Essay About Function Of The Fool And King Lear

The Role and Function of the Fool in King LearEssay title: The Role and Function of the Fool in King LearExplore the role and function of ‘The Fool’ in ‘King Lear’The Fool in ‘King Lear’ is a William Shakespeare creation. Shakespeare has the ability to reveal a human character with an exceptional use of language. He allows us to see more than just words on the paper; we’re given a multi dimensional insight into a character. Usually his characters aren’t as straight-forward as black or white, they are invariably more complex. Edmund for example, it’s easy to present him as the villain but Shakespeare also shows us a sorry side to him as he attempts an apology before he dies. Shakespeare has given us concrete images of things that are inexpressible, such as love. To articulate a multi- faceted view of a person and present it concisely with words is certainly a gift. The Fool himself is one of these characters; he is not simply there to serve one purpose, but to serve many. He acts as Lear’s conscience and trusted guide, yet he is also a critic of Lear, a truth teller. In effect this makes a true friend, however some believe it was the Fool’s constant remarks that drove Lear to madness. Some critics argue that The Fool actually is Cordelia or a representative of her. Others consider him to be an aspect of Lear’s alter ego. Technically Shakespeare seems to use the Fool as a vehicle for pity or as a dramatic chorus. The Fools songs, riddles and jokes are a source of comic relief, used to break up the intensity of scenes. The Fool appears to have a deceptively simple part in the play when in actual fact his role is of key significance.

The Fool and Lear have a fascinating relationship throughout the play. Lear seems to depend on his Fool increasingly to be his voice of reason or his conscience, because he reminds Lear of all his mistakes and manipulates his feelings into realising them. This is a great irony as the king who is supposed to be wise is in-fact a fool, yet the Fool himself is full of wisdom. The Fool’s character is a tool Shakespeare has used to help us better understand King Lear, as he works as an external critic and internal conscience. Lear’s madness seems to start with his lack of conscience after he banishes Cordelia whom he compares unfavourably to ‘the barbarous Scythian’. The Fool tries to help him regain some sanity by exposing his wrong doings. ‘No more of that’, Lear snaps as he cannot bear to hear Cordelia’s name. Even the Fool’s introduction, before he has spoken has reminded Lear of the situation with Cordelia, like a conscience reminds us of our sins. ‘Why this fellow has banished two on’s daughters and did the third a blessing against his will.’ He is pointing out that it seems he has banished Goneril and Regan rather than Cordelia, as they will turn their backs on him now. Cordelia has gone to France having found love. The Fool uses language as an art form, verbally tying Lear in knots, eroding his self assurance and pushing boundaries yet seeming not to cross them. ‘Dost thou call me fool boy?’ is Lear’s reaction after the Fool’s riddle about the ‘sweet and bitter fool’. Although the Fool says this indirectly, it is enough to get Lear questioning himself. ‘Thou can’st not smile as the wind sits, thou’lt catch cold shortly.’ The Fool was warning Lear about his decisions, he must back the stronger side or he will suffer the consequences. The Fool’s foresight is very acute; he can see that both Goneril and Regan are bad. Again he warns Lear of this. ‘Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly as she’s as like this as a crab’s like an apple.’ Many of the Fool’s comments are warnings or cautionary advice, which Lear cannot see for himself. As well as this the fool acting as Lear’s conscience teaches him valuable lessons. ‘Mark it Nuncle:

Have more than thou showest,Speak less than thou knowest,Lend less than thou owest…’ Therefore the Fool is also Lear’s teacher.LEAR: ‘When were you want to be so full of songs sirrah?FOOL: ‘I have used it Nuncle ever since thou mad’st thy daughters thy mothers.’ The Fool is using wit to tell Lear that ever since he gave his daughters the power to keep him in check he will be there to act as his conscience and remind him of it! The Fool also likes to remind Lear that he has not only failed himself but his people too. ‘So out went the candle and we were left darkling’ Lear was the light of the state now he has abdicated the light has gone out and he’s let his people down by leaving them in the incapable hands of his two daughters. Eventually the Fool gets a glimmer of hope back from Lear when he realises his mistakes. ‘I did her wrong’ he says about Cordelia. At this point the Fool switches back to being light hearted as he realises

The Fool in the Mirror of Life

The second part of the story shows a bit of a recurring story with the Fool wandering about the Mirror of Life when in reality, the Fool is just a Fool from a past life. It turns out that he’s now a man who is too old to ever live, because he wants to be one. He just wants to be able to think clearly. And thus, while looking for a place to sleep in, in this short story, the Fool is caught up in a story where this man turns to his very last wish and starts asking questions for the good of mankind.

The man who turned to his very last wish, the Fool, has found a new home and this, through the power of that old man, can save him from the past again.

The man who turned to his very last wish, the Fool, has found a new home and this, through the power of that old man, can save him from the past again. While looking for a new home, the Fool, now at a different time of his life has discovered, by an unusual experiment, that his mind now looks at a map of the universe. It can see a great deal of space before it, from the Sun and Milky Way, to our nearest planetary satellites. It also changes its eyes as it moves around the globe. By looking at this thing like a comet, it can learn the exact locations with a little ease. One day a boy named the Fool and his sisters, all young and old, gathered for an event that would change their lives forever. Soon one of them noticed an unexpected part of their family. His sister was the woman he had been looking for for so long, and this young fool turned to him and asked the Fool. He said:

“Tell me about this man the Fool?”

“He’s a young lad from the first year of my schooling. His best friend is a young man from the last year of his schooling. The girl he was talking to is my friend Elizabeth, she worked for the Department of Mysteries. As she met this young man he began to play his cards and the young boy played a big game with him. It’s the only game anyone has ever played against this man, that is until it turned out he lost. He was only seventeen then and he had been called to this strange little world. It was called The Realm of The Fool but it was only before he was even young enough to reach the realm where it was possible to play without harming people. It could not possibly have been possible to get to it before he was even 17 and to leave it in the hands of this young lady that she was always the one who had started this.

“Why is it?” the Fool asks, “This world is where the world ends and the universe begins.”

The Fool is amazed. The world ends and then the real world begins. The real world begins.

And in this story, the Fool has just begun and has been searching for a place to sleep. In that dream he has no idea where he is, where he will end, or who will become the Fool. When he finally reaches our room in his new life, he realizes how much he loves this woman, how much he loves him, and when he begins to ask her if she will tell him his name, she turns pale, “No. That’s not me, I was just here because