- Philip the Greek, created by Xenophon, Symposium. This "fool" was recorded to have stumped Socrates.
- Nasr-ed-Din of Tamerlane, 14th Century. A Turkish jester
- Triboulet, French royal courts of Louis XII and Francis I
- Will Somers, jester of King Henry VIII, England. Somers was well-known for his kindness as well as his wit.
- Thersites, The Iliad
- The "Wise Fool" from Greek New Comedy (4th Century B.C.);
Roman comedy, Plautus & Terrence (2nd Century B.C.); and
Epictetus, Greek philosopher (2nd Century B.C.). These stories were marked by "fools" manipulating their masters.
- Marcolf, from medieval story of King Solomon
- Shakespeare's "Fools", Including :
- Touchstone (As You Like It)
"The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly."
- Feste (Twelfth Night)
"Well, God give them wisdom that have it; and those
that are fools, let them use their talents."
- Fool belonging to King Lear (King Lear)
"Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou owest,
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou trowest,
Set less than thou throwest."
(All of Shakespeare's jesters most likely were inspired by the collection of historical accounts written by Robert Armin, 1605)
- Richard Tarleton's Book of Jests, Elizabethan England, 1611. This volume was one example of "jestbooks" or collections of sayings attributed to jesters.
- Till Eulenspiegel, German folk character, 1500
- Harlequin, Commedia dell'arte of Italy
- Rigoletto, Rigoletto, opera by Verdi
- Jesters' sticks were one of the features of producer, director, and playwright David Belasco's vast collection of antiques and theatrical memorabilia. (The thousands of books and papers given to the New York Public
Library by Belasco's heirs in 1931 formed the core of what is now the
Billy Rose Theatre Collection at the Library for the Performing Arts
at Lincoln Center.) An illustrated article about Belasco's jester-stick
collection appeared in Theatre Arts Monthly in October 1925.
Belasco also included a singing jester in his 1922 production of "The Merchant of Venice".
Thanks to Mary Ellen Kelly for providing this information.
- The Court Jester, Film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Landsbury. Paramount Pictures, 1956.
"A jester's chief employment
Is to kill himself for your enjoyment.
And a jester unemployed is nobody's fool."
- The Jester Has Lost His Jingle
David Saltzman, author and illustrator. "This 64-page, full-color children's book with a delightful story that appeals to all ages. In this charming tale, the Jester wakes one morning to find laughter missing in his kingdom, and he and his helpmate, Pharley, set off on a quest to find it. They ultimately discover that not only can laughter redeem a weary world, it can also provide the best tonic for anyone facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles."
- A tongue-in-cheek definition
of the "modern jester" by
Daniel Achterman, AKA "Jester" (achtermn@princeton.edu)
- JesterWear, maker of jesters' caps and hats
|
