In Shakespeare's As You Like It, Jaques is a static and melancholic character who continually prefers to stay away from the recklessness of love, wishing he could express what he thinks without reproach. Unlike most other characters, who seize opportunities for change, Jaques, for the most part, successfully resists the magic of the Forest of Arden. His use of the word “fool” is telling. He frequently uses the term "fool" to describe others, such as Orlando and Touchstone, who are looking for love. Additionally, the position of fool in court intrigues him, because such fools are allowed to say what they think without consequence – an ability that Jacques desires. Ultimately, a reversal of circumstances turns Jacques into a fool, causing him to give in to his stubborn character and recognize the merits of love and cordial discourse. This essay shows how the word and the role of “crazy” strengthens and humiliates Jaques. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Jaques uses the term "fool" frequently in Act II, scene vii, where he is simply describing the profession of court jester. Such a fool has the ability to say whatever he wants, because no matter how sarcastic or biting his statements towards others are, they could be taken as a joke and forgiven. He tells Duke Senior about how he "met a fool in the forest" and how he wishes he was a fool so he could "blow whoever he wants" or criticize whoever he wants without consequence. However, he changes the meaning of the role of the fool he wishes to play from an optimistic role to a darker and more meaningful role. The forest jester generally reflected on fortune and the passage of time, whereas if Jacques had the ability to speak freely, he would "purify the foul body of the infected world, / if they would patiently receive [his] medicine." By declaring his desire to "purge the world of its infections", he taints the idiot's goal of simply making a situation lighter and "lifting the world of its evils. Although the goals are similar - to transform a situation". negative into a positive situation – Jaques chooses to formulate the goal of a jester in such a way that a negative view of the world is emphasized; the words "filthy body of the infected world" give a resonant image of pus and festering flesh, which one would not naturally associate with a court fool Jaques also suggests the superiority of thought over the specific fool he encountered in the forest by mocking the fool's intelligence. an hour "without an intermission" after hearing the madman's contemplative musings, and later compares the madman's brain to a sea biscuit that has been dried after a voyage, having "strange places filled/with observation, which he evacuate.” /in mutilated forms”, or having a jumble of thoughts that he cannot present coherently. By suggesting the idiocy of the fool in the forest, Jaques inherently implies that he finds himself more intelligent, and thus further justifies his thought tendencies to dwell on the negative; now, not only does he see the world as a more negative place, but he feels that he is right to think so and that those who think otherwise are not as intelligent as he is. To ensure that he does not compare his own intellect to that of a fool, he emphasizes his desire to wear a fool's clothes: a "motley coat", or patchwork suit. By only wishing to dress like an imbecile, he accesses the right to freedom of expression without compromising his opinions and without "sinking" to alevel of intelligence in which he would entertain the incoherent thoughts of the imbecile he met. In Act III, scene ii, Jaques' use of the term "fool" changes during a conversation with Orlando. He first asks Orlando to sit down with him and "denounce our mistress, the world, and all our misery", or complain about the state of the world. When Orlando refuses to sit with Jaques, Jaques responds, "The worst fault you have is being in love," and later belittles Orlando further by calling him "Signior Love." Jaques has made it clear that he strongly associates Orlando with Orlando's preoccupation with love and that he has a low opinion of Orlando because of this. Indeed, he declares: “By my faith, I was looking for a fool when I found you.” Jacques may have been looking for a "fool" such as a court jester, but because of his association with Orlando, the meaning of the word changes from that of a jester to that of "one who has a deficiency of sense and understanding ". Once again, using the word "fool", Jacques mocked the ideals of love. However, the nature of Orlando's retorts piques Jaques. Orlando states that the idiot Jacques was looking for "drowned in the stream" and that if Jaques looked inside he should find the idiot. When Jaques responds that he will only see his reflection, Orlando continues: "Which I consider a fool or a cipher." He can't stand being called an idiot and abruptly leaves. Suddenly, his means of fortifying his melancholy betrayed him; So far he has used the term "fool" to his advantage and has unfortunately found himself as the subject he is addressing. Through this reversal of the definition of "fool", Jaques' superiority complex is brought under control, and although he continues to call lovers like Orlando "fools", he also shows little recognition of the reasoning behind the pursuit of love. In the final scene, Act V, scene iv, when Touchstone and Audrey enter the wedding scene, he remarks: "There is certainly another flood to the ark, and these couples are coming to the ark." » He compares the lovers to two animals seeking the shelter of Noah's ark, recognizing the "flood" of ever-present dangers that reside outside the forest: corruption, hatred, and the vengeful and impending army of the Duke Frederick. It also recognizes the “refuge from the storm” that marriage can provide; this would allow them to focus their attention on a more intimate and loving counterpart and distract them from threats in the outside world. However, this recognition is short-lived, and he reverses any glimmer of sympathy he might have had for the lovers with his next sentence: "Here is a pair of very strange beasts, which in all languages ​​are called fools." » Even though he openly emphasized the security that marriage would bring, he continues to declare the folly of the search for love and marvels at the "strangeness" of the couple. Such an opinion implies that Jaques would prefer the storm of the outside world to the refuge that love provides, again confirming Jaques' negative attitude and his preference for a state of mind in which the fears of the world are not ignored, but openly recognized and embraced. In the rest of the scene, Jaques shows both that he maintains his aversion to love and that he recognizes its merits, but he continues to use the word "fool" to reinforce his superiority of thought. Speaking to Duke Senior about Touchstone, Jaques remarks: "Is he not a rare individual, my lord?" He's as good as anything, and yet he's a fool. Since Touchstone is both a professional fool and a fool for Jaques because he is in love, the sentence.