A jester or fool is a specific type of clown mostly associated with the Middle Ages. Jesters typically wore brightly colored clothing in a motley pattern. Their hats, sometimes called the cap ’n bells, cockscomb (obsolete coxcomb) (or, in German, schellenmütze and, in Italian, berretto a sonagli), were especially distinctive; made of cloth, they were floppy with three points (liliripes) each of which had a jingle bell at the end. The three points of the hat represent the asses' ears and tail worn by jesters in earlier times. Other things distinctive about the jester were his incessant laughter and his mock scepter, known as a bauble or marotte. It has been suggested that Circus clown be merged into this article or section. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Motley refers to the traditional costume of the Court jester or the Harlequin character in Commedia dellarte. ... A bell is a simple sound-making device. ... A sceptre or scepter is an ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch, a prominent item of kingly regalia. ... A Marotte is a prop stick or scepter with a carved head on it. ...

A Court-Fool, of the 15th Century. Facsimile of a miniature from a ms. in the Bibl. de l'Arsenal, Th. lat., n^o 125.

Download high resolution version (1443x2305, 143 KB)A Court-Fool, of the 15th Century. ... Download high resolution version (1443x2305, 143 KB)A Court-Fool, of the 15th Century. ...

The art of the jester

Medieval medicine considered human health to be largely governed by The four humors: Sanguine, meaning an increased amount of blood in the system, Melancholia, an increased amount of black bile, Choleric, an increased amount of yellow bile and Phlegmatic, meaning an increased amount of phlegm. The balance or imbalance of the humors was believed to produce four distinct emotional states that could be rebalanced either by the doctor's craft (which, in those days, was largely alchemy-based) or by the court entertainers, including the fool or jester. Although these alchemical theories of human mind-body-spirit relationship fell into disrepute after the Renaissance, these ideas have been reexamined in more recent times by psychologist Carl Jung, and the idea that laughter aids recovery has been given more credence. In the United States, the Gesundheit Institute established by Patch Adams attempts to make good use of clowning and laughter as medicine. Astrology played a important part in Medieval medicine; most educated physicians were trained in at least the basics of astrology to use in their practice. ... The four humours were four fluids that were thought to permeate the body and influence its health. ... Sanguine can refer to: Sanguine personality - optimistic, cheerful, even-tempered, confident, rational, popular, fun-loving Sanguine is the temperament of blood - one of the four humours Sanguine is a tincture in heraldry, otherwise one of the staynard colours (stains). ... Melancholia (Greek μελανχολια) is a mood of non-specific depression. ... Choleric is a temperament in the ancient medical theory of the four humours. ... Phlegmatic is a temperament in the theory of the four humours. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. ... The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning breath. ... Raphael was famous for depicting illustrious figures of the Classical past with the features of his Renaissance contemporaries. ... A psychologist is a scientist and/or clinician who studies psychology, the systematic investigation of the human mind, including behavior and cognition. ... Carl Jungs autobiographical work Memories , Dreams, Reflections, Fontana edition Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875, Kesswil, – June 6, 1961, Küsnacht) (IPA: ) was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology. ... The Gesundheit Institute was founded by Hunter Patch Adams in 1971. ... Hunter Patch Adams (born May 28, 1945 in Washington, District of Columbia) founded the Gesundheit Institute in 1972. ... It has been suggested that Circus clown be merged into this article or section. ...

A jester could have a more political role as well. Many legends and anecdotes portray fools as informal, cunning advisors. The expression "fool's license" is said to come from this custom.

19th Century Engraving of Will Sommers

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1041x1773, 1633 KB) 300 dpi scanned image of Will Sommers, court jester to Henry VIII. Image scanned from Robert Chambers Book of Days, who died in 1871. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1041x1773, 1633 KB) 300 dpi scanned image of Will Sommers, court jester to Henry VIII. Image scanned from Robert Chambers Book of Days, who died in 1871. ...

History

The origins of the jester are possibly in prehistoric Western tribal society. Pliny the Elder mentions a royal jester (planus regius) when recounting Apelles' visit to the palace of the Hellenistic King Ptolemy I. However, jesters are mainly thought of in association with the European Middle Ages. Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... http://www. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19c portrait. ... Another Apelles was the founder of a Gnostic sect in the 2nd century; Apelles (theologian). ... The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... For the unrelated astronomer, see Ptolemy Ptolemy I Soter (367 BC–283 BC), ruler of Egypt (reigned 323 BC - 283 BC) and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

All jesters and fools in those days were thought of as special cases whom God had touched with a childlike madness—a gift, or perhaps a curse. Mentally handicapped people sometimes found employment by capering and behaving in an amusing way. In the harsh world of medieval Europe, people who might not be able to survive any other way thus found a social niche.

In the Islamic world Sufi mystics tell tales of Mulla Nasrudin, the legendary 14th century mystic jester of Tamerlane. Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mystikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (mysteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an... Nasreddin (also commonly spelled Nasrudin, Nasredin, Nasruddin, Nasr Eddin, Nastradhin, Nasreddine, Nastratin, Nusrettin) was a lower Muslim cleric who lived among the Middle-eastern people in the Middle Ages. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... For the chess engine Tamerlane, see Tamerlane. ...

All royal courts in those days employed entertainers and most had professional fools of various types. Entertainment included music, juggling, clowning, and the telling of riddles. Henry VIII of England employed a jester named Will Sommers. Early music is European classical music before the classical music era and after Ancient music. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Circus clown be merged into this article or section. ... A riddle is a form of word puzzle designed to test someones ingenuity and lateral thinking in arriving at a solution. ... For the play, see Henry VIII (play). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... William Sommers (d. ...

During the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I of England, William Shakespeare wrote his plays and performed with his theatre company the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later called the King's Men). Clowns and jesters were often featured in Shakespeare's plays, and the company's expert on jesting was Robert Armin, author of the book Fooled upon Foole. Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England, Queen of France (in name only), and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... James VI and I (James Stuart) (June 19, 1566 – March 27, 1625) was King of Scots, King of England, and King of Ireland and was the first to style himself King of Great Britain. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Lord Chamberlains Men was the playing company that William Shakespeare worked for as actor and playwright throughout most of his career. ... It has been suggested that Lord Chamberlains Men be merged into this article or section. ... Title page of Armins The History of the two Maids of More-Clacke, 1609. ...

King James employed a famous jester called Archibald Armstrong. During his lifetime Armstrong was given great honours at court. He was eventually thrown out of the King's employment when he over-reached himself and insulted too many influential people. Even after his disgrace books were sold in London streets of his jests. He held some influence at court still in the reign of Charles I and estates of land in Ireland. Charles later employed a jester called Jeffrey Hudson who was very popular and loyal. Jeffrey Hudson had the title of Royal Dwarf because he was very short of stature. One of his jests was to be presented hidden in a giant pie (from which he would leap out). Hudson fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War. A third jester associated with Charles I was called Muckle John. Archibald Armstrong (d. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Ireland, and King of Scots from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... Categories: People stubs ... Dwarfism is typically a pathological condition in which the physical size of a person, animal, or plant is well below normal. ... Prince Rupert of the Rhine Cavaliers was the name used by Parliamentarians for the Royalist supporters of King Charles I during the English Civil War (1642–1651). ... The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. ...

The tradition of Court Jesters came to an end in Britain when Charles I was overthrown in the Civil War. As a Puritan Christian republic, England under the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell had no place for such fripperies as jesters. English theatre also suffered and a good many actors and entertainers relocated to Ireland where things were little better (see Irish theatre). The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. ... This article describes a highly specialized aspect of its subject. ... Christianity is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ... In a broad definition, a republic is a state or country that is led by people whose political power is based on principles that are not beyond the control of the people of that state or country. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For the Monty Python song based on the historical figure, see Oliver Cromwell (song) Oliver Cromwell (April 25, 1599 – September 3, 1658) was an English military and political leader, considered by critics to be a dictator, best known for making England a republic and leading the Commonwealth of England. ... Oscar Wilde remains one of Irelands best-known playwrights The history of Irish theatre begins with the rise of the English administration in Dublin at the start of the 17th century. ...

After the Restoration, Charles II didn't reinstate the tradition of the Court Jester but he did greatly patronize the theatre and proto-music hall entertainments, especially favouring the work of Thomas Killigrew. King Charles II, the first monarch to rule after the English Restoration. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ... Thomas Killigrew (1612 - March 19, 1683), was an English dramatist. ...

Stańczyk

In France and Italy, travelling groups of jesters performed plays featuring stylized characters. These were called the commedia dell'arte. A version of this passed into British folk tradition in the form of a puppet show Punch and Judy. In France the tradition of the court jester ended with the French Revolution. Prussian Homage by Jan Matejko. ... Prussian Homage by Jan Matejko. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Karel Dujardins set his closely-observed scene of a travelling troupes makeshift stage against idealized ruins in the Roman Campagna: dated 1657 (Louvre Museum) Commedia dellarte (Italian: comedy of professional artists also interpreted as comedy of humors), also known as Extemporal Comedy, was a popular form of improvisational... Elmo, a popular puppet from Sesame Street. ... A stained glass illustration of Punch by Professor Ignorant Punch and Judy is a popular glove-puppet show for children (although the earliest shows used marionettes), featuring Punch and his wife Judy. ... The French Revolution (1789–1799) was a pivotal period in the history of French, European and Western civilization. ...

Poland's most famous court jester was Stańczyk whose witty jokes were usually related to current political issues, and who later became an important historical symbol for many Poles. The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

In the 21st century the jester is a character beloved of all with a passion for historical drama and the cap'n'bells will often be seen worn by participants in medieval style fayres and pageants. The 21st century is the present century of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fayre is an alternate spelling of fair, meaning a gathering of people to celebrate life and commerce. ...

Tonga was the first Royal Court to appoint a Court Jester in modern times, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, the King of Tonga, appointing JD Bogdanoff to the role in 1999. He was later embroiled in a financial scandal. Wikinews has news related to: King of Tonga dies, aged 88 Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga (4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006), GCMG (1977); GCVO (1970); KBE (1958); son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and her consort Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, was the king of Tonga... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Old Farts by the Sometimes-United Nations. ...

In 2004 English Heritage appointed Nigel Roder ("Kester the Jester") as the State Jester for England, the first since Muckle John 355 years previously. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... English Heritage is a United Kingdom government body with a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England. ... Nigel Roder (born 1967) became the court jester of England in 2004. ...

In Germany today,Till Eulenspiegel is a folkloric hero dating back to medieval times and ruling each year over Fasching or Carnival time, mocking Politicians and public Figures of power and authority with political satire like a modern day Court Jester. He holds a mirror, to make us more aware of our Times ( Zeitgeist ) and his sceptre or marotte is the symbol of his absolute and supreme rule . Till Eulenspiegel IPA: (Low German Dyl Ulenspegel) is a character who originated in Middle Low German oral tradition. ... See also: Carnival Corporation, Carnival Cruise Lines, Carnivàle Swabian-Alemannic carnival clowns in Wolfach, Germany A carnival parade is a public celebration, combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the Carnival Season. ... Swabian-Alemannic carnival clowns in Wolfach, Germany A carnival is a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the carnival season. ... Political satire is a subgenre of general satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics, politicians and public affairs. ... Look up Zeitgeist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A sceptre or scepter is an ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch, a prominent item of kingly regalia. ... A Marotte is a prop stick or scepter with a carved head on it. ...

The jester in other media

• Dagonet, jester to King Arthur in medieval romances
• Giacomo "King of Jesters, and Jester to the King" played by Danny Kaye in the 1956 film musical The Court Jester
• Jack Point, the tragic jester in The Yeomen of the Guard by Gilbert and Sullivan
• Malcolm, the mad jester of The Legend of Kyrandia adventure games
• Harley Quinn, an enemy of Batman's, the DC comics superhero. She is girlfriend of the the Joker, the hero's nemesis.
• Harle, a character in Chrono Cross that jests at expense of reality itself.
• QuackerJack, a vicious jester with a weird obsession for toys in Disney's animated series Darkwing Duck.
• Dhoulmagus, an evil jester in the Dragon Quest VIII game by SQUARE/ENIX.
• A nameless jester helps and hinders the player in the Infocom game Zork Zero.
• A jester, based on the Shakespearean jesters and unofficially named Elvis, is the logo of the financial website The Motley Fool.
• Jester an alter-ego of Arkham one of the main antogonists of the Devil May Cry 3 videogame.
• Rigoletto is the title character of the opera by Verdi.
• Verence first appeared in Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters as the court jester and remained so for most of the novel. Both this novel and the Fools' Guild Diary feature comic exaggerations of the "tragic fool" motif.
• Towser, jester to King John the Presbyter in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
• The Photojournalist from Apocalypse Now is often seen as a harlequin figure.
• Mr Harley Quin, in the Agatha Christie collection The Mysterious Mr Quin is a modernised version of the "wise fool" who helps others see the truth.
• The anarchic Jerry Cornelius is often shown as a jester figure.
• The Jester, a 2003 novel by James Patterson and Andrew Gross.
• The Jester, a poker term used to describe a suited Jack/Seven - named after the poker player "The Jester" as it is his favourite hand.
• Lee Civico-Cambell (poker player and actor - star of "A Jester's Tale", "Gaylon Peglegg: Exorcist" and "The Harvest") is known as The Jester.
• The Fool, a court jester in Robin Hobb's The Realm of the Elderlings books.
• James Root, guitarist for metal band Slipknot, wears a Jester-like mask on stage.
• NiGHTS Into Dreams featured two brightly colored jesters. NiGHTS, the main protagonist, who wore a purple jester outfit with a purple hat, each with carnival and dream like designs on them, and Reala, NiGHTS nemesis, who had a clownlike face, and wore red and sky blue, and red and black striped shoes with a red- and black-striped jester hat.*
• In the Disney animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the narrator, and rather fundamental character, was Clopin, a jester.
• Timothy Claypole, a character in the BBC children's television comedy programme Rentaghost of the 1970s/80s, was a Jester (played by the late Michael Staniforth).
• In the Marvel comic Daredevil, The Jester is the alter-ego of villain Jonathan Powers, who appears between issues #47-49.

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... A bronze Arthur in plate armour with visor raised and with jousting shield wearing Kastenbrust armour (early 15c). ... Kaye entertaining U.S. troops at Sasebo, Japan, 25 Oct 1945 David Daniel Kaminsky, known as Danny Kaye (January 18, 1913 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, singer and comedian. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... The Court Jester is a 1956 comedy film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, and a young Angela Lansbury (she turned thirty-one during the making of this film). ... The Yeomen of the Guard, or The Merryman and his Maid, is the eleventh of Gilbert and Sullivans operettas. ... W. S. Gilbert Sir Arthur Sullivan Librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) collaborated on a series of fourteen comic operas in Victorian England between 1871 and 1896. ... The Legend of Kyrandia is a fantasy point and click adventure game trilogy with comedy elements, created by Westwood Studios, and released for DOS, Amiga, FM Towns and Apple Macintosh. ... Adventure is a genre of video game typified by exploration, puzzle-solving, interaction with game characters, and a focus on narrative rather than reflex-based challenges. ... Harley Quinn (real name Dr. Harleen Quinzel) is a fictional character, a supervillainess in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the DC Comics Batman series and its spin-offs, and subsequently in various Batman-related comic books. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still sometimes as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... The Joker is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain widely considered to be Batmans archenemy. ... Chrono Cross ) is a PlayStation RPG created by Square Co. ... The Walt Disney Company (most commonly known as Disney) (NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. ... This article is about the animated series. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Zork universe Zork games Zork Anthology Zork trilogy Zork I   Zork II   Zork III Beyond Zork   Zork Zero   Planetfall Enchanter trilogy Enchanter   Sorcerer   Spellbreaker Other games Wishbringer   Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis   Zork Grand Inquisitor Zork: The Undiscovered Underground Topics in Zork Encyclopedia Frobozzica Characters   Kings   Creatures Timeline   Magic   Calendar... The Motley Fool is a group of financial mavens founded in August 1994 in the USA by brothers Tom Gardner and David Gardner, who parlayed their investment newsletter into a content partnership with America Online service. ... Devil May Cry 3: Dantes Awakening (デビルメイクライ3) is the second sequel to Devil May Cry, starring the cocky hero Dante. ... Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome) Rigoletto is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi. ... Verence II of Lancre is a fictional character in Terry Pratchetts Discworld series. ... Terence David John Pratchett OBE (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England[1]) is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. ... Wyrd Sisters is Terry Pratchetts sixth Discworld novel, published in 1988, and re-introduces Granny Weatherwax of Equal Rites. ... Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is Tad Williamss epic fantasy trilogy, comprising The Dragonbone Chair (1988), Stone of Farewell (1990) and To Green Angel Tower (1993). ... Robert Paul Tad Williams (born March 14, 1957) is the author of several fantasy and science fiction novels, including Tailchasers Song, the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, the Otherland series, and The War of the Flowers. ... Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American film about a soldiers journey during the Vietnam War. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), also known as Dame Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... The Mysterious Mr. ... Jerry Cornelius is a fictional secret agent and adventurer created by science fiction / fantasy author Michael Moorcock. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... At the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, August 2005 Robin Hobb is the pen name of Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (born 1952 in California). ... The Realm of the Elderlings is a fantasy world created by Robin Hobb for her book trilogies The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy. ... James Jim Root (born October 2, 1971) is the current rhythm guitar player for Slipknot and Stone Sour. ... Slipknot is a nine-piece nu-metal band from Des Moines, Iowa, formed in 1995 and currently signed to Roadrunner Records. ... NiGHTS into Dreams. ... This article describes the time of day. ... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... The Hunchback of Notre Dame (also known as The Bells of Notre Dame in some countries) is the thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... The Narrator is the entity within a story that tells the story to the reader. ... Clopin is the narrative jester character in Disneys The Hunchback of Notre Dame. ... Later period cast of Rentaghost Rentaghost was a British childrens television comedy show broadcast between 1976 and 1984. ... Michael Staniforth (born 1945; died 1987) was an accomplished British stage actor, whose career included a spell as CB in the original casting of the Andrew Lloyd-Webber stage musical Starlight Express. ... Marvel or marvel can refer to: Marvel Comics, a comic book publishing company based in the United States of America. ... See comedian Stand up comedian List of Comedians List of British comedians comics comic book comic strip underground comics alternative comics web comic sprite comics manga graphic novel List of comic characters This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... For people who perform risky stunts as a profession, see stunt performer. ...

Shakespearian jesters

• Touchstone in As You Like It
• The Fool in King Lear
• Trinculo in The Tempest
• Costard in Love's Labours Lost
• Feste in Twelfth Night
• Launcelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
• Lavache in All's Well That Ends Well
• Yorick in Hamlet
• A Fool in Timon of Athens
• Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Thersites in Troilus and Cressida
• Clown in Othello
• Dromio of Syracuse and Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors

Scene from As you like it, Francis Hayman, c. ... Title page of the first quarto edition, published in 1608 King Lear is generally regarded as one of William Shakespeares greatest tragedies. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Loves Labours Lost is one of William Shakespeares early comedies; it is believed to have been written around 1595-1596 and is probably contemporaneous with Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Nights Dream. ... Twelfth Night has at least three meanings: Twelfth Night (holiday), celebrated by some Christians Twelfth Night, or What You Will, a comedic play by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night (band), a progressive rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... Title page of the first quarto (1600) The Merchant of Venice is one of William Shakespeares best-known plays, written sometime between 1594 and 1597. ... Alls Well That Ends Well is a comedy by William Shakespeare, and is often considered one of his problem plays, so-called because they cannot be easily classified as tragedy or comedy. ... The third quarto of Hamlet (1605); a straight reprint of the 2nd quarto (1604) The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare and is one of his best-known and most-quoted plays. ... Timon of Athens is a play by William Shakespeare written around 1607. ... Title page of the first quarto (1600) A Midsummer Nights Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare written sometime in the mid-1590s. ... The History of Troilus and Cressida is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1602, shortly after the completion of Hamlet. ... Othello and Desdemona in Venice by Théodore Chassériau (1819–1856) Othello: The Moor of Venice is a tragedy by Shakespeare written around 1603. ... The Comedy of Errors is an early play by William Shakespeare. ...

The jester as a symbol

In Tarot, "The Fool" card of the Major Arcana (card 0, in Rider-Waite numbering, card 22 in Belgian decks, and sometimes unnumbered) represents the Spirit, God, the Monad; The Lord of the Universe; the Absolute Being. Other permutations include: Eternity, Life Power, Originating Creative Power, the Will of God, the Essence or Essential Self, Tao, Aether, Prana, Akasha, the Void, the White Brilliance, the Radiant Field of God, Omnirevelation, the Universal Light, Boundless Space, Superconsciousness, the Inner Ruler, the Plenitude, the Unmanifest, the Ancient of Days (repeated in manifest form within Key 9, the Hermit), Mysterium Magnum, the Sun at a 45 degree angle in the Eastern Heaven—always increasing, never decreasing. The Magician, card one in the major arcana. ... The Fool is one the 78 cards in a Tarot deck. ... The Major Arcana (Trumps Major, Major Trumps) of the Tarot deck consists of 22 cards. ... The most popular Tarot deck today is probably what is confusingly known as the Rider-Waite-Smith, Rider-Waite, Waite-Smith, or simply the Rider deck. ...

The tarot depiction of the Fool includes a man, (or less often, a woman), Juggling unconcernedly, with a dog (sometimes cat) at his heels. The juggling fool is in the act of unknowingly walking off the edge of a cliff, precipice or other high place. This image represents a number of human conditions: innocence, ignorance, heterodoxy, freedom, great cheer, freedom from earthly desires or passions but also perversity, audacity, truth, confidence, or cultural power. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The root of the word "fool" is from the Latin follis, which means "bag of wind" or that that contains air or breath.

References

• Welsford, Enid: The Fool : His Social and Literary History (out of print) (1935 + subsequent reprints): ISBN 1-299-14274-5
• Otto, Beatrice K., “Fools Are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World,” Chicago University Press, 2001

See also

• Buffoon
• Clown society
• Harlequin
• Jokester
• Skomorokh
• Trickster
• Village idiot
• Yurodivy

A Brazilian man dressed in the costume of a buffoon The term Buffoon is a term for someone who provides amusement by his inappropriate appearance or behavior or both. ... Clown society is a term used in anthropology and sociology for a organization of comedic entertainers who have a formalized role in a culture or society. ... Columbina dancing with a harlequin. ... The Jokester is a stock character — not to be confused with the fool — that copes with the seriousness of the situation (often war) with constant good humor. ... 18th-century lubok representing Russian skomorokhs. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section can be improved by converting lengthy lists to text. ... A village idiot is a person widely known in their community for their stupidity and ignorant behavior. ... The yurodivy (accented on the second syllable, юро́дивый) is the Russian version of the holy fool. ...

External links

• BBC News site story about the Tongaon Royal Jester's involvement in financial scandal 2003
• Royal decree proclaiming the Jester title by the Tongan Royal 1999
• BBC News site story about Kester the Jester's appointment to English Heritage 2004
• University of California, Berkeley Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL) & links for medieval studies
• Picture of Will Somers with Henry the Eighth
• Mulla Nasruddin
• Gesundheit! Institute
• Shakespeare search engine - A keyword search such as "fool", "folly", "jester" or "clown" reveals every reference in Shakespeare
• Danny Kaye's movie The Court Jester (1956) in the Internet Movie Database
• Rumpelstiltskin - A rare modern day jester with an impressive resumé
• Fooling Around the World (A history of the court jester)

Other uses

• Jester also refers to a chess engine.
• Jester is the codename of Chief Petty Officer Bailey Ivarsen, a character in the SOCOM video game series. (See the SOCOM 3 instruction manual.)
• Jester is the callsign of Michael Ironside's character Lt. Cmdr. Rick Heatherly in the movie 'Top Gun'