In Akira Kurosawa's transformation of King Lear into Ran, Lear's flat character of the Fool evolved into Hidetora's Kyoami, a character who shows a series of personal complexities absent in Shakespeare's works Dumb. Both characters have a significant and unique position in their respective plays, but where the Fool is a flat character with relatively little effect on Lear's plot, Kyoami is a larger, more fleshed-out figure in Ran, one whose relationship with her Great Lord offers more personal complexities than the more familiar relationship between a Western king and his jester. Ultimately, Kyoami is a more human character than the Fool, whose crises of conscience in remaining faithful to Hidetora are a significant aspect of the film's morality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In Lear, the Fool occupies a position in Lear's court that would have been familiar to Shakespeare's audience. The Fool has greater license than any other character in criticizing Lear, and indeed the Fool spends much of the first act criticizing a confused Lear, despite the vaguely joking threat of a whipping. Furthermore, the Fool enjoys a prominent position at Court with Lear as his benefactor; Indeed, Lear is said to have struck a gentleman for the "rebuke of his Fool" (I.iii 1), and Lear, regardless of his attitude at any given moment, shows a willingness to listen to his Fool and joke with him, even when the Fool's observations are particularly biting. Unlike the relationship between Kyoami and Hidetora, however, the relationship between Lear and the Fool seems very one-dimensional. The Fool receives no real backstory in the play, and his position was not unusual for early 17th-century viewers: he is simply a Fool, and thus is expected to make such remarks in the King's advice. Even his relationship with Lear is obvious. Roz Simon, writer and editor of theater guides for the Royal Shakespeare Company, observes the following: A distinction was made between fools and clowns, or country bumpkins. The status of the fool was a privileged status within a royal or noble family. His madness could be considered the raving of a madman, but was often considered inspired by God. The “natural” fool has been touched by God. Much to Goneril's irritation, Lear's "all-entitled" Fool enjoys a privileged status . His characteristic idiom suggests that he is a "natural", not an artificial, fool, although his insight and wit demonstrate that he is far from being an idiot, however "touched" he may be. More importantly, the Fool himself is a very flat guy. character, one who has no real character arc; he is, in all these respects, almost a stock character, whose functionality in Lear's main plot as a source of observation, commentary, foreboding, wit, and even persuasion is more significant than himself as an actor in the play. In other words, while every other major character has a uniquely traceable story within Lear, a story that includes crises of conscience and morality as well as a distinct personality, the character of the Fool presents no such complexities: the Fool is always simply the Fool, and he professes to remain with the fallen King during Lear's period of misfortune simply because he is a Fool. Despite the provocative nature of the Fool's statements that make him an engaging force in the play, the Fool is ultimately so marginalized in the story that he simply disappears in the third act under ambiguous circumstances. DespiteFor all Kurosawa's intentions to give Lear a stronger backstory, there is a marked absence of a backstory for Kyoami, an aspect that highlights the complexity of her turbulent relationship with Hidetora. As with the Fool, the audience learns little about Kyoami's past life regarding how he became Hidetora's servant, the difference being that there apparently was no comparable tradition of a fool-type character in medieval Japanese history. While audiences can see Lear's Fool and immediately understand the character's position, the same cannot be said for Kyoami. Even in writing the film's screenplay, Kurosawa needed to capture Lear's story to accurately describe the character he was forming; in this regard Alexander Leggart writes: He has some precedent in Japanese tradition: commenting on him, Kurosawa equated him with the licensed entertainers kept by warlords and allowed freedom from the rules of etiquette. [...] But he also comes from the outside: in the screenplay he is presented as a 'servant-entertainer, the equivalent of the fool of the medieval European court'. This is the only Western analogy the script draws. (182)Kyoami, therefore, is defined in the film as Hidetora's servant, a person of humble origins and low privileges (in contrast to Lear's "natural" Fool) who nevertheless enjoys a series of special privileges in his relationship with Hidetora. Visually, Kyoami appears in stark contrast to the rest of the hunting party in the film's first scene. While the various nobles and warriors are shown sitting stiffly and decorously, Kyoami, in her brief performance, is a lively presence. He moves his colorfully dressed body with enthusiasm and without restraint, almost seeming to transcend the respectful stiffness of those around him. Despite his submissive position, Kyoami, as an entertainer and comedian, naturally enjoys a particular freedom of movement, dress and speech. Unlike Lear with his Fool, the laconic Hidetora does not often joke with Kyoami. ; Hidetora rarely seems to appreciate the antics of his loyal servant-entertainer, and as the Great Lord slides into madness, he acts belligerently and capriciously towards Kyoami, at one point whipping him for his insolence. Yet there seems to be a mutual loyalty between servant and master in this relationship, best exemplified by the opening scene in which Hidetora unexpectedly kills a soldier by threatening to maim or kill an unarmed Kyoami. While this incident is not explicitly discussed anywhere in the film (except as the impetus for Taro's banishment of his father), this fact should not overshadow the significant fact that Kyoami owes her life to Hidetora. Furthermore, this violent act is the closest thing to an expression of gratitude or affection that we see Hidetora do for Kyoami. While the Fool stays with Lear because, he says, he is a Fool, Kyoami's continued loyalty to Hidetora is a more nebulous matter. Despite his cynicism towards Hidetora's belligerent ways, Kyoami is clearly very emotionally invested in his service to Hidetora: he openly cries after Hidetora chases him away for disagreeing with the decision to go to the third castle. After Hidetora is mentally weakened by his experience in the third castle, the burden of caring for their leader falls on Kyoami and Tango, which they initially do without question. Eventually, however, Tango leaves and, for a while, Kyoami is left to take care of Hidetora alone; the time the two spend together ultimately causes Kyoami to undergo a moment of serious introspection. While Hidetora sleeps, Kyoami wonders aloud why she decides to stay with the old man>.