Blindness in "King Lear"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the theme of sight, insight and their relevance to clear vision is a recurring issue throughout Shakespeare's tragic play, "King Lear". It looks at how this theme is mainly portrayed through the characters of Lear, Gloucester and Albany and how subtle references are also apparent through the dialogue of Cordelia and the Fool.

From the Paper:

"King Lear's lack of sight yet desire to see is apparent during Act 1, Scene 4 in that he is highly inquisitive upon meeting disguised Kent and asks twice "what art thou?" suggesting he is dependent on the sight of others to form his own judgements. This dependence on the sight of others is also evident in the question Lear directs to Oswald of "who am I, sir?". However, although keen to learn the opinion of others, his quest to discover clear sight is overridden by his temper and his contradictory desire to see things as he wants to see them and not as they truly are. When Oswald tells Lear that he is "[his] Lady's father" and does not refer to him as King (as Lear wishes him to although he has handed over his title and power in an effort to live an "unburdened" lifestyle) he goes to strike Oswald as his true vision interferes with the image that Lear wishes to have."

More papers on Blindness in "King Lear":

• Book Review # 103612 : "Poor Character Judgment in "King Lear"
• Analytical Essay # 115872 : "Wandering and Return in "King Lear"
• Analytical Essay # 46330 : "Plots in "King Lear"

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