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What happened to the Fool? He played a major role in first half of the play, but we haven't seen or heard from him since Act III. What happened to him, and why has he disappeared from this play?
The Fool disappears after Act III, Scene vi, and is never seen again, or even mentioned.
Students may mention Act V, Scene iii, line 304 where Lear tells us "and my poor fool is hanged.--No, no, no life?" However, it is generally assumed that he is using the word "fool" here as an affectionate term for Cordelia. Still, some might argue that Lear's fool might have been hanged along with Cordelia (but we still wouldn't know where he was during the entirety of Act IV).
The Fool is...
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