Fool

• Role/ function of the Fool

  • court jester
  • serves as commentator on Lear's actions
  • sharp wit & freedom of speech allow him to highlight Lear's folly & the inversion of order caused by Lear's decisions
• Close relationship between Lear & Fool - 'nuncle' - Fool (to L) 'boy' - Lear (to F)


  • 1.4 when Fool introduced they are presented to share an intimate bond, shown through these affectionate terms
  • reflects Fool's role as both a servant & surrogate son to Lear - bond akin to that of parent of child - provides Lear comfort & security
  • shows close relationship between servants & masters
• Fool as entertaining

  • serves as a source of entertainment, providing comic relief & a temporary escape from Lear's burdens
  • however, humour is more than just amusement, it is a tool for truth-telling - demonstrating his loyalty & essential role in serving & guiding Lear
  • despite this, Lear remains blind to Fool's wisdom - blind to effects of mistakes
• Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, Lend less than thou owest' - Fool (1.4) 


  • Fool, acting as a wise man, attempts to advise Lear, warning him that is power is diminishing due to dividing kingdom & exposing himself to daughters self-interest & evil ways
  • tells Lear to be wary in the social world, speak wisely & less
  • commentary reveals how Lear has upset natural order by giving power away, leading to chaos
  • his of rhymes, metaphors conveys his deep wisdom about the consequences of Lear's choices - his presence emphasises disorder & foreshadows Lear's descent into madness
  • fool attempts to make Lear see clearly but Lear is ignorant to Fool's warnings
• 'How dost my boy? Art thou cold?' - Lear to Fool (3.2) 


  • Fool disappears after air 3 - turning point in Lear's journey
  • Lear begins to recognise suffering of others through this question - growing empathy signals he is finally starting to gain wisdom the Fool has tried to impart
• How his the Fool replaced after he disappears

  • Edgar, as Poor Tom, becomes new voice of wisdom
  • Edgar more direct - transition signifies Lear's deepening madness & growing self-awareness - Edgar, through his suffering, embodies the harsh reality that Lear must now confront without the cushion of jest
  • Edgar's presence fulfils the role of a companion who endures suffering alongside him
• 'prophecy' where 'every case in law is right' - Fool (3.2)


  • Fool's role evolves from a truth-teller for Lear to a broader commentator on society
  • presents a utopian vision of justice that contrasts the brutal world they inhabit
  • last speech before disappearance - suffering alongside Lear in storm reflects loyalty, yet as Lear begins to develop his own perception, the Fool is no longer needed
  • disappearance reinforces idea that his purpose was to guide Lear through his ignorance, & once that transformation begins, his presence becomes unnecessary