Sample Essay 1

‘The theme of blindness is central to King Lear’. Discuss this statement with
reference to the play.

Shakespeare’s epic tragedy ‘King Lear’ is filled with references to sight and
blindness from the opening act of the play. The motif of blindness is used especially
skilfully by the playwright to link both the main plot and the sub-plot, which concern the
characters of the two patriarchs Lear and Gloucester. The audience sees from an early
stage how blind these two characters are to the true nature of those around them and
how they are blind to their own particular flaws and to their disastrous decisions.

There is literal and metaphorical blindness in King Lear, yet sight is linked to good
judgement and knowledge; when Lear disowns Cordelia in the opening scene– ordering
her ‘out of my sight’, and then banishes his most loyal follower Kent too, Kent advises
him to reconsider his rash action and urges him to ‘See better’. Lear’s blindness here is
his inability to see that it is Cordelia who is the honest and “natural” daughter while it is
Goneril and Regan who are not to be trusted. Lear, blinded by his own self-importance,
takes the evil daughters’ words and flattery at face value, and as a result, he sets in
motion a chain of events which will ultimately lead to chaos and tragedy. In addition, his
banishment of Kent symbolises Lear’s loss of sight as the trusty advisor Kent offers only
good advice and serves to protect Lear by pleading with him to open his eyes to the true
nature of his daughters.

Lear’s blindness is not limited to his flawed understanding of his daughters. By

showing that he cannot see the difference between good and evil, or between what is just
and unjust, he also shows us that he is not behaving as a king should and the audience
may well wonder how he would deal with matters of state if he is so lacking in judgement.
Of course, it is clear from Lear’s foolish decision to divide his kingdom between his
daughters that he has no true understanding of what kingship entails and that he is
unable to see that his power derives from his position rather than from any personal
strength.

It is also worth reflecting that it was Lear’s blind love for Cordelia that led to his
setting up the love test. He was so confident that his youngest daughter whom he terms
his “joy” would declare her love for him openly and in flattering terms that he was
maddened by her refusal to do so and by her obvious distaste for her sisters’ vying for
their father’s approval. Goneril, in her hyperbolic expression of love for Lear, claims her
love for him is ‘Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty’. This seems an unnatural and
disturbing comparison: why would someone place a value on eye-sight? Goneril’s words,
therefore, ring false from the start. When Goneril turns on Lear later, ignoring his
summons and telling him coldly to behave a little more wisely and appropriately, the old
king is so shocked that he asks:

Doth any here know me? This is not Lear:

Doth Lear walk thus? speak thus? Where are his eyes?
Either his notion weakens, his discernings
Are lethargied--Ha! waking? 'tis not so.
 Who is it that can tell me who I am?
It is only when he is wandering in the storm in Act 3 out on the desolate heath that
Lear begins to see how things really are. He realises now that Goneril and Regan only
pretended to love him in order to get a large share of the kingdom and that they have no
interest whatsoever in him now that he is of no further use to them. The Fool had warned
Lear earlier of this fact in one of his rhymes:
Fathers that wear rags
Do make their children blind;
But fathers that bear bags
Shall see their children kind.

Gloucester is also blind to the reality of his children’s true natures. Although
Edgar has done nothing whatsoever to deserve suspicion, Gloucester immediately
believes Edmund’s forged letter and turns on his innocent and good son acting essential
in blind rage just as Lear had acted in the opening scene. Ironically, when asking
Edmund to show him the letter, Gloucester says three times, ‘Let’s see’. His desire is
satisfied when Edmund, with feigned reluctance, hands it over but of course Gloucester
does not realise that what he sees is nothing like the truth. His cruel blinding later in the
play in Act 3 shows Gloucester that he has made a terrible mistake and makes literal his
figurative blindness. He tells the old man who leads him on the heath:

I have no way, and therefore want no eyes;

I stumbled when I saw: full oft 'tis seen,
Our means secure us, and our mere defects
Prove our commodities. O dear son Edgar,
The food of thy abused father's wrath!
Might I but live to see thee in my touch,
I'd say I had eyes again!
Ironically, when Gloucester meets Edgar disguised as a madman he is willing to
trust him and tells the old man who is leading him to leave him in Edgar’s care: ‘Tis the
times’ plague, when madmen lead blind’. He didn’t trust Edgar when he could see and
when he knew when he is, but now he seems to instinctively know he will not lead him
astray. When Gloucester is physically blinded by the “fiery” Cornwall it symbolises not
just his own metaphorical blindness but also links him to that of the other patriarch in
the play, King Lear. Both fathers are blind to the truth about their children and it is only
when Gloucester loses his physical sight that he gains moral insight just as Lear must lose
his mind to gain insight and wisdom about human nature and the Kingdom he had once
ruled over when figuratively blind.

Sample Essay 2
‘The tragic flaw of the main characters in Shakespeare’s King Lear is their lack
of insight’. Discuss this statement with reference to the play.

In the play ‘King Lear’ by William Shakespeare, lack of insight parallels a lack
of physical sight. This amplifies the message that without insight, we are effectively
moving through life blind. The actions of two main characters are used in
conjunction in order to convey this, both characters displaying an extraordinary lack
of insight from the start of the play. These two characters, King Lear and Gloucester,
both undergo significant character development as a result of this. Although only
Gloucester loses his physical sight in order to learn his lesson, a lack of insight on the
part of Lear culminates in his payment of the ultimate price- death- for his short-
sightedness.

Lear’s spectacular lack of insight becomes apparent within his first few lines,
when he announces his plan to divide his kingdom. Clearly his intention is to split
the kingdom between his three daughters (relieving himself of the responsibility
while still retaining the title and power) “only we shall retain the name, all
th'additions to a king.". Lear is unable to see that this is impossible. By surrendering
control of his kingdom, he will not be able to keep his power- he effectively loses all
authority. A few lines later, Lear displays further lack of insight- “Tell me my
daughters, which of thee doth love us most, that we our largest bounty may extend?”
Lear sincerely believes that by demanding a public display of affection from his
daughters, he will truly discover the daughter who is most devoted. In his mind,
appearance and image is more important than true faithfulness, and this ultimately
becomes his downfall.

As the opening scene progresses, the eldest daughters proclaim undying

devotion, “Sir I doth love you more than words can wield the matter…”, a pretense
which Lear is quick to accept as truth. However the youngest and only honest
daughter Cordelia is unable to put on a show of adoration, despite her genuine love
for her father. “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth” The
dramatic irony is clear to the audience, who can plainly tell the evil daughters from
the pure. However in a twist that is true to Lear’s character, he is unable to see this
and banishes Cordelia from the kingdom. With this, Lear is effectively sealing his
fate at the end of the play, although of course he is completely blind to this fact.

Kent, who unlike Lear displays a depth of insight into characters, tries to point
out the ignorance of these actions, “See better Lear, and let me still remain the true
blank of thine eye”. His attempts are no match for Lear’s foolishness, and in yet
another display of blindness the King also banishes one of his most loyal servants,
commanding him “Out of my sight!”
 Once Shakespeare has convinced his audience of the metaphoric blindness of
Lear, he begins the process of giving him sight. In order for this to be achieved Lear
must endure humiliating suffering and loss- the loss of his home, belongings, loved
ones, his dignity and ultimately his sanity. As Lear is methodically stripped of the
trappings of everyday humanity and is reduced to “nothing” he gradually begins to
gain more and more insight. No only insight into other characters such as Cordelia,
“Oh most small fault, how ugly did thou in Cordelia show”, or Goneril and Regan,
“How sharper than a serpents tooth is it to have a thankless child?”, but also into
himself as a character and how far he has fallen, “Here I stand…a poor, inform, weak
and despised old man”

Therefore we can assume that to some extent, humans are blinded by the
shallow material things in life. Lear only gains full insight once these ‘trappings’ are
removed, reducing him to his basest human form. By the end of the play Lear is still
paying the price for his earlier lack of judgment- regardless of his newfound insight
he is powerless to stop the events he set in motion. Thus Lear learns the ultimate
lesson about how costly a lack of insight can be.

In a very similar series of events, the Earl of Gloucester learns the importance
of insight as well. This parallel sub-plot helps to reinforce the lesson learnt by Lear,
while at the same time adding an element of shock and pathos to the play to capture
the attention of audiences. Gloucester is at the beginning of the play metaphorically
blind when it comes to distinguishing between his children. Edgar is believed to be
evil and intent on murdering his father, when in reality it is Edmund framing him.
Gloucester does not stop to take stock of the characteristics of his children and
simply takes Edmund’s accusations at face value. As with Lear, Gloucester is forced
to pay for his blindness throughout he play, most noticeably when his eyes are torn
out by Cornwall as a result of his actions. “Upon these eyes of thine I’ll set my foot”
Ironically it is at this point in the play as his physical sight is taken from him,
Gloucester gains clarity of insight and learns about the blindness of his past actions
and decisions.

Shakespeare implies that one can function without sight as long as insight is
possessed, but that without this insight, physical sight is hardly an advantage, “I
stumbled when I saw” Gloucester will later remark perceptively of his earlier
blindness. This idea, coupled with the thought that perhaps this metaphoric
blindness is due to the power, “pomp” and pride of these fathers, reinforces the
importance of insight. All the pain and destruction in King Lear can be pinpointed to
decisions made without insight into actions and characters. With this knowledge we
can see how easily the destruction and death in King Lear could have been avoided.