Twelfth Night: Language and Class

Abstract

Twelfth Night is well-known as one of Shakespeare's works fraughted with class consciousness, whence much criticism was given to the problematics of hierarchy and social movements in early modem England. In the midst of such abundant critical attention, this study instigates dynamic relationships between language and class represented in the work. In particular, writing and eloquence as a means of social advancement are highlighted in relation to both successful and failed marriages among the characters, which resulted in class movability during Shakespeare's era. The significance of writing and eloquence in social advancement has close ties with changes in the culture and paradigm of language in the age. The invention of printing and the emphasis of eloquence in Renaissance humanist education boosted the importance of such language skills. Therefore, some of the historical discourses that circulated the government ideology to educate reading and writing skills should be preliminarily examined to understand the role of the skills required to scale up the ladder of hierarchy. The teaching of reading and writing was a strategy employed by the government to consolidate its regime while the skills were under surveillance and control. As historical discourses reveal the existence of double standards within writing and reading, Twelfth Night also exhibits two sets of language skills used by a few characters of the lower class which refers to a social entity to provide service for a certain group of people. Viola and Maria prove their outstanding ability of speaking and writing and succeed in their social advancement by appropriating their masters' authority - either writing a Messiah-like poem using her master's voice or writing an epistle of love in her mistress's handwriting. On the other hand, the lack of such language skills is portrayed by Sir Andrew who often fails in his basic communication with other characters, even through letters, and also by Malvolio who possesses only a superficial skill of literal reading. Their ambitions to improve their state through marriage are frustrated because their language skills are either flawed or controlled. Therefore, the two different results of the skills in Twelfth Night imply the dynamics between literary texts and historical discourses with regard to the change of language abilities in early modem England.