ear, Gloucester, and Albany are three prime examples Shakespeare incorporates this theme into. Each of these character's blindness was the primary cause of the bad decisions they made; decisions which all of them would eventually come to regret.
             Lear depicts Shakespeare's theme of clear vision by demonstrating that physical sight does not guarantee clear sight. Gloucester depicts this theme by demonstrating clear vision, despite the total lack of physical sight. Prior to the loss of his eyes, Gloucester's vision was much like Lear's. He could not see what was truly going on around him. Instead, he only saw what was presented to him on the surface. When Edmund shows him the letter that is supposedly from Edgar, it takes very little convincing for Gloucester to believe it. As soon as Edmund mentions that Edgar could be plotting against him, Gloucester calls him an "Abhorred villain, unnatural, detested, brutish villain" (I.ii.81-82). He does not even stop to consider whether Edgar would do such a thing because he cannot see into Edgar's character. At this point, Gloucester's life is headed down a path of damnation similar to Lear's because of a similar lack of sight.
             In Shakespeare's time, numerous events, historical considerations, relationships, and cultural trends influenced his writing of King Lear.
             Shakespeare borrowed from a very convenient contemporary true story of a gentleman pensioner of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Brian Annesley, whose daughters tried to get him declared insane in late 1603 so that they could legally take control of his estate.The youngest daughter, named Cordell, intervened on his behalf.
             The story of King Lear and his three daughters exis
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