Essay The Foolishness of Fools in Shakespeares King Lear

The Foolishness of Fools in Shakespeares King Lear Shakespeares tragedy King Lear is comprised of many distinct themes. His contrasts of light and dark, good and evil, and his brilliant illustration of parallels between the foolishness of the plays characters and society allowed him to craft a masterpiece. Just as well, Shakespeares dynamic use of linguistic techniques such as pun and irony aid this illustration of the perfect microcosm, not only of 16th century Britain, but of all times and places. By far the theme that best allowed the furthering of this superb contrast between Victorian England and Lears own defined world is Shakespeares discussion of fools and their foolishness. This discussion allows Shakespeare to not†¦show more content†¦It also illustrates the bastards mistaken belief that by fooling his father, he might be able to eliminate his competition for Gloucesters title, Edgar, and possibly rid himself of his father in the same token. This is a prime example of literal foolishness in King Lear, and Edmund i s an excellent example of a literal fool, both in his beliefs and his actions...both of which are foolishly evil. Another prime example of literal foolishness can be found in the foil characters of Regan and Goneril, the daughters of the King. These two women, much like Edmund, find foolishness in evil thoughts and evil deeds. As they plot to usurp Lears power, their foolishness is illustrated in their single-minded decisions. Goneril states to Lear, Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter... in her insidious attempts to gain her fathers land (I, i, 11). This is obviously a lie, as the audience can very well see. And it clearly illustrates her foolishness. Not to be outdone, however, Regan endeavors to use the same method in the theft of power from her fathers hands. She attests that Goneril has named her very deed of love but that...ironically once again, she comes too short. (I, i, 11) perhaps in this respect, Shakespeare was attempting to draw a parallel between Lears daughters, Edmund, and society. He appears to be attempting Another type of fool in King Lear is the ignorant fool . Whereas characters such as Goneril, Regan,Show MoreRelatedShakespeare s King Lear Appearances1704 Words   |  7 PagesIn Shakespeare’s King Lear appearances are not always reflective of reality. While in many scenes throughout the play characters are disguised, their identities concealed behind a physical shroud, the theme of appearances versus reality runs much deeper, making the lines between love and hate, foolishness and wisdom, and cruelty and innocence ambiguous to both the characters and the audience. As the play progresses, a veil of ignorance seems lift, elucidating the truth of each matter to the charactersRead MoreThe Integrity of Humanity Explored in The Tragedy of King Lear1119 Words   |  5 PagesHuman reasoning, both gracious and grave is witnessed in the words of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of King Lear. Through both provocative and seemingly angelic characters, Shakespeare communicates to the audience that humans are born with the cap acity to emerge from their simple selfish instincts based on survival and grow in both moral and social conduct. A pattern of references to ‘nothing’, to foolishness versus wisdom, and to animal imagery explore this message along with the charactersRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1470 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s tragedies accentuate the qualities of human behavior and interactions with others when faced with adversity where the emotions of greed, ambition and madness are strongly expressed. Insight into the character’s psyche and moral values is explored to give understanding of the logic and reasoning behind the ways humans act. Harboring a universal and timeless quality, Shakespeare’s plays have the ability to exceed the restraints of the cultural values during the Elizabethan era, makingRead MoreCharacters in Romeo and Juliet by Williams Shakespeare Essay1024 Words   |  5 Pages This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune,--often the surfeit of our own behavior,--we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars: as if we were villains by necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treachers, by spherical predominance; drunkards, liars, and adulterers, by an enforced obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on. (I.II.442-449) When this quote was spokenRead More King Lear: Egg-as-crown Metonymy1175 Words   |  5 Pagesscepter can be used to stand in for a king. (Abrams’ Glossary of Literary Terms, 98) In the play King Lear by William Shakespeare, the Fool compares King Lear’s Crown to an egg. Shakespeare’s use of metonymy to replace the crown with an egg implies that Lear’s kingship is fragile and brittle, on the verge of breaking at any moment. We find through the narrative of the play that this is indeed true; King Lear’s kingdom crumbles due to his foolish mistakes. King Lear’s first mistake of lazinessRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear922 Words   |  4 PagesInsanity occupies an essential place in William Shakespeare’s King Lear, and is associated with both disorder and hidden wisdom. As King Lear goes mad due to dementia, the turmoil in his mind mirrored the chaos that has descended upon his kingdom. He initiated the unnatural sequence of events when he proclaimed that he desires to relinquish his duties as a monarchy and conferring them onto his children. At the same time, Lear’s dementia provided him with important wi sdom by reducing him to his bareRead MoreA Consideration of the Way Shakespeare Presents and Develops the Theme of Blindness in King Lear1563 Words   |  7 PagesA Consideration of the Way Shakespeare Presents and Develops the Theme of Blindness in King Lear Introduction ============ Throughout ‘King Lear’, Shakespeare uses the play’s characters to make judgements on society using blindness as a metaphor that runs through the play. He does this in a number of ways portraying characters that can be fooled by others’ flattery, or are easily manipulated or deceived, or simply have a lack of wisdom. As well as the horrific Read MoreAnnotated King Lear1417 Words   |  6 PagesNewman, Neville F. Shakespeares KING LEAR.  Explicator  60.4 (2002): 191.  Literary Reference Center. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. Neville F. Newman â€Å"Shakespeare’s KING LEAR.† In this article Nevilles key ideas are focused on the aspect of fathering. He makes connections between the fathering patterns of Lear, Gloucester and Cornwall. He starts with describing Regans reasoning for Edgars recent behavior. She states that his behavior is at the fault of King Lears 100 knights. â€Å"Was he not companionRead MoreEssay about William Shakespeares Relevance Today2257 Words   |  10 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Relevance Today For as long as formal education has existed in Britain it has been a largely standard assumption that teaching the works of William Shakespeare is relevant and necessary. Perhaps the relevance of his writing is taken for granted, perhaps it is necessary to re-examine the role of Shakespeare for the modern audience. There are indeed many people who question the relevance of this 440 year old playwright to a 21st century audienceRead MoreThe Wisdom of King Lears Fool in Shakespeares King Lear Essay1930 Words   |  8 PagesThe Wisdom of King Lears Fool in Shakespeares King Lear King Lears fool is undoubtedly one of the wisest characters in the play. He is not only able to accurately analyze a situation which many other characters are blind to, but he is also able to foreshadow the actions of many characters and many other incidents to come. The main instruction the fool gives to the king is to beware of doing things that are unnatural, such as giving his inheritance, (splitting his kingdom among his daughters)