Fool

The idiot fool is an indispensable folk hero of proverbs, sayings, everyday tales of any nation. Because of his stupidity, he takes ridiculous steps that are contrary to common sense, or misbehaves, inconsistently, like a hero of a Russian fairy tale, who says when carrying out the dead man "Dear you not to drag," and when harvesting, "Canon and frankincense." Such a hero (more precisely, an antihero ) is an instructive illustration (“It would be a word, but I would not say so”) or the object of ridicule of the narrator.

Simpleton fool ^{[ unknown term ]} , “simple-minded fool” is more a literary than a folk character. His naivety, integrity, his natural feelings can be opposed to a system of values ​​unnatural for human nature and the prejudices of the rational world. He knows more about what is really important for a person than the “normal” people around him. An example of such a hero in modern culture is Forest Gump ; Dostoevsky's “Idiot” is close to him - Prince Myshkin . The theater role of an honest small “simpleton”, established in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, also adjoins this image. The term der reine Tor, “innocent fools,” was used by Wagner to create the image of Parsifal .

The fool , a fool , both folklore and literary, and acting in this role in the real world of the Middle Ages, speaks and acts inconsistently with the accepted custom, but his actions are more terrible than funny for others. Performing stupid actions, the foolish fool criticizes the untruth of the world of the “normal”, opposes injustice and violation of the most divine laws of the time. “In a stupid” way, giving up benefits and a generally accepted way of life, he acquires the right of jesters and fools: to tell the truth . In modern times, this image seems to have lost its relevance, although the motives that combine it with the simple-minded fool expressed in the proverbs “Fool and God will forgive” (poverty of the spirit as value) and “Fools see the Truth” remain valid.

Close to the later literary "simple-minded fool" stands the hero of Russian folklore, Ivan the Fool . His supposed stupidity may not even manifest itself at all, but may be expressed in “impracticality” when the Fool sacrifices some valuable goods for the sake of a dream or ideal, does not attach importance to the accomplished feats or does not know how to prove their authorship. Often at the beginning of a tale, he is unhappy and deprived (the third, youngest son, who does not get anything). Showing, as a rule, perseverance, and often cunning, Ivan the Fool successfully passes all the tests and at the end of the tale is rewarded with wealth, the hand of the royal daughter, etc.

The behavior of a fool is regarded by society as inappropriate, and as a social type a fool is an antihero, notes American sociologist O. Clapp ^[1]

Russian proverbs and sayings

• A man is smart, but the world is a fool.
• A bad husband always has a fool.
• It's dangerous to fool around.
• Make a fool pray to God, he will break his forehead .
• A helpful fool is more dangerous than an enemy ^[2] .
• Glad the fool that found himself stupider.
• Another's fool is fun, and his own is dishonor.
• Fool - who says wrong.
• And the fool will understand how they put butter in porridge.
• There was hope for a fool, but a fool wiser.
• The fool looked at the fool and spat: Eka has never seen Kaka.
• The law is not written to fools - it is written by fools (modern)
• The law is not written to fools, if it is written, it is not read, if it is read, it is not understood, if it is understood, then it is not so, because he is a fool.
• Better with a smart to lose than with a fool to find.
• The red fool is glad.

From the collection of V. I. Dahl

• Fool fool and sat.
• The fool will throw, and smart get it.
• A fool loves red, a soldier loves clearly.
• They beat a fool, but smart do not stick!
• Fools argue about prey, but smart people share it.
• Fool and God forgive.

Proverbs and sayings of other nations

• In marriage, usually one fool. Only when two fools get married can something come of this. (German)
• Stupid - baton. (Аҳмоққа - тўқмоқ) ^[3] (Uzbek)

Statements ^[4]

• “A fool is everyone who thinks differently .” G. Flaubert
• “A fool is a person who considers himself smarter than me.” S. Lets
• “Some people think that you just have to call everyone fools to be known as smart.” V. O. Klyuchevsky
• “Fools should be reckoned with due to their numerical superiority.” Yu. Semenov
• “Fools, only they achieve everything in fairy tales. So they should be the subject of careful study by the smart. ” V. B. Shklovsky .

• Ivan the Fool
• The oracle of the king of heaven
• Jester (Tarot Card)

• “The Fool” - an article from the “Fairytale Encyclopedia.” N. Budur. // Olma-Press, 2005 ISBN 5-224-04818-4 .
• “Fool” - an article from the Encyclopedia of Signs and Symbols.
• Sinyavsky A.D. Ivan the Fool: Essay on the Russian Popular Faith. - M .: Agraf, 2001, p. 37-48.
• Functions of the rogue, the jester, the fool in the novel. M.M Bakhtin - chapter from "Essays on Historical Poetics"