How Can We Access William Shakespeare's Portrayal of Kings and Fools in His Plays?

William Shakespeare's plays have often dealt with the conflicts between those in power and those who are not, with the Kings and Fools playing an essential role in the plot. Through these characters, he has explored the complexities of human nature and the way power can corrupt individuals. To access the positions of kings and fools in Shakespearean dramas, it is better to make a comprehensive list of them first.

List of kings and fools in Shakespearean dramas

Kings:

King Agamemnon (Troilus and Cressida)

King Cymbeline (Cymbeline)

King Henry VI (Henry VI, Parts 1-3)

King Leontes (The Winter's Tale)

King Phillip II (King John)

King Duncan (Macbeth)

King Lear (King Lear)

King Henry IV (Henry IV, Part 1)

King Henry V (Henry V)

King Richard II (Richard II)

King Richard III (Richard III)

King Claudius (Hamlet)

King John (King John)

King Edward IV (Henry VI, Part 3 and Richard III)

King Edward VI (Henry VI, Part 3)

King Ferdinand (Love's Labour's Lost)

Fools:

The Fool (King Lear)

Feste (Twelfth Night)

Touchstone (As You Like It)

Trinculo (The Tempest)

Stephano (The Tempest)

Bottom (A Midsummer Night's Dream)

Launce (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)

Costard (Love's Labour's Lost)

The Porter (Macbeth)

The Fool (Timon of Athens)

The Fool (Two versions of King Henry VIII)

The Fool (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

Robin (A Midsummer Night's Dream)

The Fool (All's Well That Ends Well)

The Fool (Pericles, Prince of Tyre)

The Fool (The Two Noble Kinsmen)

In many of Shakespeare's plays, the Kings are often portrayed as being flawed and corrupt. For example, in Macbeth, we see how Macbeth's thirst for power leads him to commit heinous acts. Similarly, in King Lear, we see how the arrogance of the King leads to his downfall.

William Shakespeare

On the other hand, the Fools in Shakespeare's plays are often the voice of reason and the conscience of the King. The Fools speak the truth when no one else dares to do so. Their wit and humor help to expose the flaws of those in power and provide a perspective that the audience can relate to. The Fool in King Lear is an excellent example of this, as he provides a commentary on the actions of the King and exposes his flaws. Lear, the tragic protagonist in Shakespeare's play, is different from the other tragic heroes in that he doesn't have any soliloquies or moments to privately reflect on his situation and the events of the play. Instead, he relies on the Fool to provide him with an intimate and unguarded voice. The Fool's disorderliness serves a purpose by helping to show Lear's emotional confusion and the growing madness of his court. In Act I Sc. V, the following conversation is stunningly original: 

 "Fool. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'ld have thee beaten for being

          old before thy time. 

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!

         Keep me in temper; I would not be mad! [Enter a Gentleman.]

         How now? Are the horses ready?"

But Shakespeare's portrayal of Kings and Fools is not limited to the characters themselves. It is also evident in the way he uses language to create a contrast between those in power and those who are not. Kings in Shakespeare's plays often speak in formal language, using complex metaphors and elaborate imagery. Here we can quote famous soliloquy from Macbeth Act V. Sc. V: 

'Macbeth: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing."

In contrast, the Fools speak in a more informal, colloquial language that is easy to understand. These entire conversation among Touchstone, Celia and Rosalind ( As You Like It Act I Sc II) is a bit example of day to day easy talking: 

"Touchstone. Mistress, you must come away to your father.

Celia. Were you made the messenger?195

Touchstone. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you.

Rosalind. Where learned you that oath, fool?

Touchstone. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were

                    good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught.

                   Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard200

                   was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn.

Celia. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge?

Rosalind. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom.

Touchstone. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear

                   by your beards that I am a knave. 

Celia. By our beards, if we had them, thou art.

Touchstone. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you

                    swear by that that is not, you are not forsworn; no more was this

                   knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he

                  had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or 

                 that mustard.

Celia. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st?

Touchstone. One that old Frederick, your father, loves.

Celia. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no

          more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. 

Touchstone. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise

                   men do foolishly.

Celia. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that

             fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have

            makes a great show. " 

Furthermore, the simultaneous presence of Kings and Fools in Shakespeare's plays provides a moral boost to the audience. It teaches us the importance of humility and self-awareness. It reminds us that power can be both a blessing and a curse and that those who have it must use it wisely. The remarks made by the Fool in King Lear, Touchstone in As You Like It, Feste in Twelfth Night, and other wits in Shakespeare's plays offer timeless insights into human nature and the complexities of life. The Fool in King Lear, wisely suggests that truth can be uncomfortable and even painful, and that sometimes it must be whipped out like a dog to its kennel:  /'Truth’s a dog must to kennel; he must be whipp’d out…"-The Fool, King Lear. Touchstone in As You Like It, proverbializes that honesty combined with beauty is a powerful combination that can sweeten any situation (For honesty coupled to beauty is to have honey a sauce to sugar.-Touchstone, Act III) or  wisdom is often found in recognizing one's own foolishness (The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool (Act V.).  Feste  in Twelfth Night emphasizes that greatness can be achieved in many different ways, including through birth, hard work, or simply being in the right place at the right time (Why, ‘some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrown upon them. (ACT V ). Pompey's "Good counsellors lack no clients: though you change your place, you need not change your trade" Act I from Measure for Measure emphasizes that good counselors will always have clients, no matter where they are. Cloten  in Cymbeline suggests that winning can boost one's confidence and courage. The Clown's quote from All's Well That Ends Well prophesizes that marriage can be fearful if one is not content with oneself. Overall, these wits offer a glimpse into the varied and complex world that Shakespeare so beautifully portrayed through his plays.

In a critical overview of Shakespeare's plays, one can see that the theme of Kings and Fools is a recurring one. It is evident in plays like Richard II, Henry IV, and The Tempest, to name a few. This shows that the theme is not limited to a particular time or place, but rather is universal in its relevance.

 Shakespeare's portrayal of Kings and Fools in his plays is a stunning original concept that has stood the test of time. It provides a critical overview of the complexities of human nature and the way power can corrupt individuals. The theme also provides a moral boost to the audience and reminds us of the importance of humility and self-awareness. 

Ardhendu De

1. Milward, P. (1984). Wise Fools in Shakespeare. Christianity and Literature, 33(2), 21–27. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44324052

2. The Project Gutenberg eBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare. (n.d.). The Project Gutenberg eBook of as You Like It, by William Shakespeare. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm