What does The Jester mean in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher?’

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Fall of the House of Usher finale.

As viewers of horror get excited for all of the October releases, The Fall of the House of Usher stands out as a special one. It’s yet another work for the popular horror creator, Mike Flanagan in which he’s, once again, managed to artfully reference and take inspiration from classic gothic horror literature. The Fall of the House of Usher doesn’t only borrow from the titular short story by Edgar Allan Poe, but also many of the macabre author’s works.

One reference in particular seems to be leaving fans scratching their heads, and that’s the Jester who first appears at the end of The Fall of the House of Usher episode 1. Who is the Jester? And are they real or just symbolic? We’ve got the answer and full context for you to understand this odd addition to the Netflix series.

Who is the Jester in The Fall of the House of Usher?

For those wanting to know the identity of the mysterious Jester that haunts Roderick in The Fall of the House of Usher, know that it is revealed eventually. The Jester is not entirely a symbolic character, so be warned of spoilers ahead. The reveal for the Jester is shown in episode 8, the series final of The Fall of the House of Usher, so feel free to watch that first and come back if you want to see it for yourself first.

It’s eventually revealed that the Jester is Rufus Griswold in his costume for the 1979-1980 New Year’s Eve party that Madeline and Roderick Usher attended. The reason that the Jester is haunting Roderick is that he and Madeline killed Rufus Griswold on the night of that party, by enclosing him within the wall of the unfinished basement of the Fortunato building. This is the same place Roderick visits several times, staring at the brick wall while he hears the Jester’s bells ring.

Is the Jester in the original “The Fall of the House of Usher?”

There is not a Jester character in the original “The Fall of the House of Usher” story. Still, the Jester and the fate of the character do come from Edgar Allan Poe. The storyline for Rufus Griswold that finally unfolds in episode 8 of The Fall of the House of Usher features plot points from “The Cask of Amontillado.”

Griswold’s fate, primarily, is pulled pretty closely from the pages of the famous tale, which concludes with an unfortunate soul being resigned to a death of getting walled in, brick by brick. He was similarly tricked into drinking a sherry that is ultimately part of his downfall. Those who have read the short story will know that the victim is called Fortunato, which is the name of the pharmaceutical company in The Fall of the House of Usher. Fortunato also wears a Jester costume in the short story, as it is set during carnival season in Italy.