Blindness
in King
Lear
, Key ideas
• SIGHT – the ability to perceive with the eyes
• BLINDNESS – difficultly in comprehending or seeing
• Shakespeare presents literal and metaphorical blindness. He makes us see that b
is just as much a mental flaw as it physical
• The two father figures, Lear and Gloucester, have similar fates due to their blindn
Lear couldn’t see that his two disloyal, wicked daughters were plotting against him in order to gain his kingdom and weal
Gloucester banishes his legitimate, loyal son, Edgar, and trusts his dishonest son Edmund.
Each character has their own struggles with the truth, which ultimately lead to their demise.
Albany seems to be the only character who survives his period of blindness. Edgar helps him see the evil in Goneril before
late. Shakespeare is trying to show us through these three men that you need more than eyes to see clearly.
• The importance of seeing is reflecting in direct references to seeing and blindn
and dark, eyes and crying
• Blindness is ‘cured’ as Shakespeare shows us throughout King Lear that see
more than just through our eyes.
• Lear’s eyes are finally opened and he realizes the mistakes he has made
• Gloucester’s eyes are plucked out by Cornwall and this happens it seems as though h
really opened to the betrayal of Edmund.
, Direct references to seeing - Act 1
Scene 1
•Yet Lear’s ‘blindness’ or lack of understanding/judgement is clear from the
through the public love-test to divide his kingdom. This is the direct reason
his entire downfall and tragic death. Lear responds to Kent’s opposition wi
of my sight!,” to which Kent responds, “See better, Lear, and let me still re
•Lear disowns Cordelia – ordering her to ‘avoid (his) sight’ = Lear’s inability
that it is Cordelia who is the honest and natural daughter while it is Goner
Regan who are not to be trusted. Goneril claims her love for him is ‘Dearer
eye-sight, space and liberty’. This seems an unnatural and disturbing comp
•His monomania stops Lear from seeing clearly causing him to be fooled by
Gonerill’s and Regan’s superficial speeches and to fail to recognise Cordeli
honesty. Lear is blind to such an extent that filial desertion seems never to
entered his thought, leading to him believing he could rely on Cordelia’s ‘k
nursery’
in King
Lear
, Key ideas
• SIGHT – the ability to perceive with the eyes
• BLINDNESS – difficultly in comprehending or seeing
• Shakespeare presents literal and metaphorical blindness. He makes us see that b
is just as much a mental flaw as it physical
• The two father figures, Lear and Gloucester, have similar fates due to their blindn
Lear couldn’t see that his two disloyal, wicked daughters were plotting against him in order to gain his kingdom and weal
Gloucester banishes his legitimate, loyal son, Edgar, and trusts his dishonest son Edmund.
Each character has their own struggles with the truth, which ultimately lead to their demise.
Albany seems to be the only character who survives his period of blindness. Edgar helps him see the evil in Goneril before
late. Shakespeare is trying to show us through these three men that you need more than eyes to see clearly.
• The importance of seeing is reflecting in direct references to seeing and blindn
and dark, eyes and crying
• Blindness is ‘cured’ as Shakespeare shows us throughout King Lear that see
more than just through our eyes.
• Lear’s eyes are finally opened and he realizes the mistakes he has made
• Gloucester’s eyes are plucked out by Cornwall and this happens it seems as though h
really opened to the betrayal of Edmund.
, Direct references to seeing - Act 1
Scene 1
•Yet Lear’s ‘blindness’ or lack of understanding/judgement is clear from the
through the public love-test to divide his kingdom. This is the direct reason
his entire downfall and tragic death. Lear responds to Kent’s opposition wi
of my sight!,” to which Kent responds, “See better, Lear, and let me still re
•Lear disowns Cordelia – ordering her to ‘avoid (his) sight’ = Lear’s inability
that it is Cordelia who is the honest and natural daughter while it is Goner
Regan who are not to be trusted. Goneril claims her love for him is ‘Dearer
eye-sight, space and liberty’. This seems an unnatural and disturbing comp
•His monomania stops Lear from seeing clearly causing him to be fooled by
Gonerill’s and Regan’s superficial speeches and to fail to recognise Cordeli
honesty. Lear is blind to such an extent that filial desertion seems never to
entered his thought, leading to him believing he could rely on Cordelia’s ‘k
nursery’
