Shakespeare’s Parallels

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does as well – Venice and Cyprus. In Venice there is a sense of tranquility, and perhaps a notion of better times. On the other hand, in Cyprus, situations and characters become disarrayed. The people of Cyprus are on edge because it is rumored to be war from the Turks; then in the middle of the night, mutiny is being cried out, worsening the hysteria. Also in Cyprus, many characters die and confusion is present everywhere.
Clowns, musicians, and witty, inebriated characters all bring comedic relief to Shakespeare’s play. In Twelfth Night, there are numerous scenes with a clown and intoxicated characters. In speaking, the clown inserts puns and foolish jokes in to his lines:
“Let he hang me. He that is well hanged in
this world needs to fear no colors” (1.5.5-6).
In addition to the clown, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew frequently drink and become merry with dance and song. These scenes help brighten the plot as well as detract from other problems. Shakespeare also includes a clown in Othello to compensate for the underlying situations. The clown brings relief to the play by ridiculing the musicians about their instruments:
“Why masters, have your instruments been in
Naples, that they speak i' th’ nose thus?” (3.1.4-5).
Parallel characters are common in Shakespeare’s plays; they create a sense of similarity within a play. In Twelfth Night, Viola and Olivia have a familiar bond – being strong, take-charge women. At the death of her family, Olivia takes charge of the household, instead of her drunken uncle, Sir Toby. Viola is stranded in a foreign location left on her own. Since she believes th...