, Olivia falls in love with Viola/Cesario her own sex. Moreover, the difficulties in the way of love are not created by the society or parents but by Viola's disguise. However, Viola trusts time to clear away all the difficulties. Therefore, she says;

 

“O Time, thou must untangle this, not I,

It is too hard a knot for me to untie.”

 

‘Twelfth Night’ has been called the merriest of Shakespeare's comedies. Some of the people opine that there is laughter, mere laughter and nothing but laughter. Shakespeare, in this drama, is equally at home in raising laughter or moving us to tears. In the battle of wits between lovers, we have a display of wit and satire. ‘Twelfth Night’ has the rare distinction of being a comedy in which the comic under plot overshadows the main plot and remains its chief attraction. All scenes have been devoted to the comic characters and there is hilarious fun from the beginning to the end.

However, it is wrong to call ‘Twelfth Night’ containing nothing but laughter. The play would not have been one of the finest comedies of the world if it were so. It is not satiric; its basic aim is not didactic but it aims at amusement. The writer here exposes the hypocrisy, affectation, vanity and self-love of different characters imperceptibly and sympathetically. Malvolio is presented to us in the most ludicrous situation yet in Shakespeare's hands, the ridicule is never unkind. Malvolio never loses his own dignity or our sympathy.

Sir Andrew's ignorance is turned to ridicule by his own witty compassions and yet he touches us by what we have in common with him. Thus, to provoke laughter was never the sole aim of Shakespeare. What is laughable is only on the surface. There is always some moral lesson imperceptibly conveyed and this is the greatness of Shakespeare.

Since music is the food of love, ‘Twelfth Night’ is more musical than other comedies. It begins with a discourse on music.

 

“If music be the food of love, play on!

Give me excess of it, that surfeiting,

The appetite may sicken and so die.”

 

The play ends too with a song.

 

When that I was and a little tiny boy,

    With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,

A foolish thing was but a toy,

    For the rain it raineth every day.

 

But when I came to man’s estate,

    With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,

’Gainst knaves and thieves men shut their gate,

    For the rain it raineth every day.

 

But when I came, alas! to wive,

    With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,

By swaggering could I never thrive,

    For the rain it raineth every day.

 

But when I came unto my beds,

    With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,

With toss-pots still had drunken heads,

    For the rain it raineth every day.

 

A great while ago the world begun,

    With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,

But that’s all one, our play is done,

    And we’ll strive to please you every day.

 

And in between the play are scattered a number of songs and lines from popular songs and ballads. Fool is the most musical of Shakespeare's fools. He sings a very amusing song.

 

O Mistress mine where are you roaming?

O stay and hear, your true love's coming,

      That can sing both high and low.

Trip no further pretty sweeting.

Journeys end in lovers' meeting,

      Every wise man's son doth know.

 

What is love, 'tis not hereafter,

Present mirth, hath present laughter:

      What's to come, is still unsure.

In delay there lies no plenty,

Then come kiss me sweet and twenty:

      Youth's a stuff will not endure.

 

To think of ‘Twelfth Night’ is to think of music. Shakespeare promoted women to be first place in his comedies. So, in ‘Twelfth Night’ Viola is seen to shape the world towards happiness. She is the life and soul of the play. All complications arise due to her. So, it is not wrong to say that she is both hero and heroine because there is no other character fit to be called so.