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Folly (allegory)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Folly (Latin: Moria) was a common allegorical figure in medieval morality plays and in allegorical artwork through the Renaissance. The depiction is generally of a young man, often similar in appearance to a jester or the tarot card, The Fool.[1] In contrast to the many obvious classical allusions in such works, the depictions owe little to the Greek goddess Atë.
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In drama, the character tempts the protagonist into foolish action, successfully or not. In an allegorical painting, the figure may be counterpoised to Prudence, representing a choice, or alone, representing the unwisdom of the actors in the painting.