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Feste could be argued as the biggest fool as he is literally classified as the ‘licensed fool’ in the play.

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Sir Toby is the Lord of Misrule and is often too drunk to ever be anything other than foolish or cruel

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However, Feste is arguably the most wise character as he is the clown- a character which is often the philosopher.

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Feste is arguably the most intelligent character in the play at at many points acts as a chorus for Shakespeare as a mouthpiece for his themes/messages

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Sir Toby is arguably the biggest fool as he criticises other characters (particularly sir Andrew), and doesn’t reflect on his own personality.

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Feste joins in with Maria and Sir Toby’s foolish tricks when he acts as the priest to fool Malvolio

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Sir Andrew could be seen as foolish as he is quite a vulnerable character and so he is often subjected to insults from the other characters; jokes are often made at Sir Andrew’s expense.

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Sir Andrew is considered the biggest fool due to his lack of understanding of jokes and witty words. When Sir Toby is making a joke to Sir Andrew by telling him to woo Maria he states “Accost, Sir Andrew, Accost” - Sir Andrew is presented as quite stupid as he interprets this as Maria’s name - “Good mistress Accost..”. Ultimately, this presents Sir Andrew as the biggest fool due to his pitiful understanding of Sir Toby and Maria’s synchronised banter.

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Sir Andrew in generally slow and often struggles to keep up with Sir Toby and Maria, and is often so oblivious to their sarcasm and jokes at his expense

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Orsino is arguably the biggest fool due to the impact that he allows his unrequited love to have on him.

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Orsino is arguably the biggest fool because even with Viola's increasingly obvious hints towards the resolution, he doesn't realise her disguise.

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Despite Sir Andrew’s privileges in life caused by his place in the bourgeoisie, his distinct lack of intellect leads him to become the play’s comic victim that gets satirised by the other characters for his inability to keep up with their quick wit. His intelligence is challenged by the lower class Maria of whom’s wit leads Sir Andrew to ask ‘what’s your metaphor?’.

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We see Feste as wise, he is a paid fool, not a natural one. He constantly works with and picks out the flaws and foolishness of his superiors around him: Feste “the lady bade take away the fool; therefore I say again, take her away”.  He also states him self not being a fool like what is thought: “Cucullus non facit monachum” (the hood doesn’t make the monk/don’t judge a book by it’s cover). He knows himself to be wise, wise enough to be a paid fool. The order is gone as this green world allows the clown to mock and pick out the fools of the upper class.

-Megan

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Viola is arguably the biggest fool as, in a way, she has created her own obstacles which create distance between her and Orsino. Whilst, one one hand, her disguise allowed her to seek sanctuary on Orsino’s courts, on the other hand it creates a barrier between both characters (due to their gender). Even though viola is romantically interested in Orsino, he is unable to see this and so mistakenly refers to her as “my boy”.

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Feste is a very wise man as he has great knowledge of the real world which the higher class characters may not as they are blinded with their luxury. He also speaks in riddles which in itself requires high intellect and he seems to be the only character who could decipher such dialogue

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Orsino may be considered the biggest fool due inconsistent behaviour, the first impression that we gather from Orsino in Act One Scene One shows him to be inconsistent and changeable, “Enough no more, Tis not so sweet now as it was before” he immediately shows his excessive character due to his excessive love for Olivia. To an Elizabethan audience he would be considered a fool due to the lack of masculinity he possesses in the first scene, they would feel shadenfreude.

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Sir Andrew is twelfth nights main comedic victim, his blatant stupidity and lack of awareness makes him the centre of most jokes at the hands of his supposed friend sir Toby and the lower class, uneducated character of Maria.

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It could be argued that Olivia is one of the biggest fools in Twelfth Night - imperative - “take the fool away” - speaking about Feste - makes the audience question who is the fool between the pair. Followed by Feste “do you not here fellows? Take away the lady.”

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Sir Toby is arguably the biggest fool through his abuse of the lines drawn for him as the Lord of Misrule. This is heightened through his name ‘Belch’ suggesting overindulgence. His crossing of the line exposes his insensitivity to the fact that he is in a house of grieving. This makes him a likeable fool as his revelry is key to the slapstick comedy of the play.

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Throughout the play, Shakespeare mocks Orsino through his gullibility in believing Viola's disguise and through his inconstant emotions. We can see this in "all is semblative a women's part." This suggests Orsino is foolish and provokes laughter as 'Cesairo' is described as being feminine. Notably, he "unclaspd" his "secret soul" to viola after only knowing her for 3 days, consequently we are forced to question his loyalty. Furthermore, this romantic metaphor creates an interesting dynamic between the two, however we may feel a sense of pathos for Orsino as hes trusting viola when she is manipulating him with her disguise.  This could further emphise his foolishness.

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Throughout the play, Shakespeare mocks Orsino through his gullibility in believing Viola's disguise and through his inconstant emotions. We can see this in "all is semblative a women's part." This suggests Orsino is foolish and provokes laughter as 'Cesairo' is described as being feminine. Notably, he "unclaspd" his "secret soul" to viola after only knowing her for 3 days, consequently we are forced to question his loyalty. Furthermore, this romantic metaphor creates an interesting dynamic between the two, however we may feel a sense of pathos for Orsino as hes trusting viola when she is manipulating him with her disguise.  This could further emphise his foolishness.

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Orsino can’t tell the difference between the twins, even after being engaged to Viola (In the Time Caroll production he addresses the wrong twin)

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In twelfth night, Feste can be seen as the biggest fool as he is the only professional fool in the play. He often plays tricks on the other characters and enjoys things other things like singing and dancing for others entertainment. Despite being quite a clever and witty character, he decides to use his natural intelligence to sing and joke about.

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Olivia is the biggest fool in a sense that she could be so easily changed and deceived

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Orsino is a great fool when thinking about his misogynistic impressions of women, yet he has been completely and utterly been encapsulated by Olivia, and as a result has failed to maintain order as a duke (has lost all sense of power when in love with Olivia) “there is no woman’s sides can bide the beating of so strong a passion as love doth give my heart”

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Arguably, sir toby is the most foolish of all, as he submerges himself in drunkenness and parades about a house of mourning singing and joking.

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Arguably, sir toby is the most foolish of all, as he submerges himself in drunkenness and parades about a house of mourning singing and joking.

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Feste could be seen as wise because despite the fact he is seen as a clown or fool, he acknowledges it, he understands his role and doesn’t refrain from doing his duties in order to get by, but this in turn demonstrates resourcefulness, because he is able to say as he wishes and play it off as comedy throughout. For example,  Feste claims “better a witty fool than a foolish wit” this is evidence that despite the fact technically Feste is a fool, he is able to use this to his advantage and also is clearly not unintelligent

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‘I wear not motley in my brain’

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Despite all of the hints of disguise from Viola, Orsino is still oblivious to the fact that his servant is actually in fact a female. He is also easily influenced by his emotions and gets confused when it comes to love

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Sir Andrew behaves so foolishly throughout that we see him as a comic victim. This is significant because in order for him to be seen as such we most understand that he is such a fool that this is how people are able to abuse their power and victimise him. One quote to support this is when Sir Toby responds to what Andrew said about losing his wit with, “No question” this is important because it shows that Sir Toby becomes lazy and predictable in terms of ridiculing Andrew because of how often he behaves foolishly and says things so foolish that Toby and Maria especially are able to also use their wit to do so

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Through his self-absorbed nature and the way he is taken in so easily by Maria and Toby's deception, Malvolio could be called the biggest fool in the play.

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feste holds the title of the fool and joins in with sir Toby and sir Andrews antics, behaving just as outrageously except without the excuse of being drunk

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Feste appears to represent Shakespeare and acts as his mouthpiece in the play, offering honest incite into what’s happening. His position of the fool allows him to be brutal with those of a higher class, meaning he is one of the only characters who unashamedly tells it exactly how it is

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Sir Toby is a drunk who expresses himself and uncaring and rude. “what a plague means my niece to take the death of her brother this?” although his own nephew has died he cannot seem to show empathy for Olivia or even feel sorry for himself. Perhaps showing a lack of emotional intelligence as he is too concerned with having fun and refuses to take anything seriously

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Sir Andrew is presented as stupid but almost every character he interacts with. He does not follow Sir Toby and Maria’s clever word play, and is too cowardly to fight

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Orsino’s constant excess makes him appear foolish as his needless dramatics exhaust the audience and other characters

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it could be said that Olivia is the biggest fool, one moment she is promising to grieve in darkness for seven years, and the next she is chasing after viola because as soon as they meet she instantly falls in love, contradicting herself