16th century, dramatic character, Europe, France, French, play, primary source, quotes
The sottie was a form of French satirical drama from the 15th and 16th centuries, until they were banned. Their characters were allegorical without individual names and they were a channel for criticising the government. The Farce Morale de Troys Pelerins et Malice...
16th century, Europe, France, French, primary source, quotes
The king-fool duopoly seems, according to the reliable Rabelais, to have a celestial underpinning. I trust that ‘king’ is used capaciously to include queens and other rulers … Kings and fools are born under the same horoscope. Un mesme...
16th century, Europe, France, French, historical figure, primary source, quotes
We know, often from court account records, that court jesters, particularly of the ‘natural’ fool variety, were sometimes allocated a carer or guardian. Here Thony is described as having had two such carers. Louis de la Proue (whose nickname was ‘La...
16th century, Europe, fooleum, France, French, historical figure, manuscript, painting, primary source
This curious series of illuminations features the French jester Triboulet in various states of interaction with Death and others.There does appear to be a fairly clear narrative: Triboulet meets Death; Triboulet is struck down by Death; Triboulet lies in his grave...
17th century, court accounts, Europe, France, French, historical figure, primary source, quotes
An account of the French court’s expenses for 1622 gives the sum of 1,800 livres for the jester Maître Guillaume, and 1,200 for his female counterpart, Mathurine la Folle. There is no explanation for this disparity, and we can only hope it isn’t an early...
16th century, dramatic character, Europe, France, French, primary source, quotes
Like his court jester counterpart, the fool in French medieval drama was somehow on the edge of the arena of action and therefore more independent – it seems writers made more effort to vary his characterization than with other roles, or alternatively creativity...
16th century, dramatic character, Europe, France, French, play, primary source, quotes
The sottie was a genre of short, satirical play performed in France in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its name comes from ‘sot’ meaning ‘fool’, as many of the characters were one or another kind of fool. The plays could draw attention to...
19th century, dramatic character, Europe, France, French, primary source, quotes
As the jester Giraff says in Victor Hugo’s play about Cromwell (1827), the jester can always save his skin, and in order to reach old age in a world full of uncertainty, there is no wiser guise. See a similar sentiment expressed by Leopardi around the same...
