Blindness In King Lear

In Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, King Lear, Lear fatal flaw is his blindness which is evident in the first half of the play when Cordelia is banished, Kent is banished, and when bestowing his kingdom to his older daughters. Firstly, Lear was blind to Cordelia, true intention and purpose of not falsely praising Lear. When Cordelia is asked of her love, she replays “I love your majesty / According to my bond, no more nor less”(1, I,97-98). Cordelia love for Lear was the greatest. Cordelia in the quote above says she loves Lear as a father and nothing more as she does not want to use flattery as a means to get the kingdom, and this shows her honesty and loyalty, Lear was blind to the perspective of Cordelia and a cause of this disowns Cordelia. This rash blind decision of Lear leaves his power, wealth and happiness in the care of his evil daughters. Second …show more content…
Finally, Lear’s decision of dividing his kingdom and power between his two older daughters. When Goneril asked about her love, she replays “ Sir I love you more than word wield the matter,..”(1, I,56). When Regan is asked of her love, she replays “I find she names my very deed of love, only she comes too short,..”(1, I,75). The love test was the projection of Lear’s insecurities. The quotes above are false flattery used on Lear. Lear is unable to recognize this as he blinds to the fact that they have overstated their love towards him, still, gives all his power, wealth and happiness in the care of Goneril and Regan and after we see that the evil daughter betrays him and disappoints him. Lear’s is able physically to see but is blind in the context to he lacks insight and is unable recognise the true nature of his daughters as a father and royal men of the court as a king. Lear’s blindness was his major fatal flaw and which caused his downfall in the