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Throughout the play, the Fool proves to be one of the only characters to whom King Lear listens, even when he speaks difficult truths. He occupies a unique position that allows him to offer social commentary without fear of retribution. The Fool also provides a sense of humor that cuts through intense, tragic moments, offering the audience a sense of relief as well as an alternative perspective through which they can view the action. As a result of these two primary functions, King Lear’s Fool represents a prime example of the Shakespearean fool archetype. This type of character, a commoner with the ability to see reality in a way that the other characters cannot, appears in numerous Shakespearean tragedies. In the case of King Lear, the Fool attempts to help Lear understand the grave mistakes he has made in banishing Cordelia and leaving the kingdom to Goneril and Regan. In Act I, Scene 4, for example, the Fool exclaims that Lear is truly the foolish one for giving up his power and rendering himself “nothing.” This harsh critique emphasizes that Lear is largely to blame for the unfolding tragedy, a point that he refuses to believe.
Despite Lear’s frustration with the Fool’s commentary, however, he does not force him to leave in the same way that he banishes Cordelia and Kent. The Fool’s continued presence by Lear’s side hints at the unspoken trust between them. Later scenes, including Act I, Scene 5 and Act III, Scene 2, further reinforce the Fool’s deep loyalty to the king as he tells jokes in order to make him feel better and tries to talk him out of wandering the stormy heath. Strangely, the Fool disappears from the play entirely after Act III. Some scholars argue that Cordelia takes over the Fool’s role as Lear’s protector in the final two acts, and others suggest that the same actor originally played the roles of both the Fool and Cordelia.
