William Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream And Fool

The Shakespearean fool is a recurring character type in the works of William Shakespeare. While their individual personalities and functions differ from play to play, the reoccurrence of the Shakespearean fool suggests that fools serve as an important institution of the Shakespearean stage. But what is the role of the Shakespeare’s fools in his works? And how do particular characteristics about these fools help them achieve this purpose? Through an in-depth analysis of Shakespeare’s arguably two most famous fools, Puck (Robin Goodfellow) from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Fool in King Lear; an argument can be made that the scope of the fool goes far beyond being solely a comedic figure. Using a Shakespearean comedy and tragedy as evidence,†¦show more content†¦This is a practice As full of labor as a wise man’s art; For folly that he wisely shows is fit, But wise men, folly-fall’n, quite taint their wit. (III, i, 60-68) In many cases, Shakespearean fools are downplayed by contemporary dramatists and audiences as comic characters that break up the serious content of Shakespeare’s plays. Such critics point to the porter in Macbeth who appears after Macbeth has just killed the king, or the grave diggers in Hamlet who show up after Ophelia’s suicide. While this role for fool characters has its viability and is true to a degree, the Shakespearean fool may be more complex than it is given credit for. The action of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is divided up amongst several groups of characters: the lovers, the fairies, and the other fool of the play Bottom and his players. Out of these groups, the character Puck, also addressed as Robin Goodfellow, emerges as the best candidate for the protagonist of the play despite also fitting into the fool character type. Puck serves as a guide between the world of the fairies and the world of the humans. His physical appearance reinforces this notion. Puck is portrayed as somewhat bizarre looking, being called a â€Å"hobgoblin† as well as a â€Å"shrewd and knavish sprite†. These terms’ connotations indicate Puck as less ethereal and graceful as other fairies, instead possessing a certain