King Lear Theme Essay: Sight and Blindness
"I stumbled when I saw". Use this quote as the basis for a discussion on sight and blindness in King Lear. The Shakespearean play King Lear revolved around a central theme of sight and blindness, perception and truth. William Shakespeare portrayed the idea that what is seen isn't necessarily real, while closing one's eyes to superficial deception may lead to understanding what's beneath the surface. "I stumbled when I saw", one of the most insightful observations in King Lear, demonstrates and ratifies this central idea. The opening scene of the play also begins the theme of sight and blindness where Lear asks his three daughters of their love for him. Gonerill and Regan both proclaim false love, vowing their love was 'dearer than eyesight'. Lear takes these sweet lies at their face value, trusting what he sees, and Cordelia, who utters, 'nothing, my lord' is banished from Lear's castle because he cannot understand the value of her words. Kent defends Cordelia and is ordered "out of my sight!", another reference to eyesight. In a sin
King Lear goes so far as to say Gloucester needs no replacement eyes: "get thee glass eyes, and like a scurvy politician seem to see the things thou dost not. " is rejected, foreshadowing more deception of Lear to follow. " Alongside the main plot is the subplot of Gloucester and his sons, and the portrayal of sight and blindness is once again apparent. Lear begins to realise that perhaps Cordelia's plain "I love your majesty according to my bond" was the greatest declaration of love she could have given. Gloucester's failure to see the truth, like Lear, has lost him both a child that he loved, and his physical ability to see. A mad Lear meets naked 'Poor Tom' in a vicious storm, and discovers what he thinks is a wise man, declaring 'let me talk with this philosopher', because he recognises that a man with no clothes on, or a fact with no disguise, is at its truest form. Lear tells Gloucester that "a man may see how this world goes with no eyes", showing the audience that he understands his mistake in believing what he perceived to be the truth because it sounded sweeter. King Lear sets out to reside with his daughters, only to find that their promises of love are taken back, and what he saw as loyalty was only a plot to gain authority. Gloucester is easily fooled by the illegitimate Edmund into believing his other son is set on killing him, again trusting blindly what is at face value, what he perceives to be the truth. With both his elder daughter's claim that he was senile and gave away his kingdom 'in good time', Lear was blinded with madness and could no longer perceive what was around him. Gloucester, too, asks forgiveness from the gods for his treatment of Edgar, understanding the devious plot of Edmund. When Lear and Gloucester meet again, both are now blinded, with nails and madness, but both have gained insight into the ways of this world. " Indeed, both Lear and Gloucester made their fatal mistakes while they thought they could see, and their blinding was a lesson well taught. ", so scornful was he of his own misjudgment.
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