Unit 7 - Remix

So my final paper topic was centered on the modern female comedian and her ability to take part in the world of comedy, without concern for approval of the patriarchy. I explored how there is no longer a need to apologize for being a woman in a man’s arena, as it was never a “man’s arena” in the first place and the platform of comedy has always belonged to everyone. It was a fun topic to explore but it lead to other questions that I had about the role of comedians throughout history, like who was the first comedian?

A friend suggested that it was obviously the court jesters of Tudor England that became the world’s first funny people in the industry, but comedy was much engrained in the stratosphere of society well before then. In fact, “comedy was a popular and influential form of theatre performed across ancient Greece from the 6th century” on (Cartwright).

Either way, the thought of the jester in England’s royal court was particularly intriguing to me and I couldn’t help but wonder what life must have been like for these “fools” of the court? We, as a modern society, have become emboldened throughout time and understand the importance of equal rights and the value of independent thought. But how did that work out for the so-called clowns that mingled within the courts of the kings?

Although typically referred to as a fool, or a buffoon, the European meaning of the word “jester” refers to an entertainer or actor of sorts. They were people who came from all walks of life, usually from the lower classes in the community, attempting to make a living and they used, “humor to mock and joke… speak without causing offense, and…. had the ability to sing or dance” (Otto). And although they were often given certain privileges within the court, these privileges were dependent on his or her ability to perform and they not only performed at court, but they were also taken to battle to entertain and boost morale for the troops. Some jesters, “juggled swords or lances in front of the enemy, taunting and baiting them until those with a hottest tempers broke” (Maitland). Unfortunately for the jesters, they often became targets during battle because of these acts, many of them losing their lives.

One has to wonder, though, how much the jester was actually taken advantage of by the powerful classes in society and how much of their entertainment was a way into society? By the twelfth century these “fools” were being awarded land and goods by kings in order that they continue to amuse the people of the courts. In fact, a jester named, “Roland le Pettour was given 30 acres of land by King Henry II, probably when he retired, on condition that Roland returned to the royal court every year on Christmas Day to ‘leap, whistle and fart’”(Maitland). In fact, it seems only natural that some jesters came to understand the benefit to their art and their own power to keep it going.

Like many comedians experience today, there was a dark side to performing comedy and belittling the self in order to do so could be dangerous. However there was also a power that came with creating laughter, as the jester understood. They were aware that whoever controlled the laughter in the room was also the one who held the ability to influence and transform minds.