Imagine a universe where low category, hapless people ruled the universe and high category, affluent people were retainers. Shakspere expresses this construct in the drama Twelfth Night that describes the Elizabethan festival. The festival was celebrated during the Elizabethan clip, by inverting the ordinary societal order. There are some ways in the drama that show this construct, such as the manner Malvolio preaches his ideas, foolish errors made by minor characters and, through matrimony. Although it may hold non occurred in the yesteryear, Twelfth Night represents fictional scenarios, in which the upset of societal hierarchies is an of import issue that allows the state of affairs to originate.
Another manner in which societal hierarchies of people are inverted is through foolish errors. Antonio has had a really unpleasant history with Duke Orsino, as he stole from his ship in the yesteryear. “ The gradualness of all the Gods go with thee! I have many enemies in Orsino ‘s tribunal, Else would I really shortly see thee there. ” ( II.i.37-39 ) . From his foolish errors in the yesteryear, Antonio is treated like a low category provincial. Sir Andrew is another character who has suffered the same effects as Antonio, but non through stupidity, through fortune. Bing friends with Sir Toby, Sir Andrew would look like he has a high societal position since he is with a individual who is good known. Sir Toby feels that Olivia needs a adult male to attach to her, and he has assigned Sir Andrew to make so. In act 5, when all is revealed, Sir Andrew is upset to happen out that Sebastian and Olivia are married and he leaves Olivia ‘s house. Sir Andrew ‘s societal position has been overthrown and cognize is merely known as a in-between category individual. Last, Malvolio is another individual who ‘s societal position is overthrown due to one foolish error. After acquiring Sir Toby and Maria mad at him because of his discourtesy, he was being made to look like a sap by have oning ugly vesture, being locked up and being embarrassed in forepart of everybody. As a consequence, his category and societal position is condescended and he exits by desiring retaliation on everyone “ I ‘ll be revenged on the whole battalion of you. ” ( V.i.380 ) . Shakespeare ‘s message was that even the greatest of the great could do errors that can destroy their feelings and category.
Through the journey of love, societal positions and category is escalated through the matrimonies of characters. As Sir Toby is Olivia ‘s uncle, he is considered a royal individual. After get marrieding Maria, who is Olivia ‘s retainer, Maria ‘s societal position has escalated and has now become a royal adult female. Another individual whose societal position has increased through matrimony is Sebastian. Olivia is a baronial adult female that resides in Illyria, who insists that she is in mourning for her late deceased brother and will non get married for seven years.A Viola ‘s reaching as Cesario, urges Olivia to interrupt out of her melancholy. In the drama, it is supposed that Sebastian belongs to middle, high-toned household. After get marrieding Olivia, he has become a portion of the royal household. Merely like her twin brother Sebastian, Viola ‘s matrimony to Duke Orsino increased her societal rank. Before Viola ‘s pretense is unmasked, she was a servant to Duke, who was ordered to court Olivia. “ And since you called me “ maestro ” for so long, here is my manus. You shall from this clip be your maestro ‘s kept woman ” ( V.i.326-329 ) . In that quotation mark, Duke Orsino asks Viola to get married him, doing Viola portion of a royal land. Through the journey of love, societal rank and category can be overthrown by matrimony.
Shakspere shows the importance of inversion in societal rankings and category in the drama Twelfth Night. From Malvolio ‘s inherent aptitudes about others and foolish errors made by minor characters to the matrimonies of lovers, many have suffered the awfulness or achieved the slenderness of societal hierarchy. As William P. Leahy would state “ I would state the hierarchy has made awful mistakes in judgement and it has to seek forgiveness by its members. ”
