Examples Of Blindness In King Lear
The inability of sight is a predominant theme in William Shakespeare’s tragedy of ‘King Lear.’ I believe this theme has it’s place in the heart of the play as it appears in many shapes and forms through the portrayal of character’s vision and imagery used in the text. It enhances other ideas in the play, therefore resulting in the audience having a better visual and wider understanding of the plot and primary issues.
Shakespeare’s motif of blindness is used throughout the entirety of the play. The audience first experiences this when the King fails to see the truth behind the words of Goneril and Regan, casting off Cordelia when she refuses partake in King Lear’s love test for his daughters. Goneril tells her father that she loves him “Dearer
than eyesight” (I.i.57) which describes the love for her father to such a great extent that he means more to her than the gift of vision. This is the first encounter with the motif that the audience experiences in the play, the references to eyes develop quickly and throughout the tragedy as Goneril progresses to become more controlling over the sight of others such as when punishing Gloucester (III.vii.5) by ordering her servants to “Pluck out his eyes!”. The development of the motif reflects the scale on which the use of eyesight determines a person. Eyesight is seen as a part of existence that the characters cannot live without and demonstrates power and authority in the play. It also further’s characterisation of the actors in the play as the audiences can determine the true aim behind their actions.
After the test that King Lear proposes, Kent attempts to encourage Lear to rethink and consider what he has done, however Lear fails to recognise the honesty of Cordelia and Kent and banishes both of them. Kent proposes:
“See better, Lear, and let me still remain” (I.i.159)
Throughout the play, Kent is portrayed as a noble character that works with Lear’s best interests at heart. When saying ‘see better’ Kent is implying that Lear’s vision is being tampered with and that the true problem is being overshadowed by Lear’s egotistical desire to remain in power. It suggests that at that moment, Lear is blind and by dismissing his favourite daughter and most faithful servant, his inability to see sense could be seen as the use of foreshadowing the madness that the character portrays further along in the play. In addition to this, the concept gives the audience an insight to how all of Lear’s problems are caused by misjudgement, such as the division of the kingdom to his unloving daughters.
Shakespeare’s motif of blindness is used throughout the entirety of the play. The audience first experiences this when the King fails to see the truth behind the words of Goneril and Regan, casting off Cordelia when she refuses partake in King Lear’s love test for his daughters. Goneril tells her father that she loves him “Dearer
than eyesight” (I.i.57) which describes the love for her father to such a great extent that he means more to her than the gift of vision. This is the first encounter with the motif that the audience experiences in the play, the references to eyes develop quickly and throughout the tragedy as Goneril progresses to become more controlling over the sight of others such as when punishing Gloucester (III.vii.5) by ordering her servants to “Pluck out his eyes!”. The development of the motif reflects the scale on which the use of eyesight determines a person. Eyesight is seen as a part of existence that the characters cannot live without and demonstrates power and authority in the play. It also further’s characterisation of the actors in the play as the audiences can determine the true aim behind their actions.
After the test that King Lear proposes, Kent attempts to encourage Lear to rethink and consider what he has done, however Lear fails to recognise the honesty of Cordelia and Kent and banishes both of them. Kent proposes:
“See better, Lear, and let me still remain” (I.i.159)
Throughout the play, Kent is portrayed as a noble character that works with Lear’s best interests at heart. When saying ‘see better’ Kent is implying that Lear’s vision is being tampered with and that the true problem is being overshadowed by Lear’s egotistical desire to remain in power. It suggests that at that moment, Lear is blind and by dismissing his favourite daughter and most faithful servant, his inability to see sense could be seen as the use of foreshadowing the madness that the character portrays further along in the play. In addition to this, the concept gives the audience an insight to how all of Lear’s problems are caused by misjudgement, such as the division of the kingdom to his unloving daughters.