King Lear Essays (1598 words) - Stock Characters, King Lear, Jester

King Lear 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 leads me to believe that the Fool is like a safety blanket for the King. He is there for him in his times of need but when he is not in trouble the Fool is not there. The Fool looks out for the King's best interest. The Fool thinks very highly of himself, even though no one else does. The comments he makes lead the reader to believe that he knows he is right. Even though I know he is right the characters in the play don't and treat him disrespectfully. In the Fool's first speech he says, "Have more than you should, speak less than you know and lend less than you need". This quote can be taken two ways. The Fool can be speaking about the King saying that he should have more because he doesn't have anything including his daughters and his kingdom. The King also should not be so trusting and not be so giving. If he was less trusting and giving then maybe he wouldn't have gotten taken advantage of. These to me are true about the King. This quote can also be directed toward the Fool. He has more than people think he should be, to them he speaks less than they know and he only gives a little. This is also true about the fool. Although the Fool is probably talking about the King and the mess that he made but he could also be directing the statement toward himself. The Fool has an insight that others don't see. One example of this is he knows that Goneril and Reagan are really evil people. He knows they lie and do not like them because of that. He says, "they'll have me whipped for speaking true". The Fool knows the extent of their meanness and also knows that the King does not see it. The Fool realizes that Goneril and Reagan will take over the whole kingdom and leave nothing left for the King. This makes them corrupt and the Fool lets them know that he does not like them. He tells Goneril to her face that he is better than she is for what she had planned. Of course him telling Goneril this means nothing because he is "Just the Fool." The Fool has many roles in this play. I

The Effect of the Black Death on English Higher Education Essay Example

The Effect of the Black Death on English Higher Education Essay Example The Effect of the Black Death on English Higher Education Essay The Effect of the Black Death on English Higher Education Essay Essay Topic: The Black Cat The Effect of the Black Death on English Higher Education, an article written by William J. Courtenay, takes a look into the quantitative and qualitative effects the plague had on English higher education.Courtenay, a history professor at Wisconsin University, has written several books on education in the 14th century, and is also Associate Chairman of the Classics Department, giving him credibility on the subject.By using several primary sources, such as registers from several schools, including that of Oxford, and other newly available sources, he is able to delve into a subject that even two decades ago was still very gray.With these new sources, Courtenay attempts to change the previous assumption that the plague greatly affected English higher education, and that the mortality rate within the educational establishments equaled that of the general population. The two questions Courtenay attempts to answer, whether there was a qualitative and/or quantitative decline in English e ducation as a result of the Black Plague, are both, even to this day, up to speculation.Courtenay begins by stating that up until a few decades ago, there had not been enough information to make an argument based on much fact.Work done, such as that of Anna Campbell, was mainly based on the statements of contemporary scholars, that the Black Plague had a major effect not only on the population, but every other facet of life, including education.Courtenay argues that though the Black Death most certainly affected educational establishments, the death rate of scholars was most likely not that high.He defends his argument by making a case study of a particular focus group, the theology department at Oxford.Using the newly computerized The Biographical Register of the University of Oxford, as well as other sources, Courtenay finds that the number of professors and students did not necessarily decline after the plague.He gives many reasons for