Court jester

A court jester is a clown or buffoon employed in the service of a king or other ruling monarch for entertainment.

The court jester was often summoned to try to lift the monarch out of an angry or melancholy mood. A jester typically wears a floppy, three-pointed hat made of cloth fabric with jingle bells at the points. The three points of the hat represent the asses' ears and tail worn by jesters in earlier times. The joker wears a colorful suit of clothing called a motley, laughs incessantly, and often holds a mock scepter in his hand. Court jesters were typically selected from the peasantry within the monarch's dominion.

See also: Rigoletto (opera)