King Lear - Blindness

Part I of Essay
In Shakespeare's "King Lear" the issue of sight against blindness is a recurring theme. In Shakespearean terms, being blind does not refer to the physical inability to see. Blindness is here a mental flaw some characters posses, and vision is not derived solely from physica ....

Part II of Essay
.... to which Kent responds: "See better, Lear, and let me still remain" (Act I, sc I, l. 160). Kent, once banished, creates a disguise for himself and is eventually hired by Lear as a servant. The king's vision is so superficial that he is easily deceived by Kent's changed appearance. He can never see his trusted servant for whom he really is. He only learns of Kent's noble and honest character just prior to his death, when his vision is cleared. By this time, however, it is too late for an honest relationship to be salvaged. Lear's vision is al ....