The Importance of Sight and Blindness in Shakespeare's King Lear

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In Shakespearean terms, blindness can mean a whole host of things. Samuel Butler, an English novelist, said, “A blind man knows he cannot see, and is glad to be led, though it be by a dog, but he that is blind in his understanding, which is the worst blindness of all, believes he sees as the best, and scorns a guide." Blindness is a major theme that recurs throughout Shakespeare’s play, King Lear. Samuel Butler’s quote can be used to describe King Lear, who suffers, not from a lack of physical sight, but from a lack of insight and understanding. Blindness is a factor in his poor judgment. It plays a major role in the bad decisions he makes. It leads to harsh treatment of those closest to him. It is the combination of these consequences of Lear’s failed sight that demonstrate how blindness is a major flaw that contributes to the chain of events that ultimately result in his tragic downfall. Blindness can normally be defined as the inability of the eye to see, but according to Shakespeare, blindness is not a physical quality, but a mental flaw some people possess. Shakespeare’s possibly most dominant theme in his play King Lear is that of blindness and King Lear, Gloucester, and Albany are all three prime examples of Shakespeare’s incorporation of this theme in the play. Each of these characters’ blindness is the primary cause of the bad decisions they make, decisions which all of them eventually come to regret.

In the first scene the audience sees Lear proclaiming to his three daughters that, in order to be awarded her dowry, she must express her love accordingly to him. Goneril going first uses wit, deceit and Lear's state of metaphorical blindness to create such an indulgent speech of which no father could disapprov...

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...y he sees now, so he has no use for eyes. Gloucester finds his sense of insight just in time to save his life from his son Edmund. He sees Edmund as an evil man and Edgar as the loyal and loving son that he is.

But not only are Lear and Gloucester blind to those around him, they are blind to their responsibilities. Gloucester's adultery leads to the illegitimate Edmund who causes strife in his kingdom. Lear's abdication of the throne and handing over of power to self serving individuals, feeling entitled to a “retirement”, leads to his downfall, it is also apparent that Lear was blind to the needs of his people during his reign as evidenced by his remorse over not taking care of the less fortunate after his encounter on the moor. The theme of blindness is omnipresent in Lear and should be regarded as something of a cautionary message against our own blindness.

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