Send in the Clowns

Humans need to laugh and often use humor to cope with stress and adversity. As a writer, if I were developing a “king” or “queen” character, that character would certainly use a jester. Why? In this instance, the use of a jester would serve two purposes.

First, a jester is a form of comic relief and can be used by the ruler to pass along happy news in the form of jokes and skits, thus making it easier to control the kingdom. I would think happy people would be much easier to rule than unhappy people.

Second, a jester can speak truth to power. In reality, jesters throughout history from countries like France, England, China and India have had the unique freedom to speak honestly, without fear of reprisal.

The role of jester has evolved throughout the centuries, but not the underlying premise that humor has influenced civilizations throughout history.