20th century, dramatic character, Europe, French, play, primary source, quotes
​A not uncommon trope in the jester-king relationship is the reversal of their roles, either in jest, or to provide a corrective to the king, or if the king is forced to take on the role of jester, as in Frank Wedekind’s play King Nicolo (1901). In another...
20th century, dramatic character, Europe, German, Germany, play, primary source, quotes, stories
Occasionally, more in fiction than reality, the king changes place with the jester, sometimes willingly, occasionally under compulsion. There is an example of this role inversion featuring George Buchanan about whom many anecdotes classify him as a jester, although...
16th century, 17th century, English, Europe, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Scotland, stories
A recurrent theme in the fool-king relationship is that of role-swapping, more formally known as ‘inversion’.Fools, jesters, clowns, are often said to turn the world on its head – in medieval Europe there was even a genre of art focused on this...
