Among the varied themes of Twelfth Night, we should not forget how important choice and the freedoms of choice are to this play, a theme that begins with the subtitle What You Will and carries through to the happy ending that, at least in part, is a result of Olivia’s initial choice to abstain from marrying Orsino. With choice as a major theme, Shakespeare’s love for wordplay finds “goodly gear” in the word favour, a word he uses at least fourteen times. The word’s definition various somewhat greatly, including “that which conciliates affection or goodwill” (sb. 8), the archaic “appearance” and “face” (sb. 9), “to resemble in face or features” (v. 8), and a phrase included on a handwritten letter (sb.2). In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare uses most if not all recognized senses of the word in Twelfth Night, both through direct usage and through the implications inherent in the many letters and messengers in the play.
The word’s first occurrence unifies several of these definitions. Valentine says, “[i]f the duke continue these favours towards you, / Cesario, you are like to be much advanced (I.iv.1-2). In this sense, the favour is a blessing bestowed on Cesario, making Cesario/Viola wonder if Orsino is “inconstant…in his favours” (I.iv.7). In this last sense, Cesario asks if his blessing and his “goodwill” (sb.1a) might weaken, but Shakespeare may also intend for this word to relate to his humor and attitude, since Viola asks about this humor in a previous line and since humor so often affects appearance (sb. 9a).
Favour also takes on sexual connotations in Andrew’s
observation that he “saw…[Toby’s] niece do more
favours to the / count's serving-man than ever she bestowed
upon…[him]… / [because he] saw…[it in] the orchard”
(III.ii.5-7). Fabian tries to convince Andrew that what he saw was
simply an attempt to make Andrew jealous, saying “[s]he did show
favour to the youth in…[Andrew’s] sight only / to
exasperate…[him], to awake…[his] dormouse valour, to / put
fire in…[his] heart and brimstone in…[his] liver.
(III.ii.18-20). This is all part of the malicious joke they play on
Andrew to make him believe he has Olivia’s favour. Fabian has
already begun a similar joke on Malvolio, Fabian’s motive being
that Malvolio “brought…[Fabian] out o[f]
favour
with…[his] lady about a bear-baiting here” (II.v.6-7). In
both instances, favour is easily falsified, causing Andrew’s
plight to favour Malvolio’s.
If the characters could see through each other’s “favoured”
