17th century, dramatic character, England, English, Europe, play, primary source, quotes, Tudor
Babulo, whose name has an echo of babbling, is the clown servant of Grissell’s father. Â The marquis isn’t upset by his lack of grovelling genuflection, and invites him to live at court, but Babulo is (again) unimpressed, and roundly expresses his career...
16th century, dramatic character, Europe, German, play, primary source, quotes
A German verse by the Swiss writer Pamphilus Gengenbach (1480-1525) affirms that in the 16th century, the fool enjoyed a strong presence on stage, since scarce any play could open without one: There’s scarce a play that can begin Without a fool who steps right...
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...
20th century, Afghanistan, historical figure, quotes
A book on the Indian stage-fool vidusaka affirms the likely existence of real-world court fools in India, and provides the only reference I recall to an early 20th century jester at the Afghan court.  A tantalising possibility needing more information.    … we...
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...
17th century, England, English, Europe, primary source, quotes, Stuart
This parting shot, the conclusion of a fictive quest in search of the ‘veriest fool in England’, has one of the fools name poets as being the greatest of fools, recommending they form a ‘parliament of poets’ to serve the interests of the...
17th century, dramatic character, England, English, Europe, play, primary source, quotes, Stuart
​In this play about Will Somers, the long-serving jester of Henry VIII (r. 1509-47), we have art imitating life, showing the spectrum of fiction-to-fact which a famous historical fool can encompass; Somers is not the only household name to have plays written about...
16th century, England, English, Europe, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Tudor
Sir Thomas More warns of the dangers of having ‘fun’ with the king. More had enough wit and humour to have been himself occasionally likened to a jester, and had his own jester at home. You often boast to me that you have the king’s ear and often have...
