er reason for the eye-gouging scene is to emphasize the theme of sight vs. blindness. Throughout the tragedy the characters unquestionably believe what they see, and are completely blind towards reason, instinct, and emotions. For example, after Lear banishes Kent for standing up for Cordelia, Kent returns in disguise. This disguise consists of changed clothes and a faked accent, and Lear cannot recognize him.With such ridiculous transformations Lear is mythologizing the flaw of human nature, the inability to see past appearances.When Glucester sees a letter speaking of treason from his beloved son Edgar, Glucester has not a suspicion in his head that the letter might have been forged, as indeed it was, by Glucester’s bastard son Edmund. Even though Glucester has known Edgar and Edgar’s handwriting for years, he does not doubt the validity of the letter and Edgar’s treasonous intentions.Ironically, it is after Glucester’s eyes are gouged out he begins to “see”, he realizes that Edgar was innocent all along and that he did not “see” through Edmund’s forgery, “Oh my follies! Then Edgar was abused”. Glucester understands that he was blind to his instincts.This theme of sight and blindness is paralleled I the Lear plot. In the land division, in the beginning of the play, King Lear fails to see through ornamental words of the older daughters. He rewards Goneril’s and Regan’s speeches, mistaking them for true expressions of love. And he doesn’t see that Cordelia, the daughter who wouldn’t sell out, really does love him. Only after Lear has been thrown out by both Goneril and Regan, after he has lost everything, he does “see” that Cordelia loved him after all....
