The fool in King Lear is significant in that he is the voice of truth and reason. He is the only one who can speak openly and honestly to Lear, though Lear thinks that everything he says is a joke and does not take him seriously. The fool demonstrates to Lear the truths about the people around him and tries to warn him about their treachery. This is seen in act1 scene 4 when he tries to pursuade Lear that it was wrong to banish Cordelia as she was the only daughter that truly loved him, and that he made a mistake in dividing his kingdom between Goneril and Regan. The fool warns Lear about his daughters by stating that Lear is now their lap dog. "Truth's a dog must to kennel; he must be whipped out when the Lady Brach may stand by the fire and stink."
Thus, it can be seen that the fool is a very important character as he points out Lear's faults which will later come to haunt him. He provides humour but yet still honesty about the various occurences.
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