Up: [[0 - Fool]] Created: 2024-03-03 Updated: 2026-06-14 Court jesters had to entertain, but they could also speak truths no one else would dare to express. That archetype is alive and well in television comedians such as Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel. In *King Lear*, the Fool is the King's alter ego. He has more knowledge than Lear for quite a while so could be thought of as [[The Self]]. In fairy tales, the Fool is the innocent, the “dummling” who lacks education and sophistication but ends up the hero because he has a pure heart and an instinct for knowing what to do in any situation. A shadow of the Fool is in *Peter Pan* 's immaturity and unwillingness to take responsibility. I like Tarot author Chelsey Pippin Mizzi’s idea that the [[0 - Fool]] could be considered the main character of the Tarot, a sort of [[Alice in Wonderland]] figure who steps off a cliff and into this fantastical world. That would be a great premise for Tarot told as a story! I looked. It has been done in a book called *Tales from the Tarot*. And of course in the movie *Forrest Gump*, Tom Hanks is a wonderful Fool, his innocence and trust in himself saving the day through many challenging situations.