not always represent reality. Gloucester avoided a similar demise by learning the relationship between appearance and reality. It is amazing that only through great hardships, such as Gloucester having his eyes plucked out, could he and Lear receive true insight. Unfortunately, Gloucester’s blindness cost him his eyes and a natural relationship with his son. Lear’s blindness ended up costing Cordelia her life and consequently the life of himself.
Throughout the story of King Lear, makes various references pertaining to blindness. The topic shows up multiple times and allows for a lesson to be learned. Shakespeare is implying, using references of blindness, that sight is pointless without comprehension, blindness is capable of causing sight, and losing sight doesn’t involve physically the way that you see, but in the knowledge that you gain.
Gloucester’s renewal of sight is described by the line “I stumbled when I saw”. I saw that this line could be interpreted in two ways. First, it is meant to say that when he could physically still see, he had been following the wrong path. Gloucester made continuous mistakes when he had his eye sight, trusting and assuming much too quickly. It was then until his eyes wore literally plucked out but the Duke of Cornwall, that the truth finally came to surface. This famous line explains that when he was not blind yet, he kept stumbling on the lies and disguises of both Edmund and Edgar. Alternatively, “I stumbled when I saw” could also be a reflection how he mentally sees who has been in the truth all along, but it took him to be paralyzed in vision to see, where he must now “stumble” to survive. In either interpretation the same message is that Gloucester no longer desires eye sight is he can see more clearly without them. The confidence that his eye sight once gave him only mislead his belief of reality. This entire event changes Gloucester’s morals completely. His vision is more improved using his mind instead of his eyes. In line 19, it is apparent that he is in full remorse: “I have no way and therefore want no eyes” shows that Gloucester accepts his faults and rather than pities himself, becomes more acknowledgeable in others. Gloucester states, “Might I but live to see thee in my touch, I’ld say I had my eyes again!” Because Gloucester finds that Edgar had been innocent all along, this line shows how truly sorry he now is and how to see feel Edgar for one more moment would be equal to having vision. Nothing else in the world matters to Gloucester anymore. The change in personality shows when he believes that he i...
Blindness vs. Sight- This theme is realized toward the middle of the plot. When Lear and Gloucester are living well and in power, they are both treated with respect by their children. In the end, we find out that they had been blinded by their children all along, but this was after they had already treated their noble child so cruelly. In Gloucester’s case, he literally had to become blind in order to see.
Not only is the audience able to see the dominating theme of blindness affect the lives of King Lear and the Duke of Albany, but one is also able to see the downfall of Gloucester due to his blindness and poor decisions on situations he is oblivious too. In King Lear, Gloucester is not only blind in mental terms, but he is also physically blinded by Goneril near the end of the play. Firstly, Gloucester’s blindness denies him the capability to see the good in his son Edgar and the evil in his son Edmund. Gloucester’s inability to see causes him to hunt down his son Edgar in order to try and kill him, when in reality the son he is trying to kill, is the son that has the right intentions. Edmund, Gloucester’s evil and illegitimate son plans to kill Gloucester to take his wealth and riches thought out the whole play. When Gloucester is angered by the letter Edmund claims Edgar wrote, he screams,
Enter King Lear, a tale of an old king who must come to terms with his mortality after being pitifully abandoned by his own two daughters. Shakespeare skillfully crafts the values of the mortality of humanity straight into the play at the expense of the pain and suffering experienced by two of the characters: King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester. Both Lear and Gloucester struggle to see the true nature of the situation surrounding them, especially the malicious intentions of their own children. We feel the pain, confusion, and frustration of the two characters as struggle to face reality. Exacerbated by their blindness, Lear's and Gloucester's mistakes are powerfully exposed as Shakespeare strips these esteemed characters of their status, reducing them to what they truly are - human.
In every Shakespeare play, there is a guide mentor that observes the entirety of the protagonist’s position and acts as a counselor for such protagonist. In this case, we will be recognizing the guide mentor in Shakespeare’s, King Lear, which is portrayed by the character of the Fool. The Fool plays a very significant role within the play not only guiding Lear to become a better person, but also by using sharp, intelligent remarks with bright expression to associate Lear. Though he disappears after Act 3, Scene 6, he still plays a big role towards Lear’s development and learns mortification, anguish and empathy from the beginning. The Fool turns Lear from an ignorant king, to a sympathetic human being.
Lear was a madman but because he was psychotic he end up realizing the things he was not able to realize when he was still sane. Gloucester was able see the rights and wrongs better once he became blind, he got a new perspective once he lost his eyes. “Tis the time's plague when madmen lead the blind. Do as I bid thee, or rather do thy pleasure. Above the rest, be gone.” Gloucester said he rather have a madman lead him, this is due to Gloucester is willing to trust someone who is also in a similar situation as himself. Shakespeare used Lear and Gloucester to mirror each other thought their blindness and inability to determine the good or evil. Both Lear and Gloucester were blinded to the fact that Cornelia and Edgar were the ones who tried to maintain their roles within the chain instead of craving for more than they are able to have. Both Lear and Gloucester were blind men and they both picked the wrong guide dog to guide them, which resulted them being led to their
King Lear and Gloucester’s decision to mistrust their instincts and turn on their good child shows their blindness. King Lear was easily convinced that Goneril and Regan’s words were true and was unable to see Cordelia’s true and honest love for him, causing him to banish Cordelia and says “With my two daughters' dowers digest this third. Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her” (1,1,130-131). Cordelia was Lear’s favourite daughter and he knows she loves him most, so this shows that he cares more about Goneril and Regan’s false words because he enjoys the flattery in front of a crowd, than Cordelia’s sincere words. Kent tries to make Lear realize his blindness when he says “See better, Lear, and let me still remain the true blank of
Christians argue that Lear has to become mad in order to become wise, that Gloucester can really only see once he becomes blind, yet the brutal gouging out of his eyes inspires the greatest upheaval of traditional order when a servant turns on his master, Cornwell, slaying him. Edgar makes some of the most profound observations that support the Christian view: