preview

Examples Of Blindness In King Lear

Decent Essays
Open Document

Blindness can be defined as the one’s inability to see, however, Shakespeare defined blindness as not only a physical flaw, but also a fatal mental flaw one possess. This can be seen though Shakespeare’s symbolic uses of blindness in the play King Lear. In the play, Shakespeare uses King Lear and Gloucester to portray his vision on blindness. King Lear is the ruler of Great Britain, rewarding individuals who flatters him and punishing individuals who speak up against him. This is the mental flaw of blindness Shakespeare is speaking of. King Lear is in a sense blinded by his own power, incapable of seeing the truth. Similarly, Gloucester is deceived by his illegitimate son, Edmund. In Shakespeare’s words, Gloucester is psychologically blinded

Get Access