Blindness in King Lear and Oed

The two works King Lear by William Shakespeare and Oedipus the King by Sophocles share similar themes. One such theme is sight versus blindness. In Shakespeare's King Lear the issue of sight versus blindness is a recurring theme. In Shakespearean terms, as well as in Sohpocles' Oedipus the King, being blind does not only refer to the physical inability to see. Blindness is used in these two works to show a mental flaw some of …

…s mistakes as he is about to blind himself. Unlike Oedipus, both Lear and Gloucester sink into despair before their deaths. It is also interesting to note that Lear's eyesight fails in the moments just before he dies, while Gloucester whishes himself insane so he could more easily bear his misery. Oedipus, unlike Lear and Gloucester, takes a whole different route and exiles himself so the he does not have to live with his shame.