In Act 1, scene 5 of King Lear, Shakespeare's Regan states that "Jesters do oft prove prophets."
In the year two thousand and two, Marshall Mathers boldly proclaimed, "I joke when I say I'm the best in the booth, but a lot of truth is said in jest." So there must be something to this!
Among the most entertaining, and also most puzzling, of the characters in the play is King Lear's Fool. Whenever present in this drama, the Fool - ironically and paradoxically - says some pretty wise things. Based on his commentary and dialogue in this Act I, scene 5, analyze the apparent insight and intelligence of the Fool.
Please write your answer in the form of a proper, 8 sentence paragraph. If at all possible, please post by 8pm. It is required that you post by midnight.
The fool's speeches are supposed to be nonsense, but they actually contain some much needed truth. The Fool compares truth to a dog that King Lear beats so he doesn't have to listen to it. In his madness King Lear had disposed of his most faithful companions, his daughter Cordelia and his adviser, the Earl of Kent. He refuses to listen when Cordelia and Kent tell him they are faithful and to act wisely on their advice; pride and jealousy blind him to the truthful words of those who love him. When Lear banishes his youngest and best daughter the Fool is understandably upset. He feels that Goneril and Regan are actually fools, as well as King Lear himself. The Fool is hinting at bad things in King Lear's future if he does not act wisely and undo his wrongs. Only the Fool can tell King Lear the truth without fear of punishment.
ReplyDeleteColin Ray
ReplyDeleteThe fool is meant to be an individual who is very lighthearted, and is not meant to be taken seriously, however, in Shakespeare's King Lear, the fool is insightful, and intelligent. When the fool is trying to make a joke, he says “Nor I neither. But I can tell why a snail has a house” and in response to king Lear's inquisition regarding that statement, he says “Why, to put ’s head in—not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case.” It is significant, because the fool is meant to be rather foolish, and is supposed entertain the “wise” individual with nonsensical jokes. The fool is, in a manner, calling the king foolish, because he has given away all his land, and is now without a house, and therefore must live with his daughters. In another case, the fool says to Lear “If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.” He later says to Lear “Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.” This is another example of the fool indirectly calling Lear a fool. While Lear is getting old, the fool says that he has not yet become wise, which conflicts with his idea that one should be wiser as he gets older. It shows intelligence on his part, because he is able to see foolishness in a place where the king can't. The fool shows much intelligence through his ability to pinpoint foolishness, understand it, and present it in a manner that does not seem offensive to the person to which it was directed.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteErin Hoover
ReplyDeleteThe fool disguises his mockery of the king as jest. The fool answers [when asked why snails have a house] "Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a case." This displays the fools distaste for the king's decision. The fool pretends to be kidding when he says that the king is not very smart and therefore he is able to get away with it. The fool tells the king "Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst
been wise." Here the fool introduces a philosophical idea that age is synonymous with wisdom. However King Lear acts as foolish as a young man in his old age. People in this time were never able to speak their mind for fear of offending the king and being beheaded, Shakespeare suggests that the freedom of speech (which the fool enjoys) is more truthful and insightful than the speech of those who seek to gain status or money (Goneril and Regan).
We are meant to believe the Fool as nothing more than a fool, the court jester. However, his jokes and mockery are laced with irony and insight. He is able to get away with mocking King Lear because his words are taken as a joke: “Prithee tell him, so much the rent of his land comes to. He will not believe a Fool.” Multiple times he insults King Lear, including telling him that he is old but not wise and that he would beat him if he were his own Fool. Today a common known phrase is, “with age comes wisdom”, but here the Fool is saying King Lear is not wise in his age because it was foolish of him to give away his land: “Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.” The Fool sees Lear’s fault in giving up his land, however the King can not. The Fool, is supposed to be lighthearted, yet he is offering so much depth and truth in his words. The Fool intelligent because he is able to see other people’s “foolishness” and mock them for it without offending them because they take it as a joke.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
DeleteOnce again Shakespeare is using comic relief with depth, this time with the Fool. The Fool speaks in riddles, which is a very fool-like thing to do, but these riddles are not meaningless. In his explanation of the natural phenomenon of why a snail has a shell, he bites at Lear’s decision to divvy out his kingdom: “Why, to put’s head in—not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case.” He pokes fun at Lear, making him seem like the real fool and offers the audience an opinion on the previous events. Because Lear tolerates the Fool’s jest, it can be assumed that the Fool is more of an advisor or commentator. The Fool foreshadows Lear’s probable falling out with his daughter Regan: “She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab.” Once again he uses elements of the natural world to convey a message, or lesson, to Lear. It can be assumed that the Fool will only continue conveying his wisdom to the King through riddled folklore, but it is up to Lear to take heed.
ReplyDeleteIn Shakespeare's King Lear, the character known as the fool proves himself wise as he mocks the king with jokes. The Fool claims that a man's brain is not in his feet, therefore the king should, "...be merry. Thy wit shall ne'er go slipshod." The Fool also remarks that the reason a snail keeps its shell on its back is so, "...not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case." First, the Fool means that indeed the king has no brains in his feet because if he did he would not make a pointless journey to live with Regan, a daughter who does not love him. The fool is also able to see through the false praise and love both of King Lear's daughters grant and implies that the king is foolish to divide all he has between them. The Fool, although meant to pretend and entertain, cleverly uses a spin on reality to create his jokes. The Fool is intelligent because he, unlike Cordelia and Kent, gives King Lear a piece of the truth without insulting him to the point of banishment. Despite making fun of the king directly under his nose, the Fool might possibly have some sympathy for King Lear's folly, or maybe just can not resist the irony.
ReplyDeleteRyan Cole
ReplyDeleteIn Scene Five of Act One, King Lear’s fool says one of several witty comments “why, to put ‘s head in-not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case.” The fool is probably warning King Lear to be careful and not give away so much of his kingdom, otherwise he will be left with nothing. Like a snail, if the king gives away too much or becomes too carefree, he may lose the only thing(s) protecting him. Later in the same scene, the fool says “thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.” The fool is mocking King Lear because he does not believe that he is making the right decision. The fool believes that King Lear should not make such hasty decisions and should think more clearly before making such large choices. The fool manages to have such thoughtful insight because he is usually by the King’s side and he sees almost everything that goes on in the kingdom. Although King Lear undoubtedly gets annoyed by the fool, he most likely keeps him around to provide him with information, even if it is given in a riddle-like fashion.
In King Lear, the Fool plays an interesting role that keeps the audience’s attention. His character is necessary in order to understand the purpose of the other characters in the story. He is witty, so it brings comic relief into the play. When we hear the Fool talking, it seems like he is just going crazy and making no sense, but what he says becomes very important throughout the play. Also, it is known that the Fool is probably a boy or young man, so being close with King Lear allows him to keep his youth. Through jokes and riddles, the Fool is giving Lear information so that is one reason why he’s keeping him around. The Fool talks about how a snail carries a house on it’s back so it never goes without shelter, so he can’t give his house away to his daughters because it would leave him with no shelter. In this analogy, the Fool is using the snail story as an example to help with Lear and his daughters.
ReplyDeleteThe fool in the play King Lear is suppose to serve as a carefree and playful figure in the story line. The fool is not meant to be taken too seriously but they do often hold some insight to the situation at hand. Through their ability to be playful with words, yet insightful, the fool displays many underlining truths that sometimes the reader or other characters need to be enlightened. The fool speech holds a lot of truth to King Lear, through his playful wording, the fool compares truth to a dog that is often beaten by the King so that he does not have to hear it. This then compares closely to the King's earlier situation with his daughter, Cordelia, and his adviser, Kent. These people were his most valued and loyal companions, however, because he did not want to hear their advise, he rid of them just like he would the dog. The fools truth shines through because he knows that the King was wrong for banishing Cordelia and splitting the kingdom between Regan and Goneril. The fools job was to show the King his foolishness and help him realize his faults through cleverness because he would not be punished.
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that the character of the fool in King Lear has a dual purpose. On one hand the Fool is someone who is supposed to be entertaining and lighthearted, someone who can be comical for the King. And then on the other hand, Shakespeare made the Fool as someone who is the wisest and most intelligent character of the play. In Act 1, Scene 5 the fool says many things that are insightful and true but that the King brushes off as nothing important simply because the Fool is a Fool. For example, the Fool says, “..Even though she’s as similar to Goneril as one crabapple is like another, still...I know what I know.” King Lear responds with, “And what do you know , boy?” To which the Fool says, “I know that Regan will taste just like Goneril-both of them sour crabapples. Do you know why the nose is in the middle of a persons face?” Here it is obvious of the Fools wiseness and all the King does is ignore his comments because he feels that they are unimportant to him. Even though the Fool is trying to help the King realize his mistakes he made with disowning Cordelia and being blinded by his ego in accordance to his other daughters.
ReplyDeleteLaurel
Despite that the Fool is commonly passed off as comic relief, the Fool is used as a foil to King Lear in order to highlight Lear's weaknesses and mistakes In Act I, Scene V of King Lear, the Fool tells King Lear that he made a mistake by dividing his land equally between two successors and keeping none for himself: “But I can tell why a snail has a house . . . to put ’s head in—not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case” (1.5.24). The Fool is seemingly witty or sarcastic when making this statement, but the truth behind the statement is undeniable which shows the audience that the Fool is in fact intelligent. The fool also makes another truthful statement pointing out that King Lear is being foolish and based on his age and experience he should be more wise: “If you were my fool, uncle, I’d have you beaten for getting old before your time . . . Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise” (1.5.35). This remark opens Lear's eyes to the mistakes he has made and pushes him towards begging God to prevent him from going mad. In King Lear, the Fool is used as a foil to King Lear to highlight his wrong doings, be honest with him, and open his eyes to what is just.
ReplyDelete-Katelyn King
Through out the play, King Lear, the king’s fool offers a lot of insight and knowledge by predicting King Lear’s future through his “foolish” entertainment.The fool reveals truth when saying, “She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab.” The fool knows that the king’s daughters Regan and Goneril are similar. The fool has been watching the predicament between the king and his daughters and knows the daughters true intentions of taking the power from their father. The fool is predicting and that the king will be treated badly by both daughters and warning him of these things. The fool also offers wise words through predicting Lear’s blindness of his daughter’s deceptive actions. The fool states, “Yes indeed. Thou wouldst make a good fool.” The fool is predicting Lear’s future of not literally being a fool, but becoming oblivious to his daughter's actions and treatment towards him once he gives his kingdom away. The fool knows that the daughters have dark motives and is bestowing his wisdom through his “nonsensical talk” hoping the king would take heed to his wise words. Although one may think nothing of the fool’s words if one look into them it is obvious he is predicting the kings future through his “foolish” entertainment.
ReplyDeleteAlthough not expected, King Lears court jester provides some insightful remarks. The fool makes a joke and states, "Why, to put's head in not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case", referring to why a snail has a shell. The jester is revealing King Lears mistakes in a joking manner. The fool is the only one who can speak as he pleases and tell the truth to King Lear, if he is "joking". "Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise" (1.5.38). The fool points out that when a person gets old, they become wise, but not in the Kings case. He has absolutely nothing since he has disowned his only kind and true daughter, and given away his whole kingdom to the other two ungrateful daughters. The fool may appear to be stupid and foolish, but he is the one that speaks the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe Fool seems to offer a comic relief, yet within his jokes lies truth. In fact, he says so himself, “Prithee, nuncle, keep a schoolmaster that can teach thy fool to lie. I would fain learn to lie.” Throughout the interaction between King Lear and the Fool, the Fool seemingly mocks the King, and is most certainly not afraid to either. However, this interaction is allowed by the King, and so consequently, the Fool is able to speak his mind freely and have his words be taken as a humorous jest. Having this freedom, the Fool addresses King Lear’s faults in giving up his power and land to his daughters. He does this with no intention to scorn him, but rather to warn him, protect him, and notify him of his own foolishness. He can be seen as a caretaker for King Lear, wanting only for the well-being of his master. Yet, being a Jester, he can only do so much, so he uses his power wisely and properly.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I noticed about the fool was how bold and blunt he is. I thought it was ironic that Kent and Cordelia were banished because they barely mis-spoke in front of Lear. However, the fool says anything and everything he wants and Lear just listens. Of course, the fool was probably saying much of this in a joking manner. However, he is still be very rude. I also thought it was really powerful and ironic how the fool almost seems the smartest person in the whole play. He says many profound and deep things. He also introduces the idea of wise men being fools and the fact that he speaks so deeply suggests he, the fool, is wiser than the others. He brings many of Lear's mistakes and faults to light, however, Lear does not listen to him because of the fool's status. I believe that if Lear took the things the fool said seriously, the fool would have offended the king long away and would have been banished or killed. Because Lear does not see the fool as an equal or as a threat, he allows the fool's brazen outbursts. One of my favorite quotes from the story so far, which was said by the fool, is also very deep; "Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise." I think this statement would make a great topic of discussion. Lastly, by his nature, the fool provides comic relief for the story.
ReplyDeletep.s. - I apologize I didn't get this in by 8. I had a meeting :)
After reading only act one, one can conclude that intelligence and manipulation are important components of the work, King Lear. The fool in the play is recognized as dumb and unintelligent, however, ironically offers insight to many of the main characters including King Lear himself. This insight is underhanded however due to his lack of authority and his position. King Lear is unable to take advice or criticism from those around him, especially from those he considers less than him. The fool serves as a reality check for the King that he is reluctant to see especially when the fool claims "Truth's a dog must to kennel; he must be whipped out, when the Lady Brach may stand by the fire and stink". The fools' lack of tolerance for lies counters that of King Lear and this is one of the first instances that the fool challenges the king. It seems as if this relationship will eventually be of service to the king and might even allow him to regain control of the great life he once lived. A damaged man could be restored by the intelligence of a fool, imagine that.
ReplyDelete