foolear Essay on the Fool in Shakespeare's King Lear

(1.4. ). Remarks like this provide ample opportunity for Goneril to rebuke Lear for having an "all licens'd Fool" (1.4. ). In addition, the Fool calls Lear a "sheal'd peascod" (1.4. ). This is another way of saying he is empty. He is nothing.

King Lear's fool is undoubtedly one of the wisest characters in the play. He is not only able to accurately analyze a situation which many other characters are blind to, but he is also able to foreshadow the actions of many characters and many other incidents to come. The main instruction the fool gives to the king is to beware of doing things that are unnatural, such as giving his inheritance, (splitting his kingdom among his daughters) to his daughters before he his dead. By doing this unnaturally, Lear must face many adverse consequences, such as losing his identity, self-worth, and respect from his daughters.

In working so hard to project this persona, Lear is untrue to himself, and loses sight of who he is. Even the scheming Goneril and Regan notice that their father “hath ever but/ slenderly known himself.” (I, i, 282-283) This makes Lear a very insecure person, which explains in part why he insists that his daughters stroke his ego before receiving any of his kingdom. His identity crisis is highlighted when he asks who can verify who he is, and the response by the Fool is: “Lear’s shadow.” (I, iv, 251) At this point in the play, Lear is sane and is still the monarch of the kingdom. Nevertheless, the Fool’s insightful comment insists that Lear is nothing more than a shadow of his true self. Plato would say that he is trapped in the shadow world of the cave, unable to grasp the true forms.[5] This self-imposed persona estranges Lear from his audience; his vulnerability as a human is masked by his rash behavior and unjust decisions. Bloom says that “before he goes mad, Lear’s consciousness is beyond ready understanding; his lack of self-knowledge, blended with his awesome authority, makes him unknowable by us.”[6] Without understanding a character, an audience is most definitely unable to sympathize with him, and here we run into a potentially problematic issue. Aristotle believes that

Although he is meant to be the fool of the play, he is actually the wisest of them all. However his other personality, which is kept deep down until near the end of the play, is feisty and dark which is confirmed when he says,

Character disappearance is such a mystery, it leaves cliff hangers yet it also creates theories. In the play King Lear, the fool acted as Lear's conscience, served as comic relief, and wisdom. Even though all of these traits are amazing the fool disappears. His disappearance is unclear because he states he will always stay by Lear. The disappearance of the fool shows he is useless now.

King Lear is easily decieved as he lacks the insight to see beyond what people

One of the most famous and comedic lines the Fool says in King Lear is “Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise” referring to our societal assumption that old people are wise. (1.5.38-39). But the Fool bluntly points out that King Lear is not wise in how he splits his kingdom. King Lear’s fatal mistake is that he believes that someone’s love can be measured by words. In Act 3 Scene 2, King Lear has his pivot point where he begins to learn about real love. He is old, and now is becoming wise as his “wits begin to turn” (3.2.66). Right after he declares his descent into madness, he asks his Fool how he is doing—the first time Lear has shown general curiosity for someone’s well being. As he assumes this motherly role of taking

The entire play is built around one man’s laziness. As the play commences one may question why Lear would decide to prematurely give up his kingdom. It is quite possible that he transferred his authorities before it was

In King Lear two of the older characters, King Lear and Gloucester, fight with their own sanity not only in the eyes of their hateful children but also from their own view. Lear says this very early on in the play in regards to his sanity “Oh, dear god, don’t let me go mad.” Even very early on in the play Lear foreshadows and maybe even feels his sanity starting to weaken. While Lear and Gloucester deal with issues with sanity their children are taking every vital power position not only in Britain but also in France. Goneril states this in regards to Lear’s credibility “Just because a senile man with poor judgment calls something an insult doesn’t necessarily mean it is one.” Goneril is trying to discredit her father and also gain dominance over him in one statement. As the story progresses the older characters

The allure of wealth spoiled Gonerill and Regan. They both did not know the value and the hardships of fermenting wealth and the stability of life. Lear became monomaniac about the illusion of wealth. Lear came to his senses through misery and the loss of Cordelia. Absurdity was seen through the eyes of his Fool. The Fool knew that Lear was the person who was manipulated. The fool knew as well; that Lear was tricked by his daughters. The fool attempted to illustrate to Lear through songs that he was completely oblivious about his own life. “That lord that copunsell’d thee To give away thy land, Come place him here by me, Do thou for him stand. The sweet and bitter fool Will presently appear: The one in motley here, The other found out.” (Shakespeare, trans. 1963,

In the beginning of the play, Lear’s mental decay becomes apparent when he is talking in the third person. Lear says to the Fool, “Does any here know me? Why, this is not Lear. Does Lear walk thus, speak thus? Where are his eyes? Either his notion weakens, or his discernings are lethargied- Ha! Sleeping or walking? Sure ‘tis not so. Who is it that can tell me who I am?” (1.4.217-221). Lear’s descent into madness becomes apparent here because he is talking in the third person. No sane person would refer to himself in the third person. Also, Lear is unsure as to who he is. Even if Lear

When fools were first used for entertainment, the fools were people who were mentally insane. Soon fools became actors that could allow for comic relief for a king and his guests. The role of the fool in King Lear by Shakespeare is more complex than it appears.

First, Shakespeare illustrates the revelation about the people around the four characters. After he gives all of his fortunes to his two eldest daughters the fool tells the king that he is nothing. The fools is revealing how the king has disowned his only true daughter and alluding to how the king will be cast out by his rapacious daughters. In the beginning of the play, King Lear tells

Lear until halfway through the play, is un knowingly being played by his eldest daughters while everyone else around him is aware and tries to help him open his eyes. Lear believes that after being treated poorly by Goneril, he will be able to go to Regen’s house, where he will be treated better because he is un aware to the fact that at this time, they have both sided against their father. The fool says to Lear, “Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly. For though she’s as like this as a crab’s like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell” (I.V. 12-14). Showing again, Lear’s blindness to his conflicts and dilemmas developing around him as he believes Regna will treat him with respect.

In William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night, it is ironic how many times the fool is said to be dishonest, when, in fact, his role proves entirely opposite. Though sometimes the characters do not realize his hidden messages, the reader can instantly comprehend Feste's figurative language, which is evident in every scene in which the fool appears. Whether he is singing to Orsino, arguing with Malvolio, or playing around with Viola, Feste always manages to sneak in a few symbolic foretokens before his exit. His keen eye and fast wit help him to actively partake in the portrayal of the story, however, the fool is merely present to express that which cannot be fully expressed through the