The Fool and the Clown in Western Culture and Literature: Homo Insipiens is a fascinating description of these two perennial figures in European and North American history, folklore, theater, literature, arts, and popular culture. The first part of the book separates them into ten different subcategories and recounts the most vivid and influential manifestations of different kinds of fools and clowns in cultural history. The second part singles out three European writers who have made a significant contribution to the elucidation of the concept of folly. William Shakespeare, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Samuel Beckett have painted an entire gallery of fools, clowns, and buffoons, created not only to entertain but also to explore the meaning of human life. The most important concepts in the book are illustrated by captivating characters and tales that have made people both laugh and arrive at a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.
By:
Svetozar Poštić
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Weight: 560g
ISBN: 9781041001485
ISBN 10: 1041001487
Series: Literary Criticism and Cultural Theory
Pages: 204
Publication Date: 29 June 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgement Introduction Brief Literature Review Scope and Aim of this Book Part I. Folly in History and Culture 1. The Fool The Meaning and Origin of the Fool The Silly Fool The Serendipitous Fool The Wise Fool The Jester The Holy Fool A Note on the Link between Creativity and Madness 2. The Clown Definition and Origin of the Clown Clowns in Modern Performances The Circus Clown The Happy Clown and the Sad Clown The Evil Clown The Buffoon The Trickster or the Prankster Collective Clowning A Note on Humor and Comedic Performance II. Folly in Literature and Drama From Panurge to Félicité The Grotesque and the Absurd Clown 3. Shakespearean Fool Communal Practices, Popular Entertainment, and Shakespeare’s Jovial Players From the Rustic Clown to the Wise Fool Shakespeare’s Ship of Fools and the Death of the Fool 4. Dostoevsky’s Buffoons and Pranksters Russian Folly and Dostoevsky Humor and Satire in Dostoevsky’s Works Buffoons and Pranksters in The Possessed 5. Beckett’s Pitiful Clowns The Absurd Theatre Clown Humor and Comedy in Beckett’s Work Vladimir and Estragon as a Consummate Pseudocouple 6. Fictional Fools from Shakespeare to Beckett The Transcendent Function of the Fool and the Clown Index
Svetozar Poštić is Associate Professor of Philology at Vilnius University in Lithuania. He is the author of books about Bakhtin, Montaigne, American culture, and the Russian Revolution in Serbian, as well as Seven Russian Archetypes: Recurring Types in Russian History and Culture (Wipf and Stock, 2023).
Reviews for The Fool and the Clown in Western Culture and Literature: Homo Insipiens
""Let me begin by saying what an engaging and pleasant read this has been: The author is in solid command of a wide range of diverse and interesting (and fun) examples and does a great job of steering his readers through them."" Nicola Behrmann Associate Professor, Rutgers University ""The book covers a broad range of materials in sufficient depth to be meaningful but without getting bogged down on any one topic. The pace and range of references, both historical and contemporary, including popular culture, make it engaging to read."" Béatrice Otto, Author, Fools are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World
