The Fool in King Lear

A detailed Summary of The Fool in King Lear


The Fool is a tremendously substantial character in William Shakespeare's tragedy, King Lear. Traditionally, fools were the equivalent of court jesters and were thought to be insane. They were customarily physically and sometimes even mentally impaired. Persons became fools as the result of an aristocratic individual's compassion or boredom. Often times, fools were taken in by kings and given room and board in exchange for their tomfoolery. Fools such as Lear's were never held accountable for what they said or did. The role of the Fool in King Lear is that of Lear's entertainer, educator, and most importantly, his conscience.

The Fool's intended purpose in the time of Lear is that of an entertainer. The Fool amuses Lear by belittling him. In one scenario, Lear is just about to set out for his daughter's house when he decides to converse with the Fool. The Fool insults Lear's wit when he says, "Then, I prithee, be merry; th


The Fool serves to educate Lear throughout the foremost part of the play. The Fool acquaints Lear with that which he does not know concerning his family and the consequences of his actions. When Lear is staying at Goneril's house, she threatens him because she dislikes the company he keeps. The Fool then observes to Lear, "For you know, nuncle, the hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long, that it's had it head bit off by it young. So out went the candle, and we were left darkling" (I, iv, 220-224). The Fool is referring to Lear's kindness to his daughters and how he is now being "repaid" as the sparrow was. The Fool is a very ingenious man who seems to act as Lear's inner voice.

The Fool acts as Lear's conscience in the play. It is almost as if the Fool is a part of Lear. After Kent has returned in disguise to serve Lear, Lear asks one of his knights where his fool is. The Knight replies, "Since my young lady's going into Fran

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 627
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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