The Role of The Fool in Shakespeare

to a higher title or an important role in the play. Their characteristics are significantly heightened for theatrical effect. In this sense, it is solely their personality that makes them so amusing. They are oblivious as to how one should behave around others and are guilty of committing social faux pas on several occasions. Abiding to social conventions is not of concern to the fools. This, therefore, makes for a highly humorous situation. Another way in which the Shakespearean fool entertains the audience is through dramatic irony. This is when the audience knows of something but the characters on stage don’t. An example of this is what the fairies in Midsummer Nights Dream do. They manage to trick the characters on stage without them having a clue. They make fools out of the main characters. The tangled web of love is humorous. Although the fool is portrayed to be quite stupid, there are a few that have a certain cleverness to them. The fool in the play King Lear, for example, seems to comment on society’s behavior and criticizes King Lear’s actions. Despite the hilarious manor in which he does this, there is an element of truthfulness in what he says. However, there is a completely different kind of fool present in several of Shakespeare’s creations. These fools are not the type to commit faux pas, but they are the types that are fools due to their controversial decisions. For instance, Romeo and Juliet. They are not at all comedic fools but instead are fools for love. Despite knowing that their love for each other would not withstand the pressure of their families, they still insisted of being together. This resulted, sadly, in the death of both characters. Fools of this sort also exist in Midsummer Nights Dream, as previously mentioned. They are tricked by the fairies in to thinking they love each other. Such fool’s fickle personalities lead them into messy situations. They are mad for love and change their opinions in a matter of minutes. In the play Much Ado About Nothing the two main characters are essentially fools, as others tactfully make them realize their feelings for one another.  It is evident that there are a few different types of fools present in Shakespeare’s work. Whether they are there for comedic relief or to further dramatize a storyline, each does it’s part in making the play far more interesting. The clever use of such characters is what makes his plays so famous.