The first episode of the Star Wars film saga, The Phantom Menace, is unusual compared to the other chapters of the story because of its façade of innocent joviality. Though the forces of darkness begin their ascent in this film, as the seeds of the falls of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi Order, and the Galactic Republic are sown, overall the movie reflects a golden age that will not be seen again over the course of the six movies. The audience sees in the characters -- both in where they are in their lives, how in they interact with one another -- an expression of this happier and simpler time.
Jar Jar Binks is perhaps the most direct personification of the lighter tone found in Episode I. The Gungan outcast who befriends and accompanies the Jedi, Padmé, and Anakin on their adventures is a guileless, clumsy, and somewhat silly creature who becomes swept up in the various events of the movie. He provides much of the film's humor and -- along with a nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker -- gives it a great deal of its childlike quality.
All of this fits the literary archetype of the Holy Fool. Although no one character will match all the characteristics of any particular archetype, it is easy to see how Jar Jar fits the definition of the Fool, and how his embodiment of this archetype works with and enhances the story of The Phantom Menace. Jar Jar's kind, affable, and innocent ways contribute to the classic storytelling of the saga.
What makes a character a Holy Fool? First, one of the most basic characteristics of the archetype is that the character is almost always male, as Jar Jar obviously is.1 However, the Fool also often has traits that are often associated with weakness when held by men, and emotional expressiveness is one of them.2 In literature, many fools and clowns wear masks to "cover up" their emotions, and make it socially acceptable for them to both act and speak out. Jar Jar does not wear a mask, or otherwise attempt to hide himself, but he is very open and expressive, and does receive some measure of consternation from other characters because of it. Jar Jar shows his fear when he feels it, such as when he complains to Qui-Gon Jinn about the dangers of Mos Espa on Tatooine, or when he is reluctant to return to the city of Otoh Gunga. He also never bothers to hide his joy -- happily proclaiming, "Wesa going home!" when Queen Amidala decides she's going to return to Naboo. Holy Fools often have exaggerated and honest reactions to what happens to them, and Jar Jar is no exception.
Those exaggerated reactions are related to another one of the Fool's traits -- the focus on humor and making others in the story laugh, and on finding ways to entertain them. A Jungian Approach to Literature states that, "Fools…represented a reversal of the normal order of things, and, as such, gave the impression of being…irreverent, and humorous."3 Jar Jar provides the majority of the comic relief in The Phantom Menace, whether it is done through his unusual accent and manner of speaking, his clumsy and accident-prone nature, or through his rather excitable personality. While we don't see him tell deliberate jokes, we do see him inadvertently juggle on more than one occasion (his klutziness causes him to struggle to balance and hold onto several items in Watto's shop, as an example), and he makes both Padmé and Anakin smile and laugh while also seeming to amuse Qui-Gon Jinn.
This quality often causes the Fool to be confused with the archetype of the Clown, and indeed, the two are similar in their propensity to amuse. The main difference between the two is that the Clown is mostly associated with the common people, while the Fool is connected to people in arenas of power.4 This can been seen clearly in the Shakespearean tradition, where the Holy Fool is often a member of the royal court, or otherwise is in the employ of the ruling class. Very early on in Episode I, Jar Jar meets two Jedi -- the select protectors and guardians of the Republic -- and joins them in their many travels. This eventually leads him to Queen Amidala of the Naboo, and other members of her royal court. At the end of the movie, he helps bring Queen Amidala together with Boss Nass, the leader of the Gungans. Jar Jar, like many other Holy Fools, particularly stands out because he is among the powerful, refined, and elite members of the society.
Fools often stand outside the normal social order in one way or another.5 Jar Jar begins the story as an exile from his home community and continues to be the odd man out amongst the royals and Jedi that he finds himself in the company of. He symbolizes the divide between humans and Gungans on Naboo (along with Padmé), a divide he helps erase through his actions. He is uninvolved and seemingly unaware of the politics and maneuvering that takes place once the traveling party arrives on Coruscant. Fools throughout literature are outsiders in other ways -- many were dwarves, mentally challenged, or possessed some other defect. Some of Jar Jar's personality may be a more benign version of this trait. Historically, there was no derision meant in having the Fool possess these defects; acting as a court jester was a way to help such people maintain independence and make a living. Jar Jar is not meant to be derided either, and his simplicity leads him into important and career-establishing roles (as we see later, Jar Jar goes into politics and works with Senator Amidala and Chancellor Palpatine).
In his book, The Fool and His Scepter, author William Willeford says this about the way Fools are viewed: "The naïve view [is] that Fools are just silly, [while] the more refined view [is] that Fools show a kind of wisdom."6 In Episode I, Jar Jar is certainly viewed the former way, most notably by Obi-Wan Kenobi, who refers to the Gungan as a "pathetic lifeform" with some exasperation. However, Qui-Gon Jinn believes that Jar Jar may be helpful, and saves him from the wrath of Boss Nass at the film's beginning, allowing Jar Jar to accompany them on their mission. The Jedi is later proven correct when Queen Amidala takes Jar Jar seriously enough to hinge critical parts of her plan to rescue her planet on Jar Jar's information about the Gungan army. According to the book Fools and Jesters in Literature, Art, and History, “The influence of these [Fools] on monarchs…is often underestimated.”7
However, being around powerful people connects to another typical trait of the Fool that Jar Jar does not possess in The Phantom Menace. Often the job of the Fool is to give criticism of other characters, of society, or of the story's events in a way that is incisive and truthful. The Fool's humor and non-serious personality often serve as a cover, protecting him from the anger or retribution such comments would normally engender. This was often seen in Shakespeare's various plays -- the Fool was allowed almost unparalleled freedom in his speech, and his honesty often earned him the respect of rulers or monarchs.8 While Jar Jar occasionally expresses views that are skeptical or critical of the Jedi or the Force -- during the journey to Theed with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, for example -- his function is clearly not focused on providing such commentary on the people or events surrounding him.
This lack of critical commentary makes Jar Jar more akin to a Dummling, a character archetype that is one of the variations on the Holy Fool. The Dummling is a "character who, although often simple-minded, acts with a good heart and is usually rewarded for it."9 This description certainly seems to fit Jar Jar, who is indeed kind-hearted and has a simplicity about him. He is rewarded at the film's end: first, he is made a general in the Gungan army -- clearly a position of honor -- as a recognition of his role in bringing the Naboo and the Gungans together to fight the Trade Federation's occupation of their planet; during the parade after the battle, Jar Jar is treated as a hero by the jubilant crowd. This is similar to a character in the legends of King Arthur, Sir Dagonet, who served as the Holy Fool in that saga. He was knighted as a joke; however, once he appeared in the tournaments, he performed ably and bravely.10 Jar Jar's commission is not made in jest, however, it has nothing to do with any skills he may or may not have in battle. Despite his fear and awkwardness on the field, Jar Jar acquits himself well in the battle, and in other parts of the movie. Dummlings generally "[do] not so much impart wisdom as foster living with kindness and simplicity."11
Jar Jar Binks' function in The Phantom Menace is to provide some of the light-hearted and innocent tone that is so important to emphasize in the saga's opening chapter. By taking on the role of the Holy Fool archetype, Jar Jar adds humor and good-natured kindness to a deceptively happy movie.
Works Cited:
1. Screen Tips. “Spotlight on Archetype: The Wise Fool.” <http://www.pathcom.com/~widerman/wisefool.htm>
2. "A Gallery of Archetypes." <www.meta-religion.com/Psychiatry/Analytical_psychology/a_gallery_of_archetypes.htm>
3. Knapp, Bettina L. A Jungian Approach to Literature. Souther Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL, 1984. p. 45.
4. "A Gallery of Archetypes"
5. Knapp, p. 45.
6. Willeford, William. The Fool and His Scepter: A Study in Clowns and Jesters and Their Audience. Northwestern University Press, Evanston, IL, 1969.
7. Fools and Jesters in Literature, Art, and History: A Bio-Bibliographical Sourcebook. Vicki K. Janik, Emmanuel S. Nelson, Editors. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 1998. p. 34.
8. Wheeler, Kip. "Literary Terms and Definitions." Homepage at Carson-Newman. <guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/wheeler/lit_terms.html>
9. "A Gallery of Archetypes"
10. "A Gallery of Archetypes"
11. "A Gallery of Archetypes"
