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Jesters were not really part of the formal feudal structure. They were dealt with separately, as were a lot of other people, such as physicians, lawyers, shop owners and other people of the middle class.

Jesters were licenced fools, to use the medieval term. This meant that they had licence (permission) to do anything they wanted and get away with it. They had to operate in a way that was entertaining, funny, or instructive. We have records of a jester for Queen Elizabeth being warned because he was too careful of her feelings. We have a record of one jester for James I who was fired for being too insulting to important guests, but interestingly, he was able to acquire a fair amount of wealth while he was in the king's employ, and was not punished.

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14y ago

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