Blindness as Lack of Insight in King Lear Blindness can normally be defined as the inability of the eye to see, but according to Shakespeare, blindness is not only a physical impairment, but also a mental flaw some people possess. Shakespeare’s most dominant theme in his play King Lear is that of blindness. King Lear, Gloucester, and Albany are three characters through which Shakespeare portrays his theme of mental blindness, that blindness which was the primary cause of their poor judgment and which led them all to make regrettable decisions.
The most blind of all was undoubtedly King Lear, even though his physical vision was normal. Because of Lear’s high position in society, he was supposed to be able to distinguish the good from the bad; unfortunately, his lack of “mind” sight prevented him from doing so. Lear’s first exemplification of his blindness occurred at the beginning of the play. First, he was easily deceived by the lies of his two greedy daughters who readily told Lear what he wanted to hear. Then, he was unable to see the reality of Cordelia’s true love for him, and as a result, Lear banished her from his kingdom with the following words: “For we have no such daughter, nor shall ever see / that face of her again. Therefore be gone / without our grace, our love, our benison” (I.i.265-267).
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Lear’s blindness also caused him to banish one of his most loyal and devoted subjects, the Earl of Kent. Kent was able to see Cordelia’s true love for her father, and tried to protect her from her blind father’s irrationality. Kent reasoned with the king, but accomplished nothing more than his own banishment. Later on, Kent disguised himself and was eventually hired as a servant to Lear. Lear’…
…ble to “see” the truth about his sons, and Lear, the truth about his daughters. Albany, on the other hand, had assistance in “seeing the light”. It came in the form of a letter, written by his wife, but intended for her lover. All three of these characters, afflicted with mental blindness, used poor judgment because of it and endured great emotional pain and suffering as a result. It is through these characters that Shakespeare has allowed his audience to see what great emotional torment can plague any observer of treachery, especially when it is caused by the observer’s lapse in judgment.
Works Cited
Cavell, Stanley. “The Avoidance of Love.” Twentieth Century Interpretations of King Lear. Ed. Janet Adelman. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1978. 71.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of King Lear. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1957.
