The Fool in "King Lear"

Paper Summary:

The Fool in William Shakespeare's "King Lear" is often mistaken as foolhardy, but everything he says has a deeper significance and greater truth. Since he is the court jester, the audience assumes that the Fool's main purpose is to entertain us. The paper shows that the Fool's dramatic function is not to humor us, but to tell King Lear the truth through his metaphoric rhymes and jests. The Fool is a representation of King Lear's psyche. The paper explains that when the Fool disappears after Act III, scene ii, what is left of King Lear's stable mentality quickly disintegrates. The relationship between King Lear is not one of master and servant. The Fool could be considered King Lear's subconscious; he has perceptions the King Lear does not. With his knowledge, the Fool tries to teach King Lear how to reason out the truth for himself.

From the Paper:

"The Fool states that King Lear was wise in a time when he did not need it as he doe now. King Lear was a wise King but when his wisdom was greatly needed he did not apply his knowledge. The Fool states that he is merely a Fool, but he would rather be a Fool than a befallen King. He strives to inform Lear of how adverse his situation is, but King Lear still does not fully comprehend the Fool's metaphors. Before King Lear decided to see his other daughter, Regan, the Fool warns King Lear that Regan's reception will be similar if not worse than Gonerils'."

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