Elizabethan Fool
An Elizabethan fool was an inept orator of the obscene given consent to mock and entertain those residing in the King’s court; a definition of the former being a member of a royal court who entertains with jokes and antics, “the Elizabethan fool represents free speech and an un-jaundiced view of a new social fabric” . Relationships between a Fool and his monarch were determined by the boldness of the Fool alongside the King’s tolerance. Fools had a certain amount of comedic licence, often uttering axioms that could be deemed as impertinent. Although Fools have to adhere to certain boundaries (not overstepping the line as far as personal jokes, insulting the monarchy and being over indulgingly crass are concerned), Lear’s Fool seems to overstep
…show more content…
The Fool remarks in Act 1 Scene 4: “Do’st know the difference, my boy, between a bitter fool and a sweet one?” This can be interpreted as Cordelia, in the guise of the Fool, telling her father she is bitter about being banished, but also asking her father if he knows the difference between love and refusal to flatter. The quote also retains Cordelia’s sharp wit and rebellion against her position as a woman and an inferior to her father. On the heath in Act 3 Scene 4, Edgar is disguised as Tom ‘O’ Bedlam and Kent as Caius in front of Lear. Cordelia dressed as the Fool would complete the fact that those loyal and closest to him have to remain in hiding and make the scene feel more visually absolute. A dual-role would connect the two characters as both being “truth-tellers” to Lear, his personal soothsayers trying to protect him from his hubris and imminent downfall. They both act as consciences to Lear, again linking them to be the same person to look after him. The Fool gives Lear constant affection, attention and completely and utterly unconditional love, a trait most associated with family members. Cordelia’s refusal to participate in Lear’s ‘love contest’, claiming she does not possess the “glib and oily art” as her sister do to flatter him, demonstrates how she feels she doesn’t need to voice her love. By being the Fool and taking constant care of her father, she shows a love for him greater than
The Fool remarks in Act 1 Scene 4: “Do’st know the difference, my boy, between a bitter fool and a sweet one?” This can be interpreted as Cordelia, in the guise of the Fool, telling her father she is bitter about being banished, but also asking her father if he knows the difference between love and refusal to flatter. The quote also retains Cordelia’s sharp wit and rebellion against her position as a woman and an inferior to her father. On the heath in Act 3 Scene 4, Edgar is disguised as Tom ‘O’ Bedlam and Kent as Caius in front of Lear. Cordelia dressed as the Fool would complete the fact that those loyal and closest to him have to remain in hiding and make the scene feel more visually absolute. A dual-role would connect the two characters as both being “truth-tellers” to Lear, his personal soothsayers trying to protect him from his hubris and imminent downfall. They both act as consciences to Lear, again linking them to be the same person to look after him. The Fool gives Lear constant affection, attention and completely and utterly unconditional love, a trait most associated with family members. Cordelia’s refusal to participate in Lear’s ‘love contest’, claiming she does not possess the “glib and oily art” as her sister do to flatter him, demonstrates how she feels she doesn’t need to voice her love. By being the Fool and taking constant care of her father, she shows a love for him greater than