vs chaos family relations justice loyalty and self-knowledge He comments on the actions of Lear and other characters For example when Lear banishes Cordelia and Kent the Fool remarks Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise The quote highlights King Lear's lack of wisdom in his rash decisions Conscience and Truth-teller The Fool is a person who speaks truth fearlessly He warns Lear of the consequences of his actions and tries to guide him towards understanding When Lear realizes the gravity of his mistakes he acknowledges the Fool's wisdom King Lear recognizes the value of the Fool's insights and says O you are men of stones Had I your tongues and eyes I'd use them so That heaven's vault should crack Symbol of Foolishness and Wisdom The Fool has both a foolish entertainer and a wise advisor He describes the theme of appearances versus reality and challenges the audience to reconsider their assumptions about wisdom and folly In short the Fool in King Lear performs as a multifaceted character such as a voice of conscience social commentator truth-teller and representative of Cordelia He emerges as a climactic character whose wit and wisdom highlight Shakespeare's exploration of folly truth and human nature