preview

The Fool In Shakespeare Research Paper

Decent Essays

Wisdom is not always affiliated with those society gives power to. It is often thought that those in power are those that possess the greatest knowledge and ability for the situations at hand. The reality of this may be quite different, often those who are the “wisest” in society are not in a position of power at all. They spout wisdom and blindly hope that maybe someone will listen and effect the change. If someone were to listen, society may be different, but they often don’t. This individual is that of the fool, the comic who seems to understand more about the world than those running it. The fool in Shakespeare is one of the least foolish characters in the play. Throughout both comedies and tragedies, Shakespeare uses the character of the fool to guide the main characters and offer insight into the situations at …show more content…

Today, the fool is more likely to be a late night comedian or an internet sensation than someone who is placed near people of power. In Shakespeare, the words of these not so foolish individuals may have been masked in humor but were directly spoken to the leaders of the world and eventually taken to heart. While there is no true modern equivalent to the Shakespearean fool these “comedians” serve a purpose. Much of the populace may listen and find them entertaining, the wisdom offer falls to the wayside once the bit is up. Additionally the majority of these individuals subscribe to the same philosophies and their words do not often make it outside of their ideological groups. While the Shakespearian fool still exists, their position in society has limited their ability and led to the downfall of rational politics. Their reliance on audiences and the media to convey their message further reduces the effectiveness of the message. The diminishing ability of the fool is an issue of proximity to leaders, education of the deliverer and the unwillingness of leaders to

Get Access