Role of Blindness in King Lear

Blindness in Shakespeare’s King Lear is a vital motif, one that characterizes King Lear and Gloucester as gullible men. The motif of blindness seems to further expose Shakespeare’s sense of disillusionment so apparent in this play, and it reinforces the concept of the human tendency to ignore the futility of a life destined for death. Both men are blind to the true devotion of their good children (Cordelia and Edgar) and oblivious to the true duplicity of their evil children (Regan, Goneril, and Edmund), allowing for the tragic events of the play to unfold. Because they are unaware of the true affections of their good children and they believe the false words of their malevolent children, the two fathers end up making the bad children heirs to wealth and power, making the blindness exhibited by Lear and Gloucester the source of the abuse of authority.

As Regan states, Lear “hath ever but slenderly known himself” (I.i.294-5), signifying her father is old and completely unaware of those around him, and more importantly, unaware of himself. Lear literally demonstrates blindness in not recognizing Kent, the subject the king banished for siding with Cordelia. This illustrates that while he had power, Lear could not see in plain sight the loyalty of his subject, but the king later relies on Kent’s service as he pretends to be someone else. Edgar, likewise, later disguises himself as Poor Tom, and though Gloucester literally cannot see his son, he does finally realize Edgar’s good character.

As for Gloucester, when his bastard son Edmund shows him the letter that Edgar supposedly wrote, the Earl literally does not see that the document is forged, asking Edmund “You know the character [handwriting] to be your brother’s?” (I.ii.62-3). While there is no way to know if Gloucester could recognize the difference in handwriting between his two sons, he obviously is blind to the fact that it is Edmund who is the one plotting to kill him and hasten his inheritance. Cornwall malevolently plucks out Gloucester’s eyes, telling him “upon these eyes of thine I’ll set my foot” (III.vii.69); when Regan announces Edmund was the one who revealed the earl’s treason, Gloucester exclaims “O my follies! Then Edgar was abused [slandered]” (III.vii.94). Ironically, it is not until Gloucester literally loses his sight that he sees the truth concerning his two sons. Similarly, it is not until King Lear suffers by descending into insanity and enduring the storm, that he acknowledges he is a “very foolish fond [silly] old man” (IV.vii.61) and pleads for Cordelia’s forgiveness.

Michael Benitez