FOOL

There is this one character in King Lear which who at first puzzled me makes me wondering who is this person? The Fool. He is suddenly appeared, rather close with Lear, they both seems to be friends, he tease him, mocks him but going away with it without being punished. Then, I finally realize who the Fool is. The image of a joker wearing a funny looking hat with a wide big smile in playing cards comes into my mind. In the court of England, a fool or also been called as jester was a comic figure who entertained the king, the queen and their guests. He was allowed to and even expected to criticize anyone without ever being penalized.
The word fool also carries the meaning of a person who acts unwisely. Ironically, in King Lear the fool is the wisest character among others. He understands the motivations of Lear, Cordelia and Kent and also the true intentions of Lear’s two evil daughters. He is very forthright in speaking and talks in a cynical way but every words that he uttered out is very honest and exactly the truth. When Lear gone mad, the Fool remains sane and helps Lear to keep dressed. But, as what he is already being present of, this character is not taking seriously. Moreover, one could have realized that the Fool only appeared when the character of Cordelia is not in the scene. There is no scene in this play where both characters are appeared together.