Characters on the Couch (Part 6)

Wednesday, August 16th, 2006

No one can be isolated or an Island

The Jester Archetype

This Follows on from: Characters on the Couch (Part 5). The first part can be found at: Characters on the Couch (Part 1).

“If I can’t dance I don’t want to be part of your revolution.”

Jesters joyfully live for the moment. They don’t want to have a good time. They want to have a great time. They want to be funny. They love making people laugh and making them cry. They often wear a mask that covers their own real emotions. The messages they communicate through a clown’s humour are deeply serious. A jester is often critical of the hypocrisy in an individual or in society. They often stand just outside a situation or a society looking in.

A Jester who turns to their dark side becomes self-indulgent and irresponsible. When this happens they can go too far and end up going completely over the top. They will play mean-spirited pranks and tasteless practical jokes. They may use their gifts to distract others in order to get their own way.

Mythological characters who fall into this archetype include Loki (Norse god),
Sir Dagonet (King Arthur’s fool) and the Coyote (in Native American lore)
Fictional examples include Don Quixote and the Joker (DC Comics).

 

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