Examples Of Blindness In King Lear

983 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analysis of "The Tragedy of King Lear

The eyes are useless when the mind is blind. (Anon.) The theme of blindness in King Lear by William Shakespeare often used throughout the play. Blinded by their own stubbornness, and gullibility, Lear and Gloucester, get tricked by their own wicked children. Both fathers inability to see causes their downfall, and deaths. Shakespeare uses the theme of blindness to illustrate how blindness is not always physical, but can be mental as well.
A King is often seen as someone who can distinguish between right and wrong, but Lear's lack of eyesight causes him to banish his favorite daughter Cordelia, who loves him the most. When the time comes to declare her love for her father she says to herself, “What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent.” …show more content…

By the time Lear gains recognition of his own situation, and how his blindness has caused him great misfortune and heartache, it is too late and he dies with his beloved daughter Cordelia, after reconciling with her.
Gloucester is another key example of mental blindness in King Lear, his gullibility and lack of sight causes him to be deceived by his son Edmund, and mistrust his loyal son Edgar. Edmund uses a letter to trick his father into believing that Edgar was trying to harm him. He purposely hides the letter so his father will ask. Gloucester is soon caught in the trap his son has laid; now he is mentally blinded by his son, and turns against Edgar. His blindness has prevented him from seeing the true intentions of Edmund, and his gullibility has caused him to eventually lose his physical eyesight, and his life.
When Gloucester is blinded by Cornwall physically, he finally recovers his sight mentally. He …show more content…

I stumbled when I saw. Full oft ’tis seen, our means secure us and our mere defects prove our commodities. O dear son Edgar, the food of thy abus d father’s wrath, might I but live to see thee in my touch, I’d say I had eyes again!" (Shakespeare 309) This passage stated by Gloucester shows that he has gained recognition of his current state, and now that he is blind he knows the truth about Edmund, and he regrets mistrusting Edgar. As he roams the streets he is found by his son Edgar, and despite his father trying to harm him, he helps his blind father. Gloucester soon has his life taken away, due to his mental blindness, a common result of realizing too late the truth in this play. Shakespeare shows the relationship between a parent and child, and how parents sometimes tend to be blinded by their own child, because they don't believe their child would try to trick them. Shakespeare also uses Gloucester’s life as a foil of King Lear’s life. Both father’s inability to see the truth causes them to make poor decisions, and believe the lies of their wicked children. Later they both reconcile with their loyal children, who because of their own foolishness, and blindness, experience unneeded distress, and

Show More
Related

  • Loss Of Innocence In Julius Caesar

    527 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even after his clouded judgement, Gloucester admitted that “the grief hath crazed [his] wits” (III.iv.180). Due to Gloucester being a “credulous father / Whose nature is so far from doing harms / That he suspects none” (I.ii.187-189), he was deceived by the craftiness of his illegitimate son and believed that his good son Edgar was evil, thus proving that retributive justice did not win in this case. Gloucester was loyal to King Lear and wanted to help him despite Regan advising him not to do so. Gloucester, unfortunately was concluded to be a spy for France by Edmund to Cornwall. Instead of being sceptical and making a correct judgement, Cornwall immediately believed him and decided to arrest him. Edmund handed him a letter for further proof, but even without reading it, Cornwall proclaimed, “True or false, it hath made [Edmund] Earl of / Gloucester” (III.vi.18-19), and right after decided to arrest the true Earl. Even without his knowledge, his status was handed over to one who did not deserve it, a situation that Nemesis would never have allowed. Finally, after all of this chaos ensues, Gloucester comes to his own home where he is tied to a chair and was cruelly

    Read More

  • King Lear Love Essay

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lear banishes the Earl of Kent whilst the latter is in the process of protecting the relationship between Cordelia and Lear (7). Due to his love for King Lear, Kent disguises himself as a servant in order to protect and serve him (18). When Lear dies, Kent indicates to Albany that he has “a journey [...] shortly to go;/[his] master calls [him, and he] must not say no” (118). Despite the fact that Lear is dead, Kent still continues his facade as a loyal servant, and he would rather die than live without Lear. Another character who turns to madness is Edgar, who at the beginning of the play is naive and does not realize other’s deceit, however, upon realising other’s deceit, he becomes a different person — he becomes Tom o’Bedlam, a beggar (42). He chooses to descend into madness as Tom in order to warn his father and godfather, whom he loves and cares for, about the facetiousness of Edmund, Goneril and Regan. Edgar’s choice for a descent into madness is a strong parallel to Lear, who falls victim to it. Lear is the preeminent character who’s love leads to madness. Lear, whilst talking to the fool, confesses that he did Cordelia wrong and regrets acting as an extremely harsh father to her (29-30). Lear, upon feeling betrayal from his oldest daughters, tells himself to stop feeling heartache since that is what will impel his madness. Lear, later, mentions that Tom o’Bedlam “wert better in [his] grave than to answer with [his] uncovered body” whilst it is pouring rain, but then Lear asks himself if there were “any a man more than that” and begins to disrobe to clothe the homeless, poor Tom

    Read More

  • Essay on Edgar's role in King Lear, Act 3, Scene 4

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    whom the foul fiend hath led through fire and through flame" (3.4.51-52), and reveals his plan "to kill [the] vermin" (3.4.51-52). And by calling Edmund a "foul fiend" who had "course[d] his own shadow for a traitor" (3.4.57-58), he parallels Edmund with a devil, which is trying to make him commit suicide by laying "knives under his pillow" (3.4.54). And because King Lear's madness begins to be revealed after realizing that he'd been fooled by his daughters (2.4.273-286), he asks Edgar if he became mad due to daughters too (3.4.49-50). They both are outcasts of Gloucester Castle.... ...

    Read More

  • Oedipus the King

    461 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the play, Oedipus the King, blindness is used metaphorically and physically to characterize several personas , and the images of clarity and vision are used as symbols for knowledge and insight. Enlightenment and darkness are used in much the same manner, to demonstrate the darkness of ignorance, and the irony of vision without sight.

    Read More

  • Sight and Blindness in Shakespeare's King Lear - Lack of Vision

    1470 Words  | 3 Pages

    These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to "see" the clearest. While Lear's "blindness" is one which is metaphorical, the blindness of Gloucester, who carries the parallel plot of the play, is literal. Nevertheless, both characters suffer from an inability to see the true nature of their children, an ability only gained once the two patriarchs have plummeted to the utter depths of depravity. Through a close reading of the text, I will argue that Shakespeare employs the plot of Gloucester to explicate Lear's plot, and, in effect, contextualizes Lear's metaphorical blindness with Gloucester's physical loss of vision.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Blindness In Oedipus The King Tiresias

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many times people are blind to the truth that is right in front of them. The solution to their problems may have been blatantly obvious, however, they could not actually “see” their answer by their blindness to the truth. There have been instances where being blind is not actually a handicap, but more of a tool to see things to a deeper meaning. Although the blind may not have physical sight, they have another kind of vision. In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, Tiresias, the blind prophet, addresses the truth of the prophecy to Oedipus and Jocasta. Oedipus has been blind to the truth of the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother his whole life. Once Oedipus discovers the truth, he loses his physical vision by blinding himself. Within these cases, the central theme of blindness can be expressed by Oedipus’s ignorance to see the higher vision- the truth

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Communication In King Lear

    1302 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thus, then leading Gloucester to the loss of parental knowledge and understanding towards his own two sons. Alike King Lear, Gloucester too struggles with the identification of his children. Through his lack of communication between both Edmund and Edgar, Gloucester is unable to personify who and what his sons stand for as a person. This then disables him to realize that Edmund is the true cold-hearted son, while Edgar is the good son who has stood by his side till death. Further on, when too late, once losing his vey two eyes Gloucester begins to realize that when having sight, he was mentally blind. Gloucester was unable to see the truth behind his own sons, but now, not having sight he is able to see the truth that Edgar is the innocent child. This is proven when Gloucester speaks “I have no way, and therefore want no eyes;/ I stumbled when I saw. Full oft’tis seen/ Prove our commodities. O dear son Edgar,/ The food of thy abused father’s wrath;/ Might I but live to see thee in my touch,/ I’d say I had eyes again!”

    Read More

  • Theme Of Blindness In Oedipus The King

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Oedipus the King, Sophocles uses Oedipus and various other characters to convey the theme of blindness. King Oedipus ruled over Thebes, after solving the Sphinx’s riddle. After Oedipus is victorious over the sphinx, Oedipus becomes swollen with hubris leading into his figurative and literal blindness throughout the book. The author, Sophocles uses a blind seer to convey the sense that a physically blind man can know more about the issues concerning Thebes over their respected rulers Oedipus, and Jocasta who were not physically blind like the blind seer. Oedipus was not only just blind to the issues concerning Thebes he was blind to almost everything else. Then when the truth comes out blindness is even emphasized more with Oedipus blinding his self physically. His hubris is caused by many things one may be him thinking he has evaded his cursed prophecy, and even having his own townspeople pray to him as if he were one of the God’s. Blindness in Oedipus Rex was both literal and figurative. People can be physically blind as well as be blinded by the truth figuratively.

    Read More

  • Blindness In Oedipus The King Essay

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, explores the idea of how a man can see with his eyes, but be blind to what is going on around him. Throughout the ancient Greek tragedy, blindness is a recurring theme both metaphorically and literally. Though it is Tiresias the prophet who is physically blind, it is Oedipus’s blindness and failure to truly see that highlights the irony in the play. In time, Oedipus will learn he is blind to the truth that is directly in front of him and must face it head on. In this case Oedipus, head on means learning a disgusting truth and making himself physically blind.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Tragic Flaws in Oedipus Rex (the King) and Death of a Salesman

    408 Words  | 1 Pages

    Blindness and vision are used as motifs in the play "Oedipus Rex," which are also the tragic flaws of the hero. Vision refers to both literal and metaphorical blindness. The frequent references to sight, light, eyes, and perception are used throughout the play. When Oedipus refuses to believe Tiersias, Tiersias responds by saying "have you eyes" and "do you not see your own damnation?" Tiersias also says "those now clear-seeing eyes shall then be darkened." The reference to sight has a double meaning. Oedipus is famed for his clear-sightedness and quick comprehension. He was able to "see" the answer to the Sphinx's riddle, yet ironically, he lacks the ability to see the truth about his own identity. Oedipus has become the very disease he wishes to remove from Thebes.

    Read More

  • Tragedy Through Misreading in William Shakespeare's King Lear

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, portrays many important misconceptions which result in a long sequence of tragic events. The foundation of the story revolves around two characters, King Lear and Gloucester, and concentrates on their common flaw, the inability to read truth in other characters. For example, the king condemns his own daughter after he clearly misreads the truth behind her “dower,”(1.1.107) or honesty. Later, Gloucester passes judgment on his son Edgar based on a letter in which he “shall not need spectacles”(1.2.35) to read. While these two characters continue to misread people’s words, advisors around them repeatedly give hints to their misinterpretations, which pave the road for possible reconciliation. The realization of their mistakes, however, occurs after tragedy is inevitable.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Bad Parenting In King Lear

    1755 Words  | 4 Pages

    After Kent delightfully brings the two together and Lear realizes who he is talking to, he begs for forgiveness: “Pray, do not mock me. / I am a very foolish fond old man, / Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less /....Do not laugh at me, / For as I am a man, I think this lady / To be my child Cordelia.“ (IV.vii.68-79). Lear has finally achieved self-awareness regarding his mistaken banishment of Cordelia, and proclaims to her in a surprising display of humility that he is just a “foolish fond old man.” Shocking the audience, Lear does not hold back his newfound sense of shame. He goes on: “Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not. If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me, for your sisters Have, as I do remember, done me wrong. You have some cause; they have not.” (IV.vii.81-85). In another case of both humility and misjudgment, Lear believes that Cordelia no longer loves him due to his mistakes. Lear could not be more wrong because Cordelia 's love for her father is unconditional and still lives. Cordelia virtuously accepts his apology and assures him “No, sir, you must not kneel,” (IV.vii.67). Although the two do not live much longer, Lear intends to live out the rest of their lives being the best a father can

    Read More

  • Power's Destruction: King Lear

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    Edmund lusted for all of his father’s power, lying to his gullible brother and father aided him in his plan for total authority along with destroying their lives. As bastard son of Gloucester, Edmund wanted to receive all of the power destined for his brother, Edgar, who was Gloucester’s legitimate son. Edmund stated his disapproval of his brother, “Wherefore should I/ Stand in the plague of custom, and permit/ The curiosity of nations to deprive me/ For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines/ Lag of a brother? Why bastard?”(1.2.2-6). Edmund wanted the respect and love that Edgar received even though he was Gloucester’s bastard son. He claimed that he was not much younger or “moonshines lag of a brother” therefore he should be considered just as smart and able-minded as any legitimate son. He built up hatred toward Edgar and in order to get rid of him he convinced his father that Edgar had betrayed him through a letter. The letter that Edmund made read, “If our father would sleep till I waked him, you/ should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live/ the beloved of your brother, Edgar”(1.2.55-57). Edmund portrayed Edgar as the son that would kill Gloucester only to inherit his money and share his inheritance with Edmund. Gloucester believed Edmund, sending out guards to kill Edgar for his betrayal...

    Read More

  • Blindness and Sight - Lack of Insight in King Lear

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Shakespeare's classic tragedy, King Lear, the issue of sight and its relevance to clear vision is a recurring theme.  Shakespeare's principal means of portraying this theme is through the characters of Lear and Gloucester. Although Lear can physically see, he is blind in the sense that he lacks insight, understanding, and direction. In contrast, Gloucester becomes physically blind but gains the type of vision that Lear lacks. It is evident from these two characters that clear vision is not derived solely from physical sight. Lear's failure to understand this is the principal cause of his demise, while Gloucester learns to achieve clear vision, and consequently avoids a fate similar to Lear's.

    Read More

  • Comparing Lear and Gloucester in Shakespeare's King Lear

    1980 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lear's vision is marred by lack of direction in life, poor foresight and his inability to predict the consequences of his actions. He cannot look far enough into the future to see the consequences of his actions. This, in addition to his lack of insight into other people, condemns his relationship with his most beloved daughter, Cordelia. When Lear asks his daughters, who loves him most, he already thinks that Cordelia has the most love for him. However, when Cordelia says: "I love your Majesty according to my bond, no more nor less." (I, i, 94-95) Lear cannot see what these words really mean. Goneril and Regan are only putting on an act. They do not truly love Lear as much as they should. When Cordelia says these words, she has seen her sister's facade, and she does not want to associate her true love with their false love. Lear, however, is fooled by Goneril and Regan into thinking that they love him, while Cordelia does not. This is when Lear first shows a sign of becoming blind to those around him. He snaps and disowns her:

    Read More

More about Examples Of Blindness In King Lear

Open Document