Fool and the Clown in Western Culture and Literature

Svetozar Poštić is Associate Professor of Philology at Vilnius University in Lithuania. He is the author of books about Bakhtin, Montaigne, American culture, and the Russian Revolution in Serbian, as well as Seven Russian Archetypes: Recurring Types in Russian History and Culture (Wipf and Stock, 2023).

• AcknowledgementIntroductionBrief Literature ReviewScope and Aim of this BookPart I. Folly in History and Culture1. The Fool The Meaning and Origin of the FoolThe Silly FoolThe Serendipitous FoolThe Wise FoolThe JesterThe Holy FoolA Note on the Link between Creativity and Madness2. The Clown Definition and Origin of ClownsClowns in Modern PerformancesThe Circus ClownThe Happy Clown and the Sad ClownThe Evil ClownThe BuffoonThe Trickster or the PranksterCollective ClowningA Note on Humor and Comedic PerformanceII. Folly in Literature and DramaFrom Panurge to FélicitéThe Grotesque and Absurd Fool3. Shakespearean Fool Communal Practices, Popular Entertainment, and Shakespeare’s Jovial PlayersFrom the Rustic Clown to the Wise FoolShakespeare’s Ship of Fools and the Death of the Fool4. Dostoevsky’s Buffoons and PrankstersRussian Folly and DostoevskyHumor and Satire in Dostoevsky’s WorksBuffoons and Pranksters in The Possessed5. Beckett’s Pitiful ClownsThe Absurd Theatre ClownHumor and Comedy in Beckett’s WorkVladimir and Estragon as a Consummate Pseudocouple6. Fictional Fools from Shakespeare to BeckettConclusion: The Transcendent Role of the Fool and the ClownIndex

"Let me begin by saying what an engaging and pleasant read this has been: The author is in solid command of a wide range of diverse and interesting (and fun) examples and does a great job of steering his readers through them."Nicola Behrmann Associate Professor, Rutgers University "The book covers a broad range of materials in sufficient depth to be meaningful but without getting bogged down on any one topic. The pace and range of references, both historical and contemporary, including popular culture, make it engaging to read."Béatrice Otto, Author, Fools are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World