The Trivial Profession of Court Jester Quiz

Answer: Donkey's Tail

These points were emblematic of donkey's tails. At one time court jesters also wore a donkey tail on their backsides! Donkeys or asses have long been a symbol of simple mindedness and tom-foolery in Western societies.

Answer: False

This is no myth...modern or otherwise. A court jester's clothing was often made from left-over materials from ladies' gowns. No two were alike. Tassels, beads, bells, and jet were all used for decoration. Brightly colored shoes and hats were part of the outfit. They were intended to look loud and funny.

Answer: The jester himself

The image was usually a head, most often of the jester himself. It was sometimes called a bauble. This wooden implement was painted in bright colors and often had satin ribbons attached.

Answer: Twelfth Night

Feste appears in "Twelfth Night". He is Countess Olivia's jester and his role in this work is an example of how the jester held a unique position in the house of the aristocracy and royalty. Although a servant, he was free to come and go and occasionally entertained at another residence.

He is referred to as the fool and his character is not taken seriously by any other person in the story.

Answer: They could answer back or rebuke the king.

Court jesters were allowed to rebuke, deride, or insult the king. It was part of their role in court. There are records of Queen Elizabeth I threatening her court jester with whipping if he did not do these things. It was a precarious profession because on any given day a court jester could be severely punished for doing these very same things. Punishments ranged from loss of position in court to hanging.

Answer: Licensed fool

There were two kinds of court jesters. The "natural fool" was someone mentally deficient who did things that were found amusing by the king and/or his court and was believed to be divinely inspired. The "licensed fool" engaged in his behavior by regal decree. He usually had a large repertoire of tricks and skills such as juggling and gymnastics. Midgets and dwarfs were also often used.

Answer: jestress

The proper term for a female jester was a jestress. While not as common as male jesters they are mentioned occasionally in literature and records of the time. Jestresses were very often schizophrenic or mentally deficient. They were not often given the right to rebuke the king as most would not have understood what was expected of them.

Answer: James VI

King James VI was well known for letting his court jester read all paperwork and then advise him whether he should sign the paper or not. In an effort to prove a point, his court jester George Buchanan advised the king he should sign an abdication decree. Without reading the paper the king did so. Fifteen days later he realized what he had done and had the paper destroyed.

The court jester got his point across.

Answer: China

China has employed a "you" in their Imperial Court for centuries. The primary difference between the Chinese and the European court jester was the freedom to freely rebuke the ruler. While in Europe, especially England, it was encouraged, it was taboo in China.

Answer: True

This is a common unprovable claim. But it is very likely as the jester played a role with royalty unrivalled in court. They were supposed to have no bias in religion, politics, or love matches. Many card companies' emblem on the joker card does portray a man in a costume that matches those worn by court jesters.