Mundo the Fool personifies what all the fashion-conscious Courtiers never want to be seen as, a fool. Yet Mundo, in fact, always speaks the truth.

 

Like many historical fools, Mundo is the Imperial Court's mischief-maker, who insults and jabs at any of the Courtiers, though never at the Emperor or his beautiful daughter Eldora the Princess.

 

Despite his philandering, Mundo becomes the romantic lead when, insulted by the Emperor’s offer of his bastard daughter to be his wife, Mundo decides to seduce Princess Eldora in revenge. How? By declaring True Love for her.

     

In history as in our story, monarchs were often close to their fool or jester. Since all high-ranking Courtiers strove to impress, the only person a monarch could trust was his low-ranking fool. But in our story, Mundo cannot be trusted for long.

     

The following characteristics of fools come from Enid Welsford, “The Fool: His Social and Literary History” (1935): 

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Mischievous; sprightly; grotesque; “a tincture of the absurd”; takes life easy; glides out of awkward situations; little conscience; failure to attain to the normal standard of human dignity; repartee; laughter-maker; bon mots; Lark, Pod, Mackeral, Ham-Cleaver (some names of fools); parodying; impertinent; personal remarks and witticisms against guests; exposition of unworldly ethical principles; spars with philosophers; extempore versifier; poet; musician; mime; expressive gesticulation; dances with dislocations; a parasite; a man who “gives words” for food and clothes.

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Mundo’s costume:  It need not be fully traditional with colorful patches all over, but should have some coloring, perhaps some multi-color diamond-shaped patches to keep with the public’s image of a fool or jester. We actually saw a young man panhandling in Harvard Square, who made us think of Mundo. He was good-looking, blonde, dressed only in overalls, bare muscular shoulders showing. Maybe add a few brightly colored diamond patches to the overalls?

 

Mundo’s songs:

      “A Fool Am I”  

      “So Opposite We Are” (with Emperor)

      “I Am A Fool and No Damn Fool”

      “Something More” (with full ensemble)

      “One Man, One Woman” (with female courtiers)

      “Out of Nothing” and reprises (with Eldora)         

      “Fondle and Lay with Her” (with Eldora)

      “Touch Me Now Evermore” (with Eldora)