Examples Of Blindness In King Lear

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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

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