What is the Fool's purpose in King Lear?

Answer 1

He is used to show lears true feelings and higlight lears foolishness

he is a significant character and is the only character in the play who can get away with talking to lear in the way in which he does.

The fool acts as a commentator on events and is one of the only characters who is fearless in speaking the truth. His 'mental eye' is the most acute in the beginning of the play. He sees Lear's daughters for what they are and has foresight to see what Lears decisions will prove disastrous.

Arguably, he could be seen as taking on the role of a wife for Lear; the absence of a mother from the main narrative, as well as the Fool's ability to be honest and accepted by the king suggests that he is taking on this role. This would then be a very interesting point on women.

Answer 2

It has was not mentioned in the play. At the end, when Lear's holding Cordelia in his arms, he says something about his fool being hanged, but it is possible that "fool" referred to Cordelia and not the fool himself.

Answer 3

Typically a fool is meant to provide entertainment for the royal party, but in the play 'King Lear,' the main role of the fool was to open the King's eyes and make him see the truth about what he had done.

Answer 4

The Fool's role is to provide a mirror for Lear. Early in the play, Lear has an inflated sense of his own importance and the Fool is there to show him that this image of himself is only the trappings of his authority which has been given away. Once Lear descends into madness to find himself, the Fool is no longer needed.

Answer 5

Good question. He just drops out of sight after Act 3. In the production with Ian McKellen in the title role, the Fool (played by Sylvester McCoy) is murdered onstage. In one production I saw, the actress playing Cordelia doubled the role of the fool, but although this worked amazingly well, it could not have been Shakespeare's intent, as the Fool must have been played by Robert Armin and Cordelia by a boy.

Shakespeare must have felt that the Fool could not have contributed anything to any of the scenes in the last two acts, so he just left him behind chez Gloucester. The idea that he might have been killed as an associate of Lear's is plausible enough.

Answer 6

The Fool in King Lear plays the part of two characters that Shakespearian audiences are familiar with, the Jester and the Buffoon.

A Jester is given freedom of speech, a well educated person able to point of the follies of his master with out reprisal. The Buffoon, or Comic Fool, will amuse with tricks, verse and nonsense. The Fool in King Lear performs both these roles, as not only does he highlight Lears failings and faults, he also provides comic relief, for the audience and for Lear.

The Fool is able to play the part of the Kings conscience, and as such is able to remind him constantly of his mistakes in abdicating the throne. In a way he voices what Lear is probably already thinking himself, but in such a way that the audience can hear it too.

He is also loyal to the King despite it all. When he cannot convince the king to retake his throne, he tries to "out jest his heart-struck injures" (Act 3 Sc.1 :16). In doing so he tries to care for Lear and keep him sane, but in the end is unable to prevent his descent into madness once Edgar appears.

The Fool represents the voice of reason and common sense within the chaos of the play.