The Fool archetype tends to be associated with the masculine more than the feminine because court fools were more often men. The job of the Court Fools was to communicate truths. The Court Jester or Fool is the manifestation of the Clown in a royal setting. Since no one can possibly take a Fool seriously at the physical level, he is allowed entry into the most powerful of circles. While entertaining the King with outrageous behavior, the Fool is actually communicating messages that the King trusts. Political satirists often have dominant Court Jester archetypes, revealing the motivations of the highest officials in the nation in a manner that is generally granted freedom from the legal retribution that might be leveled against an ordinary citizen making the same comments.
The shadow side of the Fool is to tamper with truth, which can manifest as cruel personal mockery or betrayal, specifically the breaking of confidences gained through knowledge from the inner circle. Related to the Fool is the Dummling, the fairy tale character who, although often simple-minded, acts with a good heart and is usually rewarded for it. Modern film characters such as Forrest Gump and Nurse Betty embody this aspect of the archetype, which does not so much impart wisdom as foster living with kindness and simplicity.
Film Reference: Charlie Chaplin in 'The Circus and the Gold Rush'
The shadow side of the Fool is to tamper with truth, which can manifest as cruel personal mockery or betrayal, specifically the breaking of confidences gained through knowledge from the inner circle. Related to the Fool is the Dummling, the fairy tale character who, although often simple-minded, acts with a good heart and is usually rewarded for it. Modern film characters such as Forrest Gump and Nurse Betty embody this aspect of the archetype, which does not so much impart wisdom as foster living with kindness and simplicity.
Film Reference: Charlie Chaplin in 'The Circus and the Gold Rush'