King Lear Blindness Quotes

In this world, people become so blinded that they cannot see the truth or they make such foolish mistakes that they shudder when they realize the harsh repercussions. Lance Armstrong was blinded by his need to win, that he forgot that doping was unjustified, Hitler was so foolish in his war tactics that he led to the downfall of his regime, and people adore Gandhi for his freedom fighting but they forget he is the cause of the deaths and displacement of millions. The same applies to King Lear and Gloucester, both of whom are blinded by their children’s true nature. Therefore, they make foolish decisions which comes back to haunt them and help them realize their mistakes. In the play, “King Lear”, Shakespeare tries to portray the idea that blindness …show more content…
The Fool uses an analogy to tell Lear that he was being irrational and that he has made a folly by splitting up his land. The Fool tells him that he has lost everything and he is just a shadow of the man he was before the divide. This quote said by the Fool supports the characteristics of Lear being foolish and dull. The Fool tells Lear that he cannot tell the difference between what is good or corrupt/evil, he also lacks a good judgment on how to deal with his kingdom’s affairs. Lear is foolish to think that he can split his kingdom amongst his daughters and continue with his life. He does not seem to realize that his power and authority is dependent on his crown and without it he is a nobody. His decision to split his kingdom is the reason he feels betrayed by Goneril because he has lost all power and he is under the protection of his daughter. This can be rephrased as the ball is in Goneril and Regan’s court, therefore, in their favor. This can be supported by the existentialist theory because Lear’s decision to divide the kingdom and then to banish Cordelia is the reason for all the problems. Goneril was astounded by his action to banish Cordelia because she is his favorite daughter, this makes her wonder what Lear might do to her. She realizes this is due to his poor judgment, but she is shocked by how big of a fool is actually is. Goneril and Regan realize that they need to take …show more content…
Shakespeare uses the characters, Lear and Gloucester, to explain this idea because both of them are blind to their children's true nature. This in turn leads them to make foolish decision that in cause harsh repercussions. Lear is unable to see the true nature of his daughters which leads him to split up his kingdom, this is followed by them betraying him and fighting amongst themselves for power. On the other hand, Lear’s foil, Gloucester, faces a similar problem with his sons. He becomes blinded by Edmund’s persona, which leads to him getting blinded and betrayed. Their blindness and foolishness leads to the downfall and collapse of the kingdom. All in all, Shakespeare in the play showcases that one should not be easily blinded or make foolish decision because they can have serious