Compare Act 21 of Sheridans ‘the Rivals’ (Lines 139-270)...

The themes of mockery and deceit are central to both Sheridans The Rivals and Shakespeares Twelfth Night. The act of mockery is defined using insulting or contemptuous action or speech, having a subject of laughter and derision, or performing an insincere imitation. There are many similarities in the way that both playwrights present the themes of mockery and deceit. These can be seen clearly in their presentation of language and characters. The techniques of mockery are presented in a similar way in both Act 2:1 of ‘The Rivals’ and Act 4:1 of ‘Twelfth Night’ because it is carried out in a similar way in both scenes. However, there are some aspects of the theme that are presented differently depending on the context in which the†¦show more content†¦He could be making an excuse because he doesn’t want to deceive Malvolio; nevertheless, he will do anything that is asked of him. He declares ‘I am for all waters,’ Iline 62,) which i s a variation on the proverb ‘to have a cloak for all waters’. Having a disguise authorises Feste to play any role. Feste proves himself a master of disguise by imitating the curate’s voice and speech patterns. There seems no reason for Feste to dress up in a priest’s robes if Malvolio, however, because locked in the darkness, he cannot even see him. Shakespeare seems to suggest a link between garments and identity. To impersonate Sir Topas, Feste must dress like him, because the clothes and the persona both contribute to his act. Feste is using disguise because he doesn’t want to be responsible for his actions, which could suggest that he doesn’t necessarily want to do it himself. This adds to the notion that Shakespeare presents the reason for mockery being done due to a sense of duty others rather than because they want to do it themselves. This suggests that humans have a lack of morals and individuality. In contrast,