Essay
Blindness in King Lear
- Course
- Institution
Essay on how the theme of blindness is presented in King Lear
[Show more]
1 review
By: aoifejmoore • 1 year ago
Seller
Follow
Sharank
Reviews received
Content preview
How is the theme of blindness presented in King Lear?Many of Shakespeare’s plays are tragedies such as ‘King Lear’. King Lear was written by Shakespeare
shortly after the reign of James I. His work was majorly influenced by Queen Elizabeth I since her
numerous accomplishments during her successful reign. Elizabeth had no children and it is this
concept which is explored in the play because without a male heir there were worries of who would
take over the throne. In King Lear, Lear was blind to realise that his daughters were trying to
overthrow him so that they could gain his power and take over the throne. This shows that
Shakespeare presents many different kinds of blindness in the play.
The theme of blindness is strongly featured in ‘King Lear’ since two of the main protagonists, Lear
and Gloucester are both blind to the truth as they both get rid of their loyal children. We would say
that they are metaphorically blind because they were able to see but they were not aware of what
was happening around them. However in the case of Gloucester, Shakespeare soon removes this
idea of metaphorical blindness because we find out that Gloucester has his eyes gouged out,
therefore he becomes physically blind. This is one of the reasons why the theme of blindness is so
ironic. For example:
“I have no way, and therefore want no eyes; I stumbled when I saw”
[Act 4 Scene 1]
Here Gloucester is saying that now that he can no longer use his eyes, he has realised his mistake.
However, it is ironic that Gloucester says this because even when he loses his eye sight, he could not
recognise his own son Edgar when he was disguised as a beggar called ‘Poor Tom’. Perhaps
Shakespeare is trying to show us that everyone will always have flaws because even when
Gloucester comes to terms with what he had done wrong by banishing his son, his bond is so weak
with Edgar that he is unable to recognise him. This could be an example of pathos as the effect
created is sadness and pity. The audience may feel sympathetic towards Gloucester because he is
remorseful about banishing his son Edgar and has to accept this fact even though the audience are
aware that Edgar is with him.
We see a similar sense of blindness in ‘Oedipus Rex’ as the main character Oedipus is metaphorically
blind whereas Tiresias is physically blind. However, at the end of the play we learn that Oedipus
gouges out his own eyes so that he too becomes physically blind. There is dramatic irony in the play
because Oedipus calls Tiresias blind when the audience in fact know that it is Oedipus who is blind,
blind as to knowing the truth. For example:
“Blind as you are in my eyes, and ears, and mind!”
1
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Sharank. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.86. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
53022 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now