Accidental Death Of An Anarchist

The Fool is the main character of Accidental Death of an Anarchist. His role is integral to the plot, and without him, the events of the play would not happen. The Fool’s role is mercurial in nature and can be difficult at first for audiences to pin down. This is by design. From the beginning, The Fool sees himself as an actor, one who delights in taking on new parts to make fun of the situation he is in. By satirizing his own circumstances, he is able to survive in a corrupt world. In this satirical mode of existence, he is a modern version of Arlecchino, or Harlequin, from the traditional Italian form of popular theater known as commedia dell’arte. Commedia dell’arte performances were largely improvisational, with performers using traditional character archetypes as a foundation on which to ad-lib most of the action and dialogue. The Fool works in the same mode, with the distinction that his co-performers are unaware that they are in a play. He sees the world as a stage, and other people are simply characters in the play he is devising. Throughout the play, The Fool takes on the role of director, guiding the