had the name "Jester Paradox" come up in a name generator at http://www.seventhsanctum.com Sounds like a cool name for a short story, what do you think it would be about?
Posted by Natej11 (Member # 8547) on :
How about the fact that most fools or jesters in medieval times were members of the lord's household whose sole responsibility was to amuse everyone else, usually at their own expense. They were often more the subject of mockery and derision than entertainers.
So a jester trades self-respect for a comfortable life. In that kind of miserable circumstance he can't really marry, and any by-blows would be disdained for their parentage. So maybe he is a lord's fool who's fallen for a servant girl. If he wants to marry her he must make himself more respectable, thus losing his position.
So the paradox would be a respectable jester, when the two notions are contradictory.
Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :
I like it and probably others do too, so use it!
Posted by BenM (Member # 8329) on :
That's a great idea, getting a random title and writing something to it. I had a play and got The Just Pretender. Sounds almost worthy of a Hatrack challenge!
Posted by extrinsic (Member # 8019) on :
In jesters and their purposes, paradox is a fitting term. Some believe that many jesters were like modern-day satirists, political pundits, pastiche artists, and lampooners, as well as entertainers. It's been said in many times and places that only the wisest people make good fools. Wise enough to know their limitations, their places, wise enough to obscure truth behind analogy and innuendo, foolish enough to place themselves in great personal risk.
Posted by InarticulateBabbler (Member # 4849) on :
I played and got Law Wiseaxe sounds like a Jester Paradox.
Anyway, Robin Hobb already covered that definition in Assassin's Apprentice, Assassin's Quest, Royal Assassin, Fool's Errand, Golden Fool and Fool's Fate. The entire collection could be called "Jester's Paradox".
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited April 16, 2009).]
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
Meant to say a couple of days ago that it sounded like a Robert Ludlum novel.
Posted by InarticulateBabbler (Member # 4849) on :
Lol, Robert, you're dead-on right. You'd just have to add "The": The Jester Paradox.
Posted by Andromoidus (Member # 8514) on :
I gave it a whirl and came up with Devilish Justice.
hmm... what could you do with that... the possibilities. a half demon lawyer...
oh, never mind. he would be just like every other lawyer. lol.
