Idiot, Fool, Emperor, Clown

Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus the Clown

Republic Freedom vs. Despotic Tyranny is often touted as the major theme of the book by Robert Graves and subsequent BBC miniseries I, Clavdivs [I, Claudius] (both are highly rated and enjoyable entertainments).

Is that really so true I wonder? Is it not more likely that the major preoccupation of the work is the Fool on the Wheel of Fortune?

Claudius sums up his life to himself:

I love liberty: I detest tyranny.
I have always been a patriotic Roman.
The Roman genius is Republican.

I am now, paradoxically, an Emperor.

He goes on at length to list all the other paradoxes and follies of his beliefs vs. his ultimate circumstance. There are too many to list.

The farcical beliefs of others is also too lengthy to list, but, just for a taste: several characters believe they are Gods and one believes himself to be Jesus Christ.

Confused at how things have come to this turn, Claudius gets the gist out of a dying 'friend'.

Claudius asks: 'Vitellius, in a better age you would have been one of the most virtuous men alive: how was it, then, that your upright nature acquired a sort of permanent stoop from playing the courtier?'

[Vitellius] said: 'It was inevitable under a monarchy, however benevolent the monarch. The old virtues disappear. Independence and frankness are at a discount. Complacent anticipation of the monarch's wishes is then the greatest of all virtues. One must either be a good monarch like yourself, or a good courtier like myself - either an Emperor or an idiot.'

[Claudius] said: 'You mean that people who continue virtuous in an old fashioned way must inevitably suffer in times like these?'

[Vitellius said:] 'Phaemon's dog was right.' Vitellius lapsed into a coma and died.

Context and discussion here: Phaemon's dog was right
Reference here: Phaemon's dog was right

The tone is more tragic than comic, which, maybe, why, the ride of Fortune's Fool is overlooked. And tragic it is because of the nature of the monarchy (despotic power) is destined to corrupt everything and everyone around him. Ultimately he bows to inevitability, abandons (publicly) his ideals and pushes the bloody wheel forward with a few helpful prods.

Written it the early 1930's Europe between the wars and the rise of fascism; do you wonder what Graves was thinking about?

Claudius' epiphany is that despite it all he is just a Fool with a Sceptre.

Struck again with inevitable betrayal and tragedy and wracked with painful emotions he mentally equates himself with, and emotionally identifies with the 'other'. He is at the height of his power and what thought crosses his mind?:

'At the first Games I ever saw... I saw a Spanish sword-fighter have his shield-arm lopped off at the shoulder. He was close to me and I saw his face clearly. Such a stupid look when he saw what had happened. And the whole amphitheatre roared with laughter at him. I thought is was funny too, God forgive me.'

- Claudius the God

And God forgive us all.

Apparently this phenomena of a book is the work that Graves least liked himself, but it is the one that he is remembered for.

Evil Clown

Evil Clown resource:

Medieval European Jesters and Fools (See picture above).

Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Who watches the watchmen?
- Juvenal


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