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Sight And Blindness In Shakespeare's King Lear

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In addition to the large use of animal imagery, sight and blindness are commonly used as forms of imagery to accentuate the natures of certain characters. This type of imagery is used to demonstrate the inability to notice key themes and is often used to accentuate Lear’s ignorance. Lear demonstrates his inability to see truth right at the beginning of the play, where he banishes Cordelia, his most loved daughter. He cannot see that she is the only one who truly loves him out of all his daughters, and soon realizes how blind his decision was: “I did her wrong” (I.v.24). It is only after he is thrown out that he can see the vileness behind Goneril and Regan, and sight imagery is used to emphasize his inability to see beyond the surface. He accepted …show more content…

Much like Lear, Gloucester ends up being blind to the true natures of those he trusts, and ends up paying the price with his eyes. Sight imagery is used most extensively with Gloucester, with his eyes literally being gouged out, and it accentuates his gullible and ignorant character even more. As well, Albany is another character which is attributed with sight and blindness imagery, as he is blind to the pernicious actions of Goneril: “I cannot be so partial, Goneril, / To the great love I bear you—” (I.iv.329-330). He does not realize Goneril’s intentions of getting rid of Lear until very late into the play, and by this point, it is already too late for him to do anything. He blindly follows Goneril and loves her, even though she eventually plots assassination against him. The largest example of his blindness is his inability to see Goneril and Edmund’s affair. It is not apparent to him that Goneril is plotting against him, and plans to marry Edmund, until he receives a letter literally telling him of his situation. Sight imagery is used to demonstrate not only his blindness, but his understanding of Goneril’s true character after realizing her plans: “O Goneril, / You are not the worth the dust which the rude wind / Blows in your face”

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