The Loyal Fool

"I had rather be any kind o'thing than a fool,yet I would not be thee, nuncle;I am a fool, thou art nothing." (I. iv.)

The fool in William Shakespeare's play "King Lear" is the most, kind, noble and wisest character of them all. With all the turmoil and insanity around him, the fool must maintain his loyalty through clever humour to King Lear. The fool has sympathy for his old and quickly fading master. The fool follows King Lear out into the horrid storm, only to meet the need for humour. Beyond the fool's comical service to the king the fool is a voice of reason and helps to make Lear aware of his wrong to his daughters. The fool serves multiple purposes to the King, but I believe that although the fool is comic relief, he secretly labours over Lear's breaking of heart.

The way the fool was portrayed in the movie we saw of "King Lear" was appropriate for the fool's comments. The irony that the fool presented through his clever verse is only something that comes with age and humble sweetness in character. The old man playing the movie's fool had visual aspects, such as his silver beard and wrinkled face, that echoed a wise, respected man.
The fool is a simple character with nothing noble about his status, but serves a regal purpose. Even though Lear is the fool's master you sense a closeness about them and that Lear is willing to listen to the fool's opinions.
Through his comical ways the fool is able to be very blunt about true reality of each conflict. Only through humour can you sugar coat the subjects of divorcing your children and war. Through humour, even today, comic strips and Saturday night live skits give the public access to explore their positions further as things are exaggerated to the extreme.
Humour can be a cushion of comfort or a segway to enlightened thinking and the fool in "King Lear" greatly impacted Lear's views. Loyalty and humble opinion made the fool 's memorable character in the book, but also in my mind as a truly noble, daring and fascinating character.