Gloucester’s blinding raises many interesting questions about allegiance, duty and justice which go to the very heart of King Lear. You will be asked in the following exercises to think about the way the language works in guiding the audience’s response to this most appalling of spectacles.

1. Examine the language, particularly the imagery and tone, of Gloucester’s first speech in this extract (beginning, “Because I would not see…”).

• To what extent do you believe this speech is typical of the speaker?
• Why does he now express himself in such strong and vivid language?
• What irony is there in his words?