Blindness In King Lear

Words: 1472
Pages: 6

The absence of self-awareness can often be seen as a metaphorical blindness. Throughout the story of King Lear by Shakespeare, the blindness of characters can be easily observed by the audience, yet, as the play progressed, those who were oblivious would later turn out to become conscious of their situation. It is evident that the two fathers, Lear and Gloucester, follow an incredibly similar plot. Moreover, they both encounter a moment of realization that plays a crucial role in the resolution of the play. Although Albany and Edmund did not contribute to the resolution to the same extent as those previously mentioned, it is important to note that their newfound self-consciousness also have an impact on the ending.
One character who is often overlooked when discussing the symbol of blindness is Edmund. Unlike Edgar, Edmund was the
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The transformed Lear is now more likeable to the audience than before, making it a more resolute ending. With Cordelia’s sincere love for her father and the maturation of Lear, the two are finally reunited at the end on good terms. Similar to Lear, the other subplot introduced by Shakespeare depicts a family in a similar situation. Gloucester’s impaired judgement results in the exiling of the dutiful son, Edgar, due to deception and blindness. As a result, Edgar had to endure the struggles of being cast out by his family like Cordelia. Unlike Lear, Gloucester’s flaw was his gullibility seeing as how he was easily fooled by Edmund. This provided Edmund with an opportunity to create conflict between Edgar and his father. In spite of all of this, Edgar continued to love and care for his father under the disguise of Poor Tom. Ironically, it was only when he was physically blinded that he was able to wake from his state of unconsciousness when Regan discloses that Edmund was the one who betrayed