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Examples Of Blindness In King Lear

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According to the dictionary, blindness’ means unable to see, lacking the sense of sight. However, in William Shakespeare’s King Lear, blindness is not a physical disability, it is more like psychological defect. Blindness operates a important position in King Lear, it leads to the tragedy, and provide a based understanding to the audience that the truth might be hidden in disguise. King Lear, Gloucester, and Albany are the particular characters who are blinded to the truth by their position and emotion. They eventually found the sight and able to see the truth after the events tragically happened.

In the beginning of the play, Lear decides to distribute his estate to his daughters by asking who loves him the most that he thinks he already knew the …show more content…

O dear son Edgar,
The food of thy abusèd father’s wrath,
Might I but live to see thee in my touch,
I’d say I had eyes again!”( ). Gloucester is able to see the truth after he has lost his position and vision. He realizes the evil of Edmund and regret of what he has done to Edgard. Without his vision, Gloucester can see better than before, he understands how the world is running by using his mind but after the tragedy.

Albany who is blinded to his wife Coneril’s devotion. The love of Albany for Coneril blinds him to the good that she is pretending. Fortunately, Albany realized the guise of Goneril after the events tragically happened and the letter that written by his wife. At the end of the play, Albany has found his sight and able to see the truth that he does not need to face the tragedy like Lear and Gloucester.

In King Lear, blindness leads to tragedy. Characters endure the suffering by their blindness to the truth. Ironically, Lear has his vision but blind in his mind, Gloucester has physically blind but clear in his mind. Eventhough the characters have found their sight and able to see the the truth at the end of the play, but it is still too late for the happened

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