Imagery ÷ Eyesight Imagery Shakespeare's King Lear is extremely full with eyesight, vision, and blindness imagery. As a matter of fact the blindness versus vision theme runs rampant throughout the story. King Lear begins his journey as a man who is "blind" because he cannot see beyond the fake and flattering comments that his daughters Goneril and Regan throw at him. He blindly and angrily cuts his favorite daughter, Cordelia, out of her share of land. Lear's loyal servant, Kent, tries to get Lear to see the error of his ways," Let me still remain/ the true blank of thine eye." Lear refuses to listen. Instead he goes on a "journey" where he finds that his daughters, Goneril and Regan, are not exactly what they appear to be. He tells Regan's husband Cornwall, " You dart your blinding flames/Into her scornful eyes" (II.ii.168). It is only through the storm that Lear finally "sees" who he is and the his daughter Cordelia is actually the daughter who loves him the most.
"King Lear and the Fool in the Storm" by William D...
Goneril and Regan from King Lear
18th-century depiction of King Lear mourning over ...The subplot of Gloucester emphasizes the blind and vision imagery even more. The "wool" is pulled over Gloucester's own eyes when his son, Edmund, devises a plan to disgrace the legitimate son Edgar. Gloucester's eyes are taken out by Cornwall. Ironically, it is through his blindness that he actually begins to see.
GLOUCESTER. Away, get thee away! Good friend, begone. Thy comforts can do me no good at all: Thee they may hurt OLD MAN. You cannot see your way.
GLOUCESTER. I have no way and therefore want no eyes; I stumbled when I saw..
(IV.i.18) Though Gloucester is blind he finds that his son Edgar was not trying to kill him, but actually he was the most truthful son that he had.
÷ Animal Imagery Lear constantly refers to...