Sight and Blindness in Shakespeares King Lear - Lack of Vision Essay

Sight and Blindness in world-beater Lear In superpower Lear, the recurring images of sight and sightlessness associated with the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that comprise in the play. These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy tendernesss are ignorant of what is issue on around them, and those without vision appear to cast 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 receive the true nature of their children, an ability only gained once the dickens patriarchs have plummeted to the utter depths of depravity. Through a close reading of the text, I will argue that Shakespeare employs the plot of Gloucester to explicate Lears plot, and, in effect, contextualizes Lears metaphorical blindness wit h Gloucesters physical loss of vision. When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelias love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery craziness after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, Out of my sight (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores the aging index to See better, Lear and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the soul of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lears other 2 daughters. In beseeching Lear to see better, Kent is, in effect, as tycoon Lear to look beyond his vanity and secret pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses... ... Consulted Bevington, David, Introduction to King Lear. The Complete full treatment of William Shakespeare. New York HarperCollins, 1992. Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods. San Marino, California The Hun tington Library, 1966. Halio, Jay. King Lears Blinding. Shakespeare Quarterly 67 (1999) 221-3. Hoover, Claudette. Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear. Womens Studies 16 (1989) 349-59. Jackson, Ken. Review of Judy Kronenfeld, King Lear and the Naked Truth. Early ripe Literary Studies 6.2 (September, 2002) 10.1-5 Available http//purl.oclc.org/emls/06-2/jackrev.htm>. Leggattt, Alexander. King Lear. Boston Twayne Publishers, 1988. Shakespeare, William. King Lear. The Complete kit and caboodle of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. New York HarperCollins, 1999 Sight and Blindness in Shakespeares King Lear - Lack of mint EssaySight 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 come through in the play. These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy e yes are ignorant of what is sacking 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 plummeted to the utter depths of depravity. Through a close reading of the text, I will argue that Shakespeare employs the plot of Gloucester to explicate Lears plot, and, in effect, contextualizes Lears metaphorical blindness with Gloucesters physical loss of vision. When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelias love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery vehemence after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, Out of my sight (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores t he aging king to See better, Lear and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the mortal of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lears other two daughters. In beseeching Lear to see better, Kent is, in effect, asking Lear to look beyond his vanity and inner pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses... ... Consulted Bevington, David, Introduction to King Lear. The Complete whole caboodle of William Shakespeare. New York HarperCollins, 1992. Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods. San Marino, California The Huntington Library, 1966. Halio, Jay. King Lears Blinding. Shakespeare Quarterly 67 (1999) 221-3. Hoover, Claudette. Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear. Womens Studies 16 (1989) 349-59. Jackson, Ken. Review of Judy Kronenfeld, King Lear and the Naked Truth. Early mod Literary Studies 6.2 (September, 2002) 10.1-5 Available http//purl.oclc.org/emls/06-2/jackrev.htm>. Leggattt, Alexander. King Lear. Boston Twayne Publishers, 1988. Shakespeare, William. King Lear. The Complete whole works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. New York HarperCollins, 1999