Elizabethan Social Standards
Rather than dictating social standards by occupation or position, South Korea has a distinct traditional social system based off of age. For example, if two people go out to eat, the older person usually pays for the meal. Also, in a conversation with people of different ages, the young use formalities while the old speak casually. Traditional South Korean culture echoes the strict beliefs of the Renaissance times in regards to social standings. The Chain of Being defines the hierarchy of all things in the universe according to the Elizabethans. These beliefs contain individual links, essentially starting from nature and ascending towards God, the ultimate being (Fuhrman 58). William Shakespeare implements elements of the Chain of Being into
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He once again shows his disregard for the social class boundaries by acting as a priest to help prank Malvolio. Olivia’s maid, Maria, assists Feste in speaking with the believed-to-be-possessed Malvolio about his supposed madness: “Madman, thou errest. I say there is no darkness but ignorance, in which thou art more puzzled than the Egyptians in their fog” (Shakespeare 4.2.44-46). His occupation as a jester gives him the opportunity to mimic a priest who is of higher class than Malvolio. Feste alludes to the Bible when the Pharaoh would not let the people of Israel leave, so God surrounded Egypt with darkness for three days. He ridicules Malvolio by comparing him to those Egyptians, lost in their darkness, in that they both have a strong sense of ignorance to their surroundings. Feste insults Malvolio, without consequence, due to his counterfeit as if he surpasses Malvolio in social standing. The Fool disguises himself as a person of higher status and Feste’s action expresses his normalcy for disturbing social …show more content…
Shakespeare includes Malvolio as a way of getting revenge on the Puritans in his time because Puritanism opposes everything represented by the Twelfth Night celebration (Randall 1971). This celebration includes drinking and partying, which Malvolio also opposes. He interrupts Sir Toby, Olivia’s uncle, and Sir Andrew, Sir Toby’s friend, in the middle of their drinking and scolds them: “My masters, are you mad? Or what are you? Have you no wit, manners, nor honesty but to gabble like tinkers at this time of night?” (Shakespeare 2.3.87-89). Malvolio suggests that they act like unruly commoners instead of noblemen, and his arrogance shines as he admonishes the noblemen for their drinking. Malvolio’s scolding showcases his disrespect for these noblemen despite his own career as a steward. He calls Sir Andrew and Sir Toby “masters” sarcastically as if he only says that to provoke them and to challenge their authority. He disregards the fact that his social position remains below Sir Toby and Andrew, calling them “tinkers.” He calls them this because tinkers fall far from nobles on the hierarchical scale and Sir Toby’s and Andrew’s behavior falls far from the social standards of nobles. His pretentiousness obscures his understanding of where he remains in society which emphasizes the essence of a non hierarchical system that Shakespeare believes
He once again shows his disregard for the social class boundaries by acting as a priest to help prank Malvolio. Olivia’s maid, Maria, assists Feste in speaking with the believed-to-be-possessed Malvolio about his supposed madness: “Madman, thou errest. I say there is no darkness but ignorance, in which thou art more puzzled than the Egyptians in their fog” (Shakespeare 4.2.44-46). His occupation as a jester gives him the opportunity to mimic a priest who is of higher class than Malvolio. Feste alludes to the Bible when the Pharaoh would not let the people of Israel leave, so God surrounded Egypt with darkness for three days. He ridicules Malvolio by comparing him to those Egyptians, lost in their darkness, in that they both have a strong sense of ignorance to their surroundings. Feste insults Malvolio, without consequence, due to his counterfeit as if he surpasses Malvolio in social standing. The Fool disguises himself as a person of higher status and Feste’s action expresses his normalcy for disturbing social …show more content…
Shakespeare includes Malvolio as a way of getting revenge on the Puritans in his time because Puritanism opposes everything represented by the Twelfth Night celebration (Randall 1971). This celebration includes drinking and partying, which Malvolio also opposes. He interrupts Sir Toby, Olivia’s uncle, and Sir Andrew, Sir Toby’s friend, in the middle of their drinking and scolds them: “My masters, are you mad? Or what are you? Have you no wit, manners, nor honesty but to gabble like tinkers at this time of night?” (Shakespeare 2.3.87-89). Malvolio suggests that they act like unruly commoners instead of noblemen, and his arrogance shines as he admonishes the noblemen for their drinking. Malvolio’s scolding showcases his disrespect for these noblemen despite his own career as a steward. He calls Sir Andrew and Sir Toby “masters” sarcastically as if he only says that to provoke them and to challenge their authority. He disregards the fact that his social position remains below Sir Toby and Andrew, calling them “tinkers.” He calls them this because tinkers fall far from nobles on the hierarchical scale and Sir Toby’s and Andrew’s behavior falls far from the social standards of nobles. His pretentiousness obscures his understanding of where he remains in society which emphasizes the essence of a non hierarchical system that Shakespeare believes