Shakespeare’s stage clowns stand apart from his other characters by the way they break down barriers, provide comic relief, and guide the audience through the many layers of complexity that are characteristic of all of his plays. Shakespeare’s progress towards self-discovery by way of disguise and foolery is achieved through the invention of these comic characters. The creation of these fools symbolizes one of Shakespeare’s many contributions to literary tradition. More importantly, these Fools are the critics inside his plays and without their truthful presence Shakespeare’s works would be transformed for the worse. With his famous founding fools, Shakespeare reveals faults in judgment and values and never fails to shed light on the socio-cultural Renaissance atmosphere. So, the question up for discussion is what would Shakespeare’s works be without his famous founding fools?
Without Feste in 12th night, who would match Olivia's wit? I love Feste as amiable challenger-- his jokes aren't crude and sharp like Lear's Fool-- but instead push the word-play and language further. – haleesue9 years ago
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