Navigation
•
Home
•
Members
•
Papers
•
Forums
•
Search
•
Signup
•
Links
•
Contact Us
•
About
Top 10
Popular Essays
Rated Essays
Newest Essays
Report
Print
Add to Favorites
Report
Messages
Rate
Similar Reports
Help
King lear (Click to select text)
The role the Fool in the Tragedy of King Lear 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 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. 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. King Lear is oblivious to the truth; therefore his better judgement is impaired. From the moment the Fool enter the play, he has an analogy to condemn King Lear of his foolish action: Why? For taking one's part that's out of favor Nay; an thou canst not smile as the wind sits, thoul't catch cold shortly There, take may coxcomb! Why this fellow has banished two on's daughters, And did the third a blessing against his will. If thou follow him, Thou must needs wear my coxcomb- How now nuncle? Would I had two Coxcombs and two daughters! (I, i: 96-103) When the Fool offers King Lear his coxcomb, he is offering him wisdom. King Lear is unaware of his ignoble actions and this is the fool's attempt to make him realize how inadequate his actions are. In another rhyming jest, the Fool, in his cleaver manipulation of speech, tries to desperately to warn King Lear to be careful with what he has or be left with nothing: Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, Lend than thou owest, Ride more than thou goest, Learn more than thou trowest, Set less than thou throwest, Leave they drink and thy whore, And keep in-a-door, And thou shalt have more, Than two tens to a score. (I, iv, 115-124) King Lear takes the Fool's hidden intelligence for granted. The Fool is once again attempting to inform Lear that his inadequate actions will have terrible consequences. His senselessness leads to the abdication of his throne and peregrination of anguish. The Fool makes a great effort to save King Lear from anguish. King Lear unintentionally disregards the Fool's hidden message, which help lead to his untimely downfall: Thou was a pretty fellow when thou hadst no need To care for her frowning. Now thou art an O without A figure. I'm better than art now: I am a fool, thou art nothing. (I, iv, 187-190) 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'. It is only now that King Lear appears to absorb what the Fool is saying: Fool: Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly For thought she's as like this as a crab's like an apple, Yet I can tell what I can tell, Lear: Why, what canst thou tell my boy? Fool: She will taste as like this as a crab to a crab. (I, iv, 114-118) Act I, iv is a predominant scene with the Fool and King Lear. This is where King Lear has revealed his actual state of mind: "O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!" (I, iv, 44-45) With the Fool's constant metaphoric jesting, King Lear has finally become aware of how inimical situation is. King Lear's inimical situation worsens after a hostile confrontation with his two deceiving daughters Regan and Goneril. King Lear decided to go out into a treacherous storm and his faithful Fool follows him. The Fool tries to convince King Lear to mend his losses and apologize to Regan to get out of the cold; for King Lear is bigger fool to stay in the storm: O nuncle, court holy water in a dryhouse is better Than this rain water out o' door. Good nuncle in; ask Thy daughters' blessing! Here is a night pities neither wise men nor fools! (III, ii, 10-13) King Lear declines the Fool's suggestions. He is too stubborn to realize his action only makes things worse. The Fool's last lines are an indication of his departure. King Lear is on the borderline between sanity and insanity, but he must now journey alone for he knows how to seek the truth: Than shall the realm of Albon Come to great confusion Then comes the time, who lives to see't That going shall be used with feet (III, ii, 92-94) All stability in King Lear's mentality had been demolished. Everything is now unclear to King Lear. He is on a journey which causes him nothing but great confusion and he has seen all he wants to, there is a hint of foreshadowing that the end is to be near. Without the Fool, King Lear's sanity is not existent. After the Fool's departure, the two characters intertwine and King Lear begins to speak the truth in metaphors. King Lear is greatly depressed after the death of two important central characters in his life: And my poor fool is hanged! No, no, no life! Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have no life; And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more. Never, never, never, never, never, never! (V, iii, 305-308) With the combination of the deaths of his beloved daughter, Cordelia and his royal Fool, King Lear has no passion to live and dies heartbroken. The Fool fuels King Lear with sanity and a passion to live. Without him he has no mental stability. When Cordelia dies and the Fool is dead, King Lear has no purpose to live. He dies heartbroken, but the Fool has accomplished his task. King Lear has learned how to seek out the truth for himself- but not before going through a journey of anguish to achieve it.
Recent Board Topics
Please drop by and sign up.
[
Submit Essay
] - [
Privacy
] - [
Disclaimer
] - [
Email Us
]
Copyright 2003 EssayFarm.com