I am surrounded by flatterers and fools. It can drive a man to madness, Ned. Half of them don't dare tell me the truth, and the other half can't find it. -AGOT, Eddard I

The "Flatterers and Fools" of Robert's Small Council

Robert Baratheon's small council was made up of "flatterers and fools" (according to Robert/Ned), which ones do you think are each?

As the others took their accustomed seats, it struck Eddard Stark forcefully that he did not belong here, in this room, with these men. He remembered what Robert had told him in the crypts below Winterfell. I am surrounded by flatterers and fools, the king had insisted. Ned looked down the council table and wondered which were the flatterers and which the fools. He thought he knew already. "We are but five," he pointed out.

"Lord Stannis took himself to Dragonstone not long after the king went north," Varys said, "and our gallant Ser Barristan no doubt rides beside the king as he makes his way through the city, as befits the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard." AGOT, Eddard IV

The Members

• Jon Arryn/Eddard Stark (Hand of the King)
• Varys (Master of Whispers)
• Pycelle (Grand Maester)
• Petyr Baelish (Master of Coin)
• Renly Baratheon (Master of Laws)
• Stannis Baratheon (Master of Ships)
• Barristan Semly (Lord Commander of the Kingsguard)

It was all too much. For a moment Eddard Stark wanted nothing so much as to return to Winterfell, to the clean simplicity of the north, where the enemies were winter and the wildlings beyond the Wall. "Surely Robert has other loyal friends," he protested. "His brothers, his—"

"—wife?" Varys finished, with a smile that cut. "His brothers hate the Lannisters, true enough, but hating the queen and loving the king are not quite the same thing, are they? Ser Barristan loves his honor, Grand Maester Pycelle loves his office, and Littlefinger loves Littlefinger."

From this cast of characters I think each of them has at least one of the traits (and some both). So I just went out and found a quote that matched my thoughts on each (somewhat, in some cases it wasn't perfect lol).

Jon Arryn (Fool)

From all accounts, Jon Arryn seemed like a good hand (outside of not controlling Robert's spending), that said he (and Ned) both severely underestimated the situation they were in.

Tyrion reflected on the men who had been Hand before him, who had proved no match for his sister's wiles. How could they be? Men like that . . . too honest to live, too noble to shit, Cersei devours such fools every morning when she breaks her fast. The only way to defeat my sister is to play her own game, and that was something the Lords Stark and Arryn would never do. Small wonder that both of them were dead, while Tyrion Lannister had never felt more alive. -ACOK, Tyrion II

Eddard Stark (Fool)

Similar to Jon Arryn, Ned Stark didn't flatter Robert but he was foolish and didn't understand how to play the game of thrones:

He damned them all: Littlefinger, Janos Slynt and his gold cloaks, the queen, the Kingslayer, Pycelle and Varys and Ser Barristan, even Lord Renly, Robert's own blood, who had run when he was needed most. Yet in the end he blamed himself. "Fool," he cried to the darkness, "thrice-damned blind fool." -AGOT, Eddard XV

Varys (Flatterer)

Varys is the epitome of a flatterer, and is probably holding the most cards in the "game" right now:

"You should thank the gods that Varys the Spider is a part of this plot of yours. Griff would not have fooled the cockless wonder for an instant, no more than it did me. No lord, my lordship says, no knight. And I'm no dwarf. Just saying a thing does not make it true. Who better to raise Prince Rhaegar's infant son than Prince Rhaegar's dear friend Jon Connington, once Lord of Griffin's Roost and Hand of the King?" -ADWD, Tyrion V

Pycelle (Both)

While possessing some levels (he is a maester) of intelligence, he seems to underestimated at times but also can be extremely foolish.

Pycelle had gone the color of curdled white. At council meetings the wretched old fool cannot say enough, but now that I need a few words from him he has lost the power of speech

It should be noted that Pycelle's loyalty to the Lannisters has a backstory that is yet to be revealed according to GRRM:

[Why is Pycelle so loyal to the Lannisters?]

There´s backstory yet to be revealed, certainly, but if you asked Pycelle he would insist that he was acting in the best interests of the realm. -SSM: Asshai.com Forum Chat: 27 July 2008

Littlefinger (Flatterer)

Similar to Varys, the non highborn characters seem to go out of their way to please Robert and make him happy (feasts, etc.)

Ser Rodrik's fingers fumbled once again for nonexistent whiskers. "Littlefinger sits on the small council now."

"I knew he would rise high," Catelyn said. "He was always clever, even as a boy, but it is one thing to be clever and another to be wise. I wonder what the years have done to him." -AGOT, Catelyn IV

Renly (Both)

While Renly gave Ned some sound advice in King's Landing and was plotting heavily with the Tyrells from the start, he also seems to think that war is game:

Loras waved at the book. "Lord Renly always said that books were for maesters." -AFFC, Jaime II

and:

The bold little boy with wild black hair and laughing eyes was a man grown now, one-and-twenty, and still he played his games. Look at me, I'm a king, Cressen thought sadly. Oh, Renly, Renly, dear sweet child, do you know what you are doing? And would you care if you did? Is there anyone who cares for him but me? -ACOK, Prologue

Stannis (Neither)

Stannis most definitely isn't a flatterer:

"Once you were young. Now you are old and sick, and need your sleep." Stannis had never learned to soften his speech, to dissemble or flatter; he said what he thought, and those that did not like it could be damned. "I knew you'd learn what Davos had to say soon enough. You always do, don't you?" -ACOK, Prologue

But he isn't a fool either (removing himself to Dragonstone/going to Jon Arryn, etc.) are smart plays. I would say Stannis' flaw is his inability to "play well with others" as Robert does.

Barristan Selmy (Fool)

Barristan cares more about his honor/guilt/etc. than anything. From the quotes available he doesn't consider himself the smartest person ever, and he doesn't seem like the flattering type:

He did not like the taste of this. It smelled of deceit, of whispers and lies and plots hatched in the dark, all the things he'd hoped to leave behind with the Spider and Lord Littlefinger and their ilk. Barristan Selmy was not a bookish man, but he had often glanced through the pages of the White Book, where the deeds of his predecessors had been recorded. Some had been heroes, some weaklings, knaves, or cravens. Most were only men—quicker and stronger than most, more skilled with sword and shield, but still prey to pride, ambition, lust, love, anger, jealousy, greed for gold, hunger for power, and all the other failings that afflicted lesser mortals. The best of them overcame their flaws, did their duty, and died with their swords in their hands. The worst …

The worst were those who played the game of thrones. -ADWD, The Queensguard

Note: There was a Master of Coin before Littlefinger and potentially a Master of Ships before Stannis/Master of Laws before Renly. We do not know their names, so there was no need to include.

TLDR: A quick rundown on which of Robert's small council could be a "Flatterer" or a "Fool".