Essay about King Lear

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English Essay - Sight and BlindnessKing Lear is a play with many recurring themes, ideas and much symbolism throughout it, and I believe the most obvious is the motif 'Sight and Blindness'. It occurs all throughout the play, both metaphorically and physically and is associated with many characters and helps define other themes and ideas. It also helps decipher what I believe to be the “true” meaning behind the play, which is revealing true natures, discovering actual intentions, serving justice, restoring order of every kind.

Sight and Blindness is very symbolic throughout the play, especially when referring to father's being metaphorically blind to their children's true natures, which includes the characterisation of both Lear, Cordelia, Gonerill, Regan, Gloucester, Edgar, Edmond and Kent. An example being;Lear cannot see he is being duped by Regan and Gonerill, during the love test scene, such as Gonerill's;
“Sir I love you more than word can wield the matter,
Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty;...”
She gives a false speech, addressing the motif within it too, referring to eyesight. Regan is just as bad too, yet Lear, with his pride, ego and self-doubt, chooses to believe them. Cordelia's frank declarations of;
"Unhappy that I am, I cannot heaveMy heart into my mouth: I love your majestyAccording to my bond, no more nor less" is the only truth of the test, but Lear, after the fake declarations of love from Gonerill and Regan, does not appreciate or believe her. This eventually leads to both Cordelia and Kent's banishment, yet they are the ones most loyal to Lear, but his "blindness" makes him unable to see past the fact that he has people giving him elaborate, yet still fake, declarations of love, therefore Kent and Cordelia are unworthy in his eyes, both Cordelia and Kent can see his blindness and remain ever loyal, even through banishment. This helps to create the basic plotline and define the true meaning within the play.
Gloucester and his two sons, the

King Lear

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