Explore the theme of blindness in Shakespeare's "King Lear"

Shakespeare's "King Lear" presents the audience with different types of blindness - both literal and metaphorical. Both Lear and Gloucester are blind to the deceit and plotting of their children - in Lear's case, the treachery of Goneril and Regan, and in Gloucester's case Edmund's betrayal. The audience is aware of "the bond crack'd" between the parents and children, which serves to build tension and also provides dramatic irony, as the fathers continue in their unawareness and praise the very children they should have banished. The staging of the "love contest" at the beginning of the play shows Lear's excessive pride and desire for flattery, and leads him to banish Cordelia and divide his kingdom between Goneril and Regan, who then seek to undermine him and remove his remaining power. Both fathers are "blind" to the true loyalty of the children they cast out (Cordelia and Edgar respectively). Arguably, the blindness of both men when it comes to their children is what leads to their tragic downfalls. At the end of the play, both Gloucester and Lear are dead.There is also physical blinding present in the play - administered on Gloucester by Cornwall. "Out, vile jelly" summarises arguably the most shocking and violent scene in the play. This scene shows both the cruelty of Cornwall but also begins the process of Gloucester finally learning to "see" again. This "sight" is not the literal seeing, but rather a realisation that he has been betrayed by Edmund and that Edgar was wronged. Lear also regains his metaphorical sight as the play progresses - he realises that Goneril and Regan have betrayed him, and finally is emotionally reunited with his beloved Cordelia in Act 4 (scene 7).