I am an A-Level English loterature student studying King Lear and I was doing some character analysis quotes and came across Lear's quote in Act 4 scene 7 'I am a very foolish fond old man', and it got me thinking if lear himself believes he's a fool, could the role of the fool be Lear's own internal monolouge personified. The fool leaves the play when Lear begins to realise his own flaws and that he has wronged people. The fool's criticism have finally been recognised and these thoughts and the characters purpose are absorbed into lears psyche. fastforward to the end of the play when the fool is hanged and Lear is revealed to have killed someone with his bear hands, could that be seen as not only Lears madness fully taking control but the fools words and inthat, with this argument, lears internal monolouge of self realisation and wanting to become a better man have gone with the fool being hanged. leading to this hubris and madness taking full control again leading to physical violence.
dont know if this makes anysense to read as i only just realised this but I wondered if anyone else has thought of this, maybe even expand on my reading.