<p><a title="DC’s Group" href="http://nathanblom.com/dcs-group/#Sebastian Vallejo" target="_blank">The dialogue between the Fool and Lear is an evident example of role reversal in Act 1, Scene 5. I found it interesting how Shakespeare would do this because the fool combines his humor with deep wisdom. He advises Lear that he has put himself in a dangerous situation and that it can lead to a downfall, however he does it in a way that anyone other than a fool would be banished/punished for being that disrespectful. The Fool takes advantage of that right since they have a good relationship for example &#8220;nuncle&#8221; and “boy” and etc. Lear gets irritated as the dialogue progresses but chooses not to get mad. The Fool has gotten to him and Lear foolishly chooses not to care, which was a great way to demonstrate/introduce the downfall later on. -Sebastian Vallejo</a></p> <p></p>

<p><a title="Jodi’s Page" href="http://nathanblom.com/jodis-page/#Amanda's Essay" target="_blank">Lear is becoming more aware of the error in his ways all because the Fool is the primary indicator of Lear&#8217;s wrongdoings. Although Lear might have been quite skeptical about keeping the Fool around when he was first introduced to the audience, he now understands that he needs the Fool in order to determine what&#8217;s next for Lear and his reign in the long run, as well as where his relationship stands with his three daughters.</a></p> <p><a title="Jodi’s Page" href="http://nathanblom.com/jodis-page/#Amanda's Essay">Lear&#8217;s sudden realization of his daughters&#8217; betrayal seemed to have been concealed for the most part until the Fool is able to point out the reality of the situation. Lear&#8217;s desire to be infinitely loved by all of his daughters is what blinded him from the start and had been his downfall. Is safe to say that the Fool is a sort of indicator of upcoming events? Is his role bigger than Lear&#8217;s?</a></p> <p><a title="Jodi’s Page" href="http://nathanblom.com/jodis-page/#Amanda's Essay">-Amanda Gomez-Shnorhokian</a></p> <p dir="ltr"><a title="Jodi’s Page" href="http://nathanblom.com/jodis-page/#Amanda's Essay"></a></p>

<a title="The Awesomes Group Essays GOLD EDITION" href="http://nathanblom.com/the-awesomes-group-essays-gold-edition/#AbbyEssay" target="_blank">Contrary to Dominika&#8217;s idea that the fool merely serves to enhance the Lear&#8217;s loneliness, I think that the Fool&#8217;s presence represents Lear&#8217;s changing attitude toward honesty. The Fool is not incompetent as my classmates have said repeatedly; the Fool demonstrates a playful intelligence, and thus does not serve to highlight the fact that Lear has lowered his standards. In fact, I think Shakespeare was illuminating the idea that social ranking does not correspond to intelligence by making the Fool, a traditionally silly and unimportant role, a wise character. However, I do not think that Shakespeare was condemning all authority. Cordelia, a royal figure, is brutally honest and has no ulterior motive. Her character closely resembles that of  the Fool. Thus, I believe that the Fool is a representation of Cordelia. I also believe that he is the impetus that will drive King Lear to appreciate her genuine love.  -Abby Avital</a>

<p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://nathanblom.com/sexism-edmund-and-the-fool/#SuzannaEssay" target="_blank">Lear’s descent into madness is by far the juiciest, most exciting part of the play. By the end of Act 1, scene 5 the reader can see the beginning of King Lear&#8217;s downfall. His demise seems to begin the moment after he decides to give Goneril and Regan the kingdom. When he gives away his land, his power also diminishes. The fool, as well as Goneril does not treat him like a respected figure, because he is no longer ruler. His men and knights are also dwindling in numbers by Goneril&#8217;s doing, so he is losing even more of his status at the hands of his daughters. Lear is starting to realize the error of his ways when talking to the fool, who says that the eldest two are both power hungry and deceptive. Lear states, &#8220;I did her wrong&#8221; (Shakespeare. 1.5. 24) sort of out of the blue, referring to Cordelia and the fact that she got none of the Kingdom. Lear is beginning to regret his decision not to give his power to the one daughter who honestly loved him. The fool tells Lear the reality of the situation when he says, &#8220;But I can tell you why a snail has a house&#8230; Why to put&#8217;s head in, not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case.&#8221; (Shakespeare. 1.5. 26-32) the fool means that Lear&#8217;s kingdom was his to rule over and claim authority from. By giving it to Goneril and Regan Lear will lose all power and claim to the land, especially since they will take away as much from him as they can, including his knights. Because this fact is so dangerously true to the situation, Lear attempts to dismiss it in the hopes that Regan will treat him better. This scene has shown the beginning of the end for Lear. </a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://nathanblom.com/sexism-edmund-and-the-fool/#SuzannaEssay" target="_blank"> </a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://nathanblom.com/sexism-edmund-and-the-fool/#SuzannaEssay" target="_blank">-Suzanna Varrichione</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p></p>

<a title="Deception" href="http://nathanblom.com/edmunds-deception/#HillsEssay" target="_blank">After reading Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, I feel that the character of the fool as a form conscience for the King. The fool often comments on the current goings on in the plot, and  uses his wit to remain undetected by his master. The fool appears to offer many allegorical examples that are parallel to the goings on in King Lear&#8217;s life. &#8220;…but I can tell why a snail has a house&#8230;why, to put&#8217;s head to, not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case with the Kings situation”(1,5, 62-64). The fool uses this statement to show how the king has given away all of his power to his two eldest and cruel daughters.  This allegory comparing the king to a snail makes the king appear weak and very foolish. It seems as though the fool is mocking the king, by making such remarks as “If a man&#8217;s brains were in&#8217;s heels, were &#8216;t not in danger of kibes?” (act 1 scene 5, line 8-9), suggesting that Lear&#8217;s brain is at his feet and that his actions are far from intelligent. However, it can also be thought of by the reader that the fool is trying to bring awareness to his king, not simply to criticize him. King Lear is not angered by this apparent mockery, he doesn’t seem to pay much mind to the fool. He simply tolerates it the chastising and continues his dissension to madness. When he has gone past the limits of sanity, the fool disappears from the story. Similar to how a conscience appears suddenly and disappears in the same manner.</a> <p dir="ltr"><a title="Deception" href="http://nathanblom.com/edmunds-deception/#HillsEssay">Danielle Hill</a>.</p>

<p><a title="Sexism, Edmund, and the Fool" href="http://nathanblom.com/sexism-edmund-and-the-fool/#PeterEssay" target="_blank">The fool definitely plays a pivotal character in the play, as he is the first person to get Lear to question his own sanity &#8220;O, let me not be mad, not mad sweet heaven!&#8221; (Shakespeare, 1.5, 45). That&#8217;s a pretty substantial feat considering how stubborn Lear has been so far throughout the play, and the fool is the only person to make him realize the consequences of his actions. Lear’s relationship with the fool is quite interesting, as he seems to tolerate the fool taking jabs at him, like when earlier in the scene, the fool says, “But I can tell you why a snail has a house… Why to put his head in, not to give it away to his daughters…” (Shakespeare, 1.5, lines 27-30). Although the fool doesn’t really seem to have any actual sway on the course of events that take place throughout the story, he does play an important role in the psychological degradation of King Lear, and also provides some much-needed comic relief.  I do, however, think that the fool’s brazen attitude towards Lear might play an even more significant role than we think. It is almost as if the fool is Lear&#8217;s subconscious, bringing his faults and poor decisions to his conscious as he falls into madness. After all, why would he not rid himself of the fool for insulting him when he banished his friends and family for disagreeing with him? Perhaps it is because the fool is a part of Lear’s subconscious.</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a title="Sexism, Edmund, and the Fool" href="http://nathanblom.com/sexism-edmund-and-the-fool/#PeterEssay">-Peter Vilim</a></p> <p id="id00387"><span style="color: #000000;"></span></p>

<p><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">Ara Butler: The Relationship between Lear and the Fool.</a></p> <p><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">The relationship between Lear and the Fool in this section of the play adds for an<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">interesting contrast. The king, Lear, who notably should hold the most power has already been<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">deceived by two of his daughters, relinquishing him from the rule of his kingdom, only to now<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">have his court Jester mock him for his poor decisions. This becomes a statement of irony; a fool<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">with little to no royal status and perceived to be dim-witted displays more intelligence than the<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">king. “Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise” (1.5.37-38). Here the Fool<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">makes a statement against the wit of the king, to say that one who is as aged as Lear should be<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">the wisest man of all, and that one should only grow old once they have become wise. In the<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara" target="_blank">case of Lear he points out that, although Lear has grown old he is not in the least a wise man.<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">Shakespeare&#8217;s attack on England&#8217;s monarchy is to say that even a fool knows better than those<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">in charge, who because of their power have lost sight of the truth and only see what they want.<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">Meanwhile someone with no political ties can see the truth in the power hungry actions of the<br /> </a><a href="http://nathanblom.com/zoya/#ara">kingdom, making the Fool the least foolish of all.</a></p> <p>.</p>

<p><a title="Deception" href="http://nathanblom.com/edmunds-deception/#DanielsEssay" target="_blank">Although King Lear is described to be a dignified monarch, the events of Act 1 Scene 5 helped undermine king Lear’s facade of composure and expose and emphasize his foolish and rash mindset. Lear’s temper, or, as Maggie Williams, a scholar, describes it, his “passion,” is what always sends him diving head first into impulsive fights and flawed decisions.  It is, after all, his rash personality caused him to disown Cordelia, an action that he wouldn’t have made were he level-headed. King Lear even acknowledges his temper to be disruptive after the fool teased him to be unwise, as he said: “O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! / Keep me in temper. I would not be mad!” (1.5.45-46)  Although the fool was only teasing him, Lear’s exclamation proves that he must struggle to maintain his  weak grip on his thunderous temper, which is a disadvantage that costs him his wealth, status, and family.  Although he has admitted it to himself once before when Goneril kicked him out of her house, Lear himself does not notice how illogical his actions are. Not only did he disown Cordelia, the only daughter of his that loved him, but he banished her from his kingdom, along with Kent, one of his most loyal subjects who spoke up for the disgraced Cordelia when no one else would. Above all, the most damaging decision King Lear made was perhaps deciding to split his land among his greedy cold-hearted daughters believing that these conniving daughters would be willing to support him. Is there a limit to how foolish one can be? How far will Lear go until he finally figures it all out? If you ask me, he&#8217;s a hopeless case</a></p> <p><a title="Deception" href="http://nathanblom.com/edmunds-deception/#DanielsEssay">Rena Daniel</a>.</p>

<br /> <p dir="ltr">I think it is very interesting that Lear begs the heavens that he should not be mad. According to his daughters, he is already at that point. So that makes me question, is he actually mad, or just ignorant? I think that through the help of his Fool, he is finally seeing the mistake he has made by handing over his power to his daughters, Goneril and Regan. I originally sympathized with Edmund, because I felt he had endured a life full of neglect and bashing, but after reading Act 2, Scene 1, I no longer do. He might actually be the one who has gone mad, rather than Lear. He is creating a scheme much larger than I expected, involving Regan and her husband in his plot to get rid of Edgar. I thought it was interesting that Regan asked Gloucester for advice about the letters. She seemed so sure of her decisions in the beginning, jumping at the opportunity to proclaim her love and obtain her share of the inheritance. I feel that she is overwhelmed with her amount of power. This entire play is completely unfair so far. It seems to me that a large part of the play is injustice. Many of the characters that should be getting punished are not; instead, the good characters are. Cordelia is honest and is banished. Edmund is dishonest and is rewarded. This play is not making an ounce of <a title="Internal and External Worlds in King Lear" href="http://nathanblom.com/internal-and-external-worlds-in-king-lear/#sense" target="_blank">sense</a> to me, how is it that the bad are receiving the benefits?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Eugenia Sanabria-Fernandez</p>

<p><a title="Purpose of the Fool" href="http://nathanblom.com/purpose-of-the-fool/#KellysEssay" target="_blank">Throughout this scene the Fool constantly warns Lear to watch out for his deceitful daughters. The Fool recites seemingly nonsense-filled lines such as -&#8220;She that&#8217;s a maid now and laughs at my departure, shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter.&#8221;</a></p> <p><a title="Purpose of the Fool" href="http://nathanblom.com/purpose-of-the-fool/#KellysEssay" target="_blank">Though it could be written off as meaningless, the fool is arguably the only honest character in the play. He is both highly intelligent and childish with his sense humor; yet sometimes I wonder what his true purpose is in the play other than showing Lear’s foolishness.</a></p> <p><a title="Purpose of the Fool" href="http://nathanblom.com/purpose-of-the-fool/#KellysEssay" target="_blank">–Kelly Casey</a></p> <p></p>