45 Master Characters (27 page)
How Do Other Characters See the Fool?
Others see him as either unpredictable and fascinating or childish and flighty. He has energy that never seems to stop and exudes an enthusiasm that can drive others crazy as he comes up with yet another new idea. No one can remember what his latest project is because he changes it so often.
He's often dressed in casual clothes or the latest teen fad regardless of his age.
His imagination always seems to be working, and he often has a distant look on his face when others fall into deep serious conversations near him.
Uncle Remus's capacity to understand children and his love for storytelling are both qualities of this archetype.
Developing the Character Arc
Look at your character's main goal in the story and then at the fears you've selected to use against him. What does he need to learn to help him overcome his fear? Does he need to find a job to support a relative? Does he need to deal with a terminal illness? Has he been drafted? Was he accused of a crime he didn't commit?
Very often the Fool needs to learn to set limits on his behavior. He doesn't realize how much pain he can cause people in his wake. He needs to consider their feelings if he is to have any relationships at all, especially with his family. He also needs to learn how to take care of himself and accept some responsibility for his behavior. He must learn to respect the authority of the King or he'll suffer the consequences.
What happened to him at an early age to make this archetype dominate his personality? Did his parents fight all the time and he tried to lighten things up by being the comedian? Was he glorified for being the class clown or the derelict? Did his father yell all the time and he had to learn how to talk his way out of trouble? Were his parents adventurous?
To grow, this archetype is best paired with one of the following:
The Businessman —
can teach the Fool responsibility and about how to take care of himself as adults do.
The Abuser —
a father could take all the fun out of the Fool's life by pushing him to grow up and take care of himself so he can leave home.
The Matriarch —
would teach him about family and commitment. He'd learn that to be totally without roots is to be totally alone.
The Destroyer —
would change his life and make him wake up to the fact that he can be an adult and still have fun.
Assets:
Loves to play practical jokes.
Is easygoing.
Is adventurous and inquisitive.
Can go on adventures alone.
Is charming and playful.
Has a strong imagination and is always full of ideas.
Acts and dresses young for his age.
Hates to plan things ahead of time and is very spontaneous.
Can be a wonderful friend, focused on only you when he's around.
Loves children because he's youthful himself.
Flaws:
Is impulsive and reckless, without limits.
Is terrified of commitment.
Can pick up and disappear for long stretches of time.
Takes extreme risks because he feels invincible.
Can't handle responsibility or a traditional job.
As a villain the Fool becomes the Derelict. He often will be found among the con men on city streets hustling for cash. He has great charm and charisma that draws people to his games. His smile makes him appear to be trustworthy as he engages them in conversation.
He does everything in excess and causes his parents and family a lot of misery and shame. He doesn't consider the consequences of his actions and may be arrested for his actions. Every parent dreads the late-night phone call, but for his parents it's a common occurrence. If his parents are welloff socially this can be a huge problem, and they may disown him. This only gives him more reason to feel slighted and abandoned and begin acting out even more for attention.
He has a pattern of irresponsible behavior that lacks morals and ethics. He's self-centered when it comes to his problems. “No one else matters but me” is his mantra. He believes he is special and above the law and feels entitled to be around others he views as unique and special. He can be arrogant and can lack empathy toward others.
He doesn't understand why he should have to listen to authority figures. He feels they have no right to boss him around. He thinks of his father as purely a sperm donor with a checkbook. He wants to be his own man. He thinks, “Just because their lives are boring doesn't mean mine has to be. I want to have fun and make my own rules.”
Is like an expert con man, hustling for a quick buck.
Hates authority figures and views his father as a checkbook.
Doesn't care about other people's feelings.
Is an embarrassment to his family.
Is self-centered.
Is irresponsible and lacks ethics.
Feels above the law.
Lacks empathy.
Is arrogant and confrontational.
Easily succumbs to addictions.
Expects others to bail him out of a crisis.
Runs when the going gets tough.
Hermes in Action
Fool/Derelict TV Heroes
Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) in
Friends
Gilligan (Bob Denver) in
Gilligan's Island
Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) in
Seinfeld
Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon) in
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Lou Costello in
Abbott and Costello
Warren “Potsie” Weber (Anson Williams) and Ralph Malph (Don Most) in
Happy Days
Joel Goodson (Tom Cruise) in
Risky Business
Jay (Will Smith) in
Men in Black
Austin Danger Powers (Mike Myers) in
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) in
Shanghai Noon
Buck Russell (John Candy) in
Uncle Buck