12th Night Feste: Foolish or Wise

“Those wits that think they have thee do very oft prove fools, and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise man.” (1.5.30-31)
In the ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare, the role of the entertainer was fulfilled by the character named, ‘Feste’. Feste’s purpose was to entertain the nobles through songs and witty jokes at the expense of others; however, his role was far more important than a simple ‘jester’ or ‘fool’. When Feste says; “Those wits that think they have thee do very oft prove fools, and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise man” (1.5.30-31), he is stating a version of the old saying, “know thyself.” These lines point out that Feste is not simply a jester; but rather a fool with much intelligence. Shakespeare meant to create Feste’s character to help teach the other characters more about themselves through experiences displaying their foolishness and short-comings. Feste used various strategic approaches and insightful remarks to reach that goal.
Feste incorporates music to affect and convey multiple hidden messages which are essential in order to better understand the play’s central theme of love. A perfect example is the song he performs for Sir Toby and Sir Andrew:
“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” (2.3.37-42).
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” (2.3.45-50).
Feste plainly prophesizes the events that will take place later on in the play when he mentions: “journeys ending in lovers meeting” (2.3.41). This quotation shows that the