The Fool tells Lear he had this coming because Lear gave all his power to Goneril and Regan. Lear "deserves" it because he fell for their flattery rather than recognizing Cordelia's honesty. Telling Lear that he put himself in this powerless position, the Fool says:
Full Answer
What does the Fool say about King Lear?
The Fool believes that Lear was unwise to leave his entire kingdom to his eldest daughters, Regan and Goneril, while disinheriting and banishing his youngest daughter Cordelia, and tells him so. The Fool is proven to be a good judge of character after Regan and Goneril turn against their elderly father.
Why does King Lear call Cordelia a poor fool?
After Cordelia's death in Act 5, Scene 3, Lear refers to her as "my poor fool," possibly a reference to the fact that Cordelia and the Fool were often played by the same actor. " There, take my coxcomb!
How is the Fool heartbroken when Cordelia is gone?
In fact, the Fool is heartbroken since Cordelia has gone. The Knight tells Lear, "Since my young lady's going into France, sir, the fool hath much pined away" (I.iv.62-63). The Fool cared for Cordelia but he also knows the absurdity that Lear banished her, his one honest and loyal daughter.
What is the argument between Goneril and Lear?
When Lear has gone, Goneril argues with her husband, Albany, who is upset with the harsh way she has treated Lear. She says that she has written a letter to her sister Regan, who is likewise determined not to house Lear's hundred knights.
How was King Lear treated by Goneril?
Goneril is Lear's eldest daughter. After professing her deep love for her father and receiving half of his kingdom, she betrays him and plots his murder. Goneril's expressions of love are extreme and reveal the inherent dishonesty of her nature.
What is Lear's complaint regarding Goneril?
In this extract from the scene, Lear is angry that Goneril should question him when he has given her everything. He curses her never to have a child or if she does, that it make her life a misery so that she understands how it feels to have an ungrateful child.
What does Lear say he hopes happens to Goneril?
What does Lear say he hopes happens to Goneril? She becomes infertile.
How did Goneril and Regan treat Lear?
During Act 2, Goneril meets Regan and Lear at the Earl of Gloucester's house, where she supports her sister against her father, causing Lear to fly into a rage and rush into a thunderstorm. Goneril and Regan then order that the doors be shut on Lear.
How do Goneril and Regan treat Lear?
Goneril and Regan are clever—or at least clever enough to flatter their father in the play's opening scene—and, early in the play, their bad behavior toward Lear seems matched by his own pride and temper.
How does Lear respond to Lear's complaints about Goneril?
Lear is angry and threatens to renounce Regan as his lawful daughter if she does not receive him properly. Once he realizes that Kent has been freed from his stocks, his disposition changes. He becomes friendly and kind and entrusts Regan with information about the terrible treatment he has received from Goneril.
How has Lear offended Goneril and her household?
How did Lear offend Goneril and her household? His knights were rowdy and disruptive and made it difficult for Goneril and her servants to run a smooth household.
When did Lear realize his mistake?
But as early as the end of act 2, Lear has come to a full realization that he has made a terrible mistake in entrusting himself to Goneril and Regan, and even earlier (act 1, scene 4) has realized enough to strike his own head: “O Lear, Lear, Lear!
What reasons does Goneril give for wanting to reduce Lear's entourage?
What reasons does Goneril give for wanting to reduce Lear's entourage? Goneril said they were foolish and should not be given the responsibility that they are given when there are so many of them outnumbering her people.
Why does Cordelia refuse to flatter Lear as her sisters had done?
Why does Cordelia refuse to flatter Lear as her sisters have done? She finds them insincere and does not want to stoop to their level of hypocrisy.
King Lear's Fool
In William Shakespeare 's King Lear, the Fool is King Lear 's court jester. During Elizabethan times, when the play was written, the role of the court jester was to entertain the king or queen and the court.
The Fool's Role in King Lear
The Fool's role as a court jester is to entertain King Lear with his humor and wit. He proves himself to be one of the wisest, most loyal, and most honest characters throughout the play. He also functions as Lear's conscience because he is the only character in the play that King Lear allows to criticize him.
Analysis of Lear's Fool
The play begins with Lear, the fictional king of Britain, dividing his kingdom between his three daughters, saying he will leave the "largest bounty" to the daughter who can prove she loves him the most.