Sight and Blindness in Shakespeares King Lear - Lack of...

Sight and Blindness in King Lear In King Lear, the recurring images of sight and blindness associated with the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that exist in the play. These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to see the clearest. While Lears blindness is one which is metaphorical, the blindness of Gloucester, who carries the parallel plot of the play, is literal. Nevertheless, both characters suffer from an inability to see the true nature of their children, an ability only gained once the two patriarchs have†¦show more content†¦Kents imperative to see better is prompting Lear not to use his faculty of vision, but, metaphorically, to become conscious of what is going on around him; to see the world as it truly is. It is fascinating that, upon Kents imperative, Lear swears, Now, by Apollo- (1.1.159). As Apollo is the god of the sun whose maxim is to know thyself, it is particularly telling that Lear is invoking the god associated with sharpness of vision and light, when he, himself, remains unenlighten ed. The unrelenting Kent, recognizes Lears blindness as well as the futility of invoking the god of self-knowledge, and, despite the kings growing anger, declares, Thou swearst thy gods in vain (1.1.161). The theme of consciousness is underscored by the Gloucester plot in King Lear. Gloucester, like Lear, is an aging man who has yet to learn the true nature of his children. In this way, he shares Lears metaphorical blindness, but Shakespeare does not stop there; he adds the physical impairment of vision to Gloucesters character as well. It is mentioned that Gloucester requires the need of spectacles in order to read the fabricated letter his son Edmund presents to him. Ironically, even with the use of an instrument to heighten his vision, Gloucester is still unable to see things as they truly are. With no prior provocation, and hardly any ocular proof, Gloucester immediately believes that hisShow MoreRelatedSight and Blindness in King Lear1615 Words   |  7 PagesSight and Blindness in King Lear In King Lear, the recurring images of sight and blindness associated with the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that exist in the play. These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to see the clearest. 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