In the play King Lear there are many characters and they all have their own roles. Some roles are more obvious than others. The one that catches my attention the most is the role of the Fool. In the dictionary the definition of a fool is someone who lacks sense or judgement. Does the Fool lack sense or judgement? Or is he the opposite and everyone just perceives him as a fool.
             These questions come down into one ultimate question, was the Fool a madman or a prophet. Personally I think that he was a prophet. The Fool knew every outcome of the King's decisions. Since the Fool was not taken seriously everyone just disregarded him. This leads me to believe that the Fool was not as foolish as people thought.
             Besides bringing "foolishness" to the play the Fool also brought irony. He was the smartest person in the play but was treated as the stupidest. How ironic is it that by the middle of the play the king was loosing his mind and the Fool was giving him advice. The ironic theme of the play makes the irony of the Fool more prevalent. His irony made the reader more inclined to understand and realize how far from foolish he really was.
             I think that the Fool also had the role of being the voice of reality in Lear's life. The King let the Fool say whatever he wanted because he was "crazy". This gave the Fool the opportunity to say what he wanted and no matter how crazy it sounded. The King didn't take his advice but he listened. The Fool gave the king what he needed, clarity and reason. He gave the King a new perspective on things, too bad it was a little late because the damage had been done, the King had lost his power.
             The Fool came into the play after the King divided up his kingdom. The placement of the Fool in the play is important. The Fool comes in after the King's daughters had already thought up their evil plan. Also the Fool leaves the play when the King is safe with Kent and Cordelia. This le...