End of Twelfth Night

The end of Twelfth Night ends with not only the main characters all marrying and being happy and peaceful in the end, but it ends on such a note that Shakespeare himself is sending a message of thanks and gratitude to his audience, with Feste's song/speech. The last verse of it reads: "But that's all one, our play is done, / And we'll strive to please you every day" (5.1.403-404). It is almost as if Shakespeare himself is coming forth in the stage, pleading with the audience to acknowledge that he has made this play and ending for their pleasure. It appears almost as an advertisement tactic so that audiences of the time would come back to see his other plays - since he strives to please them every day. This ending always strikes me because it just proves that even back then writers and playwrights kept money and success in mind, knowing that their works would be performed or read by large audiences at some point. Also, with the end of everybody being happy, Shakespeare adds that aforementioned verse, and it kind of serves as a way of telling the audience that he shaped that ending for everyone to be happy, but this kind of happiness and peace does not come at the end of most things. It is almost like he is mocking perpetual happiness, and declaring that the only happiness you can find like that is in fiction.