Ignorance Is Universal

In Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, there are many similarities between Gloucester and King Lear both share. Both characters experience almost identical situations during the play. Both men undergo suffering at the hands of their beloved children and other people closets to them and both respond to the unfortunate events in parallel ways. King Lear is held at the highest rank in Britain as king, he is a very honorable and noble man and is a very a loving father to his children and places trust and confidence in the people he surrounds himself with. Gloucester as well is held high in society as a loyal nobleman to King of Britain. He is trusting, caring and loves his children and friends as well as King Lear. Gloucester and King Lear equally fall short in their parental roles as fathers and fail to see the truth about their children but instead let their ignorance cloud their judgement as parents. King Lear and Gloucester mirror each other because both men foolishly believe their children lies. Being the ignorant king that he is, King Lear believes Gonerail’s false love, a proclamation towards him when she says “sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare” (1.1.56-58). In a similar Gloucester also foolishly believes Edmunds lies when he says, “It is a letter from my brother that I have not all o’er-read” (1.2.36-37). This shows that instead of taking their time to analyze the true meanings behind their children’s words, both Lear and Gloucester blindly go along with whatever is said to them. King Lear let’s his ignorance get in the way of his common sense, he should have known Gonerail’s true intensions behind her loving words after he had decided to split up his kingdom amongst his daughters. But instead he was so eager to assume the best of her because of the flattery he was receiving, which lead to his cloud of judgment. In comparison, Gloucester is just as ignorant as Lear. He immediately believed Edmund’s