More king Lear help? (1 Viewer)

[chardie2]

Does anyone know if you can link the theme of blindness with the absurdist reading for king lear?

Thanks,

Charde.

 

[Louisey!]

absurd related to blindness

yes, i have used the theme of blindness in relation to an absurdist reading. i used the example at the cliff at dover where edgar fools gloucester into believing that there is a cliff there. it can also be related to the plucking out of gloucesters eyes, ive used the critical reading by G.Wilson Knight, this also relates to the scene at dover and the absurdist reading, hope this helps

 

[silvermoon]

some critics also use the blindness theme in its entirety rather than specific scenes to support an absurdist/nihilist reading - for example, you might say that at the start Lear is blinded to the truth of his reality by his own ego and sense of self, however, through the trials of the play and with the death of Cordelia, Lear realises that he has been blind to the nature of reality - that everything he did was pointless etc. However, if you chose to look at it this way, you'd have to add to it by showing how specific scenes and techniques in a certain production made this clear.