The Fool (spoilers for all RotE books, including LST)

[Farseer]

This could belong in so many threads but...

Some extra thoughts re: my comments about two or three identities in the one body:

I think it is simply the not knowing that raises issues with the Fool/Fitz saga. We want to know and it makes us crazy that we don't!

Although Althea dresses as a male in the LST, and is accused of being 'that way' by Malta etc, there is never any real question as to her sexual preference or gender. Of course, this is especially because we readers are privvy to what takes place between her and Brashen, and her entire family history is also known to us. Still, when she is in her role as Althea, she is Althea and acts accordingly...when she is in her role of Athel, she is Athel...although she cannot entirely give away her 'Althea' mannerisms that are part of her base 'self', eg the way she runs the rigging, or otherwise Brashen may never have discovered her true identity.

Chade, too, dresses as someone of the opposite sex when he takes on the role of Lady Thyme and, although Regal and even Fool allude to a sexual relationship between Fitz and Lady Thyme, we have never questioned Chade's preferences or even his real identity as a male(despite not having this truly confirmed, aside from his brotherly link with Shrewd, when he has numerous relationships with women later on in the Tawny Man series, once he is back out in the public eye). Still, when Robin writes of Lady Thyme, she write of her as 'she' not the 'he' we know her to be .

In this, it is funny that we (including ME!) get in such a tangle about Fool and must question and need to know his real identity rather than just accept each role as a character he must play. He himself admitted to Fitz that his role as 'Fool' was simply a role and just a facet of his whole. When he is Amber, Robin writes of her as a 'she' as that is what she is at that time, and as Fool, Lord Golden etc, it is as a 'he'.

Aside from the gender question, not even Fool can give away certain elements of his essential 'self' eg in each of his roles he has, among other things, displayed a physical 'strangeness', a fluidity in movement, reserves of strength and an affinity to wood - Fool - puppets, carving; Amber - ships, carpenter, beads etc; Lord Golden - hedge witch beads etc. Even when in role he has played sub-roles such as the guise of a slave whilst in his role as Amber.

It seems to me that Fool will do whatever needs to be done or be whoever he needs to be, to fulfill yet another role...that of his being a White Prophet. Fitz, if he were only to admit it to himself, is no different so shouldn't feel duped by Fool in any way...he, too, has taken on numerous roles to fulfill his greater role of Changer. All are deceptive roles and so could therefore be seen as lies or untruths BUT they must be undertaken for the greater good of the world. Not even Fool understands fully what Fitz can do in his role as Changer and this is evidenced by what took place in the plaza. It can also be said that while Fool hasn't seen fit to share himself completely with Robin Hobb , he was willing to share it all with Fitz (via their Skill link, particualrly when up in Verity's tower room and in company with the rest of the coterie) but it was Fitz who proved unwilling to fnd out.

It seems to me that Fool is less mysterious when one looks at the entirety of Robin's RotE work where a major theme is where things are not always what they appear. Many characters prove to be far more complex than they seem, and all have the ability to change the world. Fool said it of himself and Fitz when he said, "We are not only when we must be but we are who we must be." Ah, but my extension of that is for my yet-to-be-added-to Rooster Crown thread !