Shakespeare's clowns and clowning in Twelfth night, King Lear and Henry IV parts I and II

Abstract

The subject of the following dissertation is the study of the clowns and clowning found in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, King Lear and the Henry IV plays. When studying Shakespeare, students rarely give much attention to the role of the clown in the plays. This is understandable since more consideration is given to the major characters who dominate the action of the drama and in whom ultimately the 'meaning' of the play resides. However, a more profound analysis of the Shakespearean clown reveals an intriguing complexity that is often overlooked. He is not solely, as many believe, an object of laughter. His puns, his tricks and his jesting are all too often considered inconsequential if considered at all. For many, the clown's role is limited to filling in gaps, to relieve the pressure built up in the main plot and to extract fun from others. But in Shakespearean drama, the clown holds a central part in the plot. His clowning yields a complementary perspective to the drama. He often has more insight than the major characters which allows him to counsel kings and princes and Dukes and Duchesses alike guiding these to better self-knowledge. Without this self-knowledge they could not reach the conclusion Shakespeare demands of them for the ultimate success of his plays. The first chapter of this study traces the clown from his roots as the village fool, through various theatrical traditions up until his appearance/inclusion in Shakespeare's theatre/ Shakespearean drama. The three chapters which follow will focus on the clowns in the three plays mentioned above.