Shakespeare's King Lear effectively uses violence throughout the tragedy. The violence is in no way placed throughout the play by the author just for the audience's pleasure or for no significance at all. Despite that some viewers may take the violence played just for their enjoyment, the violence among the characters contributes to the meaning of the complete work through several characters, but most importantly Gloucester, Edgar, Edmund, and of course King Lear.
Gloucester's physical blinding and gouging of the eyeballs, carried out by Cornwall, is no doubt extremely graphic and violent, but does add important meaning to the tragedy. This blinding, surely clarifies how evil Gloucester's illegitimate son Edmund is, although Gloucester has been too blind to realize this. Edmund deceitfully plans his father's death therefore obtaining his wealth. Cleverly enough, Edmund made it appear as though it is all Edgar's idea. His physical blinding is what it must take for Gloucester to see that Edgar is his all loving son and would never betray him in such a way that Edmund has all along. Even after his brutal blinding Regan must remind him of who is his enemy by saying, " Thou call'st on him that hates thee. It was he/That made the overture of thy treasons to us,/ Who is too good to pity thee" (3.7.165). Gloucester then finally sees what he has missed all this time by replying, "O my follies! Then Edgar was abused. / King gods, forgive me that, and prosper him" (3.7.167). It is ironic that Gloucester once had his vision yet was missing so much right before his eyes. Gloucester is an intelligent and respectable man, but he could not even see his own situation. It takes a true blindness of the eyes for him to see the loyalty of Edgar and the evil doings of Edmund. Shakespeare sends an important meaning to the audience, as did many of the works around this time. This scene of violence displays a lesson for the audience.
