Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.
– William Shakespeare
Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 5. After Maria calls Feste a troublemaker and leaves, Feste says this in an aside. This is the court clown’s most famous quote. While he does not have the social status of the other characters, he is allowed poke fun at them without being punished. But he is also intelligent and self-aware and can see their follies.