King LearBlindness Essay Research Paper King Lear

King Lear-Blindness Essay, Research Paper

King Lear is in many ways like Nunez in the story The country of the Blind . They are both simliar because they both do not realize that they are both blind in what others think of them. They might think that they are right beacause both of them think that the people around them are inferior because of the way that they appear. But their judgement of appearances has blinded them. The first instance of blindness that we see is when Lear tries to divide his land to his daughters. He is blinded by his two daughters Goneril and Regan beacause he believes that they love him. But the only one that loves him is Cordelia. (King Lear, 1, p.13, 105-115) Good my lord, You have beggot me, bred me, loved me. I return those duties back as are right fit. She says this to Lear because she wants to tell him how much she loves him. But Lear is Blind of this love because he does not want to hear this from her. Lear s bad judgement of appreance is showned after he banished his best advisor Kent from his sight. Lear couldn t see how loyal Kent was to him even after Kent says, (King Lear, 1, p.17, 175- 178) My life I never held but as pawn to wage against thine enemies, fear to lose it, Thy safety being motive. But to show how loyal Kent was he came back to aid the king when he was in trouble. Lear could not see that it was Kent because he had a bad judgement of appearance.

Upon the end of the story is when he realizes that he has been blinded by others and has not realized it. He finally finds out that the only one that loves him is Cordelia. (King Lear, 5, p.257, 319- 321) This feather stirs. She lives. If it be so, it is a chance which does redeem all sorrows that ever have I felt. He says this to tell her that he is sorry for what he has done and for not believing her. This is because of his blindness. In both the story King Lear and The country of the Blind , Nunez and Lear both refused to think that they were blind because they had more power over the people around them. But the power that they thought they had was useless in the places that they were in. By the end of the story both of them learn that they were blind and that there blindness has caused pain to the ones that they love.