ABSTRACT
Memories, in retention, suppression, erasure, and overlap, are fraught with complexities of scientific, and in Hamlet and King Lear, Shakespeare 'fools' with those issues' interaction in the tragic domain. In both Hamlet and King Lear, Shakespeare employs a fool character in a complex relationship between tragedy and memory, one that ultimately takes the protagonists from their personal memories into the realm of 'collective memory' inhabited by the archetypes of the Fool and Princess. Within Shakespeare's canon, besides the professional jesters like the Fool of King Lear, there are several characters who serve fool-like functions for their peer group. Whether Shakespeare knew of tarot cards or not, the symbolism of the tarot Fool card aligns with the characteristics that he assigns the Fool of King Lear. Initially, Hamlet is so overwhelmed by the ghost's tale that he intends to 'sweep to his revenge' by accepting the offered 'hero role'.
