King Lear
William Shakespeare’s King Lear is a tragedy that explores as central themes blindness and insight. The image of physical blindness intimates psychological blindness as a character flaw through Gloucester, Albany and Lear. Both Lear and Gloucester are fathers who fail to see their children for who they truly are. They lack insight into their children’s true character. Lear’s tragic flaw is his vanity. His pride blinds him from recognizing the goodwill of Cordelia and the deceptions of Goneril and Regan. Gloucester is a character who is blinded by his conniving son Edmund. He cannot distinguish between what is real and what is apparent. Albany is blind to his wife Goneril’s capability for evil, and he lacks insight into her scheming plans. Shakespeare displays that people will ultimately reveal themselves through their actions as opposed to their words. He explores the indeterminacy of human judgement in this play, as well as the relationship between appearance and reality. King Lear reveals his vanity when he asks his daughters to profess the extent of their love to him as he divides his Kingdom among them. The test in their declarations . . .
” The Earl of Kent attempts to show Lear he has committed a wrongdoing in disowning Cordelia. Kent recognizes Lear’s blindness and decides to intervene as he knows it is the proper way to handle the situation. Lear, in a position of total power, is blind to the correct way in which to use his authority. Gloucester, though less seemingly ignorant than Lear, lacks insight. Due to Gloucester’s lack of insight, he takes this evidence at its face value. Lear is blind to truth and honesty when he banishes the Earl of Kent. Lear loves words and is blinded by the shallow flattery of Goneril and Regan. He makes a rash judgement and disowns Cordelia. Albany is also ill-informed about his wife’s affair with Edmund. Goneril and Regan capitalize on this flaw. Like his son Edgar, he is naïve in the ways of the world. Perhaps Shakespeare is suggesting that Lear’s vision on both of these matters has been blurred. By virtue of the fool’s low social position, he is privy to truths which escape the King.
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