Andrew Aguecheek

Sir Andrew Aguecheek (also spelled Ague-cheek) is a comic character in William Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night, or What You Will". He believes to have a friend in Sir Toby Belch, who actually uses him for money. Sir Andrew Aguecheek is not intelligent. He is slow, and always seems unsure.

Background

Sir Andrew Aguecheek is a so-called friend of Sir Toby Belch, and a suitor to Sir Toby's rich niece Olivia; however, while he is respected amongst friends such as Sir Toby, in reality he has no chance of winning Olivia’s love. He is a fool and a gull to laugh at throughout the play — especially since he is slow, pliant, cowardly, whiney and often-drunk — but beneath the comedy lies a sense of sustained melancholy. He is constantly taken advantage of by Sir Toby (who pretends to be friends with him as a means of forcing Sir Andrew to pay for the group's extravagances), poked fun at, and thwarted in his mission to win Olivia as his wife. By the end of the play, he is friendless and deep in debt.

We are not told of his age but he often advises many of the characters in a fatherly manner.

Sir Andrew possesses many skills such as playing musical instruments, entertaining and singing, dueling, and to a lesser extent speaking. Despite this, he is a traditional gull, a rich ninny whose foolishness ensures he is of wealth. He is very slow when it comes to getting jokes and sarcasm, and always has some sort of blank look on his face. This demeanor is hinted at by his surname, which suggests the pale complexion or sickly look on a person who is suffering from ague, or a fever.

In the third scene of the second act, he says the famous (and studied) line "I was adored once too," a line that expresses the emotional pain of a lovely memory and the hopelessness of being loved again, which may lead audiences to feel sorry for him instead of laughing at him.

Famous Performances

Actors who have distinguished themselves in the role of Sir Andrew include Alec Guinness, Paul Scofield, and Christopher Plummer.

Quotes

*"I am and a great eater of beef, and I think it does harm to my wit.' (1.3.85): Sir Andrew explains himself. [See Robert Appelbaum, "Aguecheek's Beef, Belch's Hiccup, and Other Gastronomic Interjections" (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006).]
*"Nay, let me alone for swearing (3.4.183)":Sir Andrew's boast that he is an expert at cursing.
*"He does it with a better grace, but I do it more natural (2.3.83)":Sir Andrew Aguecheek compares his fooling with that of Sir Toby Belch.

References