English 30-1 Two in-class critical responses to King Lear SAMPLE 1 ORIGINAL TOPIC: TRANSFORMATION

Removing the Blindfold

See better, Lear

Blindness, rendering unable to see: blind hatred, blind to the consequences of actions, criminals punished to blindness. Blindness has a broad definition that is used as a key symbol in different circumstances in Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear. Characters experience blindness both literally and symbolically as they go through self transformations. They learn to "see better" and gain wisdom through suffering that ultimately leads them to a greater contentment with life. Albany, Gloucester, and King Lear are three characters who experience such transformations. The play suggests that although these transformations are painful and can cause consequences, they provide hope for a better world - one that stands up for individuals' beliefs, looks for the positive aspects in life, and cares for others. Albany, although not one of the major characters in the play, goes through a major transformation. At the start of the play, Albany is depicted as being reserved and easily manipulated. In contrast to his brother in law, Cornwall, Albany appears good hearted and does not share his wife's evil ambitions. It is not clear whether Albany is actually blind to Goneril's demon qualities and therefore cannot see her true nature, or if it his self maintained personality that prevents him from bringing her faults to attention. Nonetheless, Goneril's personal decision to mistreat her father leaves Albany confused and hurt when he walks in on Lear, who suspecting Albany to be in conspiracy with Goneril, brokenheartedly asks, "O sir, you are come? Is it your will? Speak, sir." The next time we encounter Albany is when Goneril returns to their castle with Edmund. Whether Albany has recently discovered his wife's evil mistreating of her father, he has finally had enough of her wrong doings, or he is overcome with rage and suffering in witnessing Goneril's new found love for another man, Albany transforms seemingly instantaneously and unexpectedly. He will no longer stand to watch people be trampled over without voicing his opinion, and at the time he deservingly feels that Goneril is "not worth the dust which the rude wind blows in [her] face." Albany calls Goneril out on all her misgivings and transforms into an admirable character that stands as one of the only hopes for justice in the play. His transformation reinforces the motif that we should "speak what we feel, not what we ought to say." Gloucester's physical transformation is symbolic of his yearning to "see better." At the beginning of the play Gloucester uses his eyes to see, but not his mind to think. He is quick to dismiss his good son Edgar on the bases of a letter and the misfortune brought on by the "late eclipses in the sun and moon." It is not until Gloucester is parted form his eyes and takes guidance from Poor Tom (Edgar) that he begins his transformation. Gloucester believes that the world is at its worst state and "as wanton boys are to the flies, [he is] to the Gods," and tries to commit suicide. Edgar, however, will not stand for this and "[trifles] with [his father's] despair ... to cure it." With a clever change in character and change of perspective, Edgar is able to convince Gloucester that the Gods will take him when it is his time, and instead of searching for death, he should seek to live life to its best with what he has got. Gloucester proves that his new found acceptance is successful when he assures King Lear that "[he sees things] feelingly." Through thought and emotion he understands things that are invisible, rather than relying on sight and prophecies from the stars to guide him. He learns that the worst is never the worst, and teaches us to always live life to our fullest potential. King Lear is certainly more "sinn'd against than sinning." Lear's transformation is both complicated and touching. It is only through great suffering that he gains wisdom and skills that he otherwise would lack. Lear is first viewed as a foolish old man whose lack of judgement has left him cast off into the storm by his two daughters. It is in this famous storm that Lear begins his transformation and first comes to terms

with his human nature. He is stripped from his pride and seeks to exchange his royal fur gowns for rags fitted for a madman. It is at this time in a fit of rage that Lear first shows compassion for others. He asks his Fool, "how dost my boy? art cold?" Lear's heart grows as his kingly powers diminish. His wheel "[comes] full circle" when Cordelia returns to help him redeem his pride and sane state of mind. She is able to this without undoing Lear's new found wisdom and sense of compassion. The new clothes Cordelia orders to have Lear changed into symbolize that his transformation is complete. When Lear awakes to see Cordelia he wants nothing more than to restore his bond with her "[praying she] now, [forgets] and [forgives] him." Lear learns that love cannot be portioned out like wealth. To be loved one must give love, and only then will true happiness be found. King Lear is the tragedy of all tragedies. Characters experience sufferings so great the audience sometimes cannot bear to read or watch. These sufferings, however, bring forth wisdom allowing characters to "see better" and draw upon valuable life lessons. Their transformations, the play suggests, however unpleasant, are necessary for the characters to correct their faults. This is seen in the journeys of Albany, Gloucester, and King Lear as they learn to change their ways to better themselves and the rest of the world.

SAMPLE 1 EDITS

Removing the Blindfold

See better, Lear

Blindness, rendering unable to see: blind hatred, blind to the consequences of actions, criminals punished to blindness. Blindness has a broad definition that . . . it is used as a key symbol motif in different circumstances in Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear. Here Ccharacters experience blindness, both literally and symbolically, as they go through self-transformations. They learn to "see better" and gain wisdom through suffering that ultimately leads them to a greater contentment with life self-actualization. Albany, Gloucester, and King Lear are three characters who experience such transformations. The play suggests that although these transformations are painful and can cause consequences, they provide hope for a better world—one that stands up for individuals' beliefs, looks for the positive aspects in life, and cares for others in which individuals can stand up for their beliefs, see the positive aspects in life, and care for others.

This brief exploration of the word blindness would be more effective if it were briefer still. For example, the adjective blind, being only one syllable long, would be more forceful than is the two-syllable noun blindness. As well, the phrase "rendering unable to see" stands an unnecessary definition of blindness (your readers will certainly know its meaning) and technically it is an incorrect one. When used as a verb, the word blinding may be defined with the phrase "rendering unable to see," but the word blindness, a noun, would have to be defined with something like the condition of being unable to see. Each of the items following—that is, your series of metaphoric applications of the word—should be brief too. Weighting them more equally would also improve the rhythm of the series. I would suggest this as a revision: Blind: blind ambition, blinding hatred, blind to consequence. Following this, you need a sentence that makes a smoother transition into your statement concerning the use of blindness as a symbol in King Lear—something like this, for example: The metaphor of blindness speaks powerfully of the ways in which humans can be impaired and imperiled—most often by themselves—and . . .

Referring to blindness as a motif rather than as a symbol makes clear that the symbol is a recurring one, without your having to include the phrase "in different circumstances."

Words prefixed with the descriptor "self" are normally written with a hyphen (for example, self-discovery, self-preservation, and self-assertion).

Achieving "contentment" may be considered too trifling a payoff for having gone through intense suffering. You'd do better to speak of a consequence that suggests greater weight. The term self-actualization (though a bit pretentious), taken from the field of psychology, refers to the fulfillment of one's potential—of becoming whole, integrated, and capable (though, as it turns out, not necessarily contented in every way).

The phrase "can cause consequences" should be considered redundant, as it is already encompassed in the preceding phrase "are painful."

Albany, although not one of the a major characters in the play, goes through a major transformation. At the start of the play, Albany Initially he is depicted as being reserved and easily manipulated. In contrast to his brother-in-law, Cornwall, Albany appears good-hearted and does not share his wife's evil acquisitive ambitions. It is not clear whether Albany he is actually blind to Goneril's demon qualities hunger for power and therefore cannot see and other qualities of her true nature, or if it his self-maintained reserved and gentle personality that prevents him from bringing her faults to attention. Nonetheless, Goneril's personal decision to mistreat her father leaves Albany confused and hurt when he walks in on Lear, who, suspecting Albany to be in conspiracy with Goneril, brokenheartedly asks, "O sir, you are are you come? Is it your will? Speak, sir." The next time we We next encounter Albany is when Goneril returns to their castle with Edmund. Whether Albany has recently discovered his wife's evil mistreatingment of her father, he has finally had enough of her wrong doings wrongdoings, or he is overcome with rage and suffering in witnessing Goneril's new found newfound love for another man, Albany seems to transforms seemingly instantaneoustly and unexpectedly. He will no longer stand to watch people King Lear—or himself, for that matter—be trampled over without voicing his opinion, and at the time he deservingly feels that emphasizes his new attitude by verbally assaulting Goneril is , assuring her that she is "not worth the dust which the rude wind blows in [her] face." Albany calls Goneril out on all her misgivings misbehaviors and transforms into an admirable character that stands as one of the only few hopes for justice in the play. His transformation also reinforces the motif that we should "speak what we feel, not what we ought to say."

The adjective "evil" is a vague and loaded word. It serves well enough to describe a nasty stepmother in a fairy tale, but does not suitably describe a realistic character in a mature tragedy. In this case, a word such as "acquisitive" marks a significant and specific element of Goneril's nature. Similarly, the phrase "demon qualities" suggests a superficial reading of character (again, suitable for simple stories, but not for complex works such as King Lear).

Note the redundancy of the adjective "personal."

Note that the phrase "suspecting Albany to be in conspiracy with Goneril" is a non-restrictive element and must, therefore, be enclosed with commas on both sides. See the Writing Skills file "Grammar-Punctuation" (#6—Restrictive and Non-restrictive Elements")

The order of phrases in this sentence is confusing. The following revision will improve clarity. Whether Albany has recently discovered his wife's mistreatment of her father or he is overcome with rage and suffering in witnessing her newfound love for another man, he has finally had enough of her wrongdoings, and for consequence seems to transform instantly and unexpectedly. As well, "transforms seemingly instantly and unexpectedly" is awkward for its repetition of ly-ending adverbs. The rephrasing helps to eliminate the problem.

The word "misgivings" is misused. This word refers to feelings of doubt or suspicion, especially about events that have not yet occurred. Albany may have misgivings about Goneril, but Goneril herself has no misgivings.

A general note about the body paragraph on Albany: While your statements about him are sound, he does not stand alone as an especially strong example of significant transformation in the play. Positioning your commentaries on the stronger examples of Gloucester and Lear after Albany is therefore a good choice (in keeping with the principle that one should save the best for last). Perhaps what you might do is to add to the Albany section some comments about other transforming characters, namely Edgar and Kent, to beef up the paragraph. As well, you could season it all with three or four aptly embedded quotations. This will serve as a more substantial foundation for your ensuing discussion of Gloucester and Lear.

Gloucester's traumatic physical transformation is symbolic of his yearning being forced to "see better." At the beginning of the play outset Gloucester uses his eyes to see, but not his mind to think. He is quick to dismiss his good son Edgar on the bases basis of a forged letter and the misfortune putatively brought on by the "late eclipses in the sun and moon." It is not until Gloucester is parted form from his eyes and takes guidance from Poor Tom (Edgar) that he begins his transformation. Gloucester believes that the world is at its worst state and that "as flies to wanton boys are we to the flies, [he is] to the Ggods," and so tries to commit suicide. Edgar, however, will not stand for this and "[trifles] with [his father's] despair ... to cure it." With a clever change in character and change of perspective, Edgar is able to convince Gloucester that the Gods gods will take him when it is his time, and instead of searching for death, he should seek to live life to its best as well as he can with what he has got. Gloucester proves that his new found newfound acceptance is successful when he later assures King Lear that "[he now sees things the world] "feelingly." Through thought and emotion he understands things that are invisible, rather than relying on sight and supposed prophecies from the stars to guide him. He learns too that the worst is never the worst can be worse yet, and in turn teaches us to always live life to our fullest potential see that our "life's a miracle." King Lear is certainly more "sinn'd against than sinning." Lear's His transformation is both complicated and touching. It is only through great suffering that he gains wisdom and

Gloucester is not presented at first as one with a "yearning to see better." Rather, before his blinding he is relatively complacent. That is, though he is troubled by events in the heavens, in the world at large, and in his own sphere—especially concerning Lear and his "desperate train"—he does not see himself as one who needs to improve his own understanding of himself or of grander matters. It is only after his blinding that he recognizes that improved understanding was something he should have sought earlier.

The action of Edgar's depicting for blinded Gloucester the world as seen from the cliff top, then depicting it from the beach, is a notable symbol of changing perspectives, and it needs comment. Maybe something like this would work: . . . to cure it." To this end, Edgar presents first to blinded Gloucester's imagination a view of the world as seen from a supposed height, as it were the god's-eye view, from which a laboring man "seems no bigger than his head" and the sea's "murmuring surge" cannot be heard. Following the old man's supposed fall from the cliff top and "miraculous" survival, Edgar then describes the world as ordinary men receive it, from here at the water's edge and "[looking] up a-height." By this contrived inversion—whose action echoes the change in perspective that Edgar himself has endured in transforming from the privileged son of a nobleman to a naked, demon-haunted beggar, and that Lear has undergone from an exalted ruler to an "unaccommodated man"—Edgar mentors his father, helping him to gain the wisdom he has hitherto failed to achieve in the course of growing old. Note that the final passage here—"helping him to gain the wisdom he has hitherto failed to achieve in the course of growing old"—is intended as a touch to the Fool's earlier mentoring of Lear, "Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise." Incorporating this reference in your essay's introduction, would effectively prepare us for the commentary here concerning the lesson that Gloucester is given to learn.

skills that he otherwise would lack. Lear is first viewed as a foolish old man whose lack of judgment has left him cast off into the storm by his two daughters. It is in this famous storm that Lear begins his transformation and first comes to terms with his human nature. He is stripped from of his pride and seeks to exchange his royal fur "robes and furred gowns" for rags fitted for a madman. It is at this time in a fit of rage that Lear first shows compassion for others. He asks his Fool, "how dost, my boy? art cold?" Lear's heart grows truly king-like as his kingly powers diminish. His wheel "[comes] has come full circle" when Cordelia returns to help him redeem his pride dignity and sane state of mind sanity. She is able to do this without undoing Lear's new found newfound wisdom and sense of compassion. The new clothes Cordelia orders to have Lear changed into symbolize that his transformation is complete. When Lear awakes to see Cordelia he wants nothing more than to restore his bond with her "[praying she] now [forgets] and [forgives] him forget and forgive." Lear learns that love cannot be portioned out like wealth. To be loved one must give love, and only then will true happiness be found. King Lear is the tragedy of all tragedies a decidedly grim and moving tragedy. Characters experience sufferings so great the audience sometimes cannot bear to read or watch. These sufferings, however, bring forth wisdom, allowing characters to "see better" and allowing us to draw upon valuable life lessons. Their transformations, the play suggests, however unpleasant, are necessary for the characters to correct their faults. This is seen most pointedly in the journeys of Albany, Gloucester and King Lear as they learn to change their ways to clarify and fortify their own humanity, to better themselves and, in the end, better the rest of the world.

A general note about the body paragraph on Lear's transformation: This is generally a strong paragraph, but could be made stronger by the insertion of references to Lear's newly forged awareness of the world's "poor naked wretches," the "poor, bare, fork'd [animals]" who need the care of those who have the power to "shake the superflux to them and show the heavens more just." As well, you should point out the sense of lowliness he has learned (recall, it's one of the king-becoming graces and the very opposite of hubris)—of gentle humility that allows him finally to confess his shame to Cordelia and to admit that he is indeed "old and foolish." These additions alone (and there are more that could be made) would help to flesh out what should be your essay's most developed body paragraph.

In the moment when he asks the Fool if he is cold, Lear is not raging.

While it is possible to use the word pride as one with a positive connotation, it is a questionable choice in the context of a character such as Lear, whose suffering is occasioned by pride of the kind that we call hubris—a kind of blinding pride.

Certainly, many scholars and average readers laud King Lear as a deeply moving and complex tragedy, but to speak of it as "the tragedy of all tragedies" is far too broad a generalization.

SAMPLE 1 REVISION Blind: blind ambition, blinding hatred, blind to consequence. The metaphor of blindness speaks powerfully of the ways in which humans can be impaired and imperiled—most often by themselves—and it is used as a key motif in Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear. Here characters experience blindness, both literally and symbolically, as they go through self-transformations. They learn to "see better" and gain wisdom through suffering that ultimately leads them to greater self-actualization. Albany, Gloucester, and King Lear are three characters who experience such transformations. The play suggests that although these transformations are painful, they provide hope for a better world—one in which individuals can stand up for their beliefs, see the positive aspects in life, and care for others. Albany, though not a major character, goes through a major transformation. Initially he is depicted as being reserved and easily manipulated. In contrast to his brother-in-law, Cornwall, Albany appears good-hearted and does not share his wife's acquisitive ambitions. It is not clear whether he is actually blind to Goneril's hunger for power and other qualities of her true nature, or if his reserved and gentle personality prevents him from bringing her faults to attention. Nonetheless, Goneril's decision to mistreat her father leaves Albany confused and hurt when he walks in on Lear, who, suspecting Albany to be in conspiracy with Goneril, brokenheartedly asks, "O sir, are you come? Is it your will? Speak, sir." We next encounter Albany when Goneril returns to their castle with Edmund. Whether Albany has recently discovered his wife's mistreatment of her father or he is overcome with rage and suffering in witnessing her newfound love for another man, he has finally had enough of her wrongdoings, and for consequence seems to transform instantly and unexpectedly. He will no longer stand to watch King Lear—or himself, for that matter—be trampled over without voicing his opinion, and emphasizes his new attitude by verbally assaulting Goneril, assuring her that she is "not worth the dust which the rude wind blows in [her] face." Albany calls Goneril out on her misbehaviors and transforms into an admirable character that stands as one of the few hopes for justice in the play. His transformation also reinforces the motif that we should "speak what we feel, not what we ought to say." Gloucester's traumatic physical transformation is symbolic of his being forced to "see better." At the outset Gloucester uses his eyes to see, but not his mind to think. He is quick to dismiss his good son Edgar on the basis of a forged letter and the misfortune putatively brought on by "late eclipses in the sun and moon." It is not until Gloucester is parted from his eyes and takes guidance from Poor Tom (Edgar) that he begins his transformation. Gloucester believes that the world is at its worst state and that "as flies to wanton boys are we to the gods," so tries to commit suicide. Edgar, however, will not stand for this and "[trifles] with [his father's] despair ... to cure it." To this end, Edgar presents first to blinded Gloucester's imagination a view of the world as seen from a supposed height, as it were the god's-eye view, from which a laboring man "seems no bigger than his head" and the sea's "murmuring surge" cannot be heard. Following the old man's supposed fall from the cliff top and "miraculous" survival, Edgar then describes the world as ordinary men receive it, from here at the water's edge and "[looking] up a-height." By this contrived inversion—whose action echoes the change in perspective that Edgar himself has endured in transforming from the privileged son of a nobleman to a naked, demon-haunted beggar, and that Lear has undergone from an exalted ruler to an "unaccommodated man"—Edgar mentors his father, helping him to gain the wisdom he has hitherto failed to achieve in the course of growing old. Gloucester proves that his newfound acceptance is successful when he later assures Lear that he now sees the world "feelingly." Through thought and emotion he understands things that are invisible, rather than relying on sight and supposed prophecies from the stars to guide him. He learns too that the worst can be worse yet and in turn teaches us to see that our "life's a miracle."

King Lear is certainly more "sinn'd against than sinning." His transformation is both complicated and touching. It is only through great suffering that he gains wisdom and skills that he otherwise would lack. Lear is first viewed as a foolish old man whose lack of judgment has left him cast off into the storm by his two daughters. It is in this famous storm that Lear begins his transformation and first comes to terms with his human nature. He is stripped of his pride and seeks to exchange his "robes and furred gowns" for rags fitted for a madman. It is at this time that Lear first shows compassion for others. He asks his Fool,

"How dost, my boy? Art cold?" Lear's heart grows truly king-like as his kingly powers diminish. His "wheel has come full circle" when Cordelia returns to help him redeem his dignity and sanity. She is able to do this without undoing Lear's newfound wisdom and sense of compassion. The new clothes she orders to have Lear changed into symbolize that his transformation is complete. When Lear awakes to see Cordelia he wants nothing more than to restore his bond with her "[praying she] now forget and forgive." Lear learns that love cannot be portioned out like wealth. To be loved one must give love, and only then will true happiness be found.

King Lear is a decidedly grim and moving tragedy. Characters experience sufferings so great the audience sometimes can scarcely bear to read or watch. These sufferings, however, bring forth wisdom, allowing characters to "see better" and allowing us to draw forth valuable life lessons. Their transformations, the play suggests, however unpleasant, are necessary for the characters to correct their faults. This is seen most pointedly in the journeys of Gloucester and Lear as they learn to change their ways to clarify and fortify their own humanity, to better themselves and, in the end, better the world.

SAMPLE 2 TOPIC: CHANGING PERSPECTIVES This essay—if not in every way perfect, for no text is ever perfect—is solid as it stands, and I have made to it only minor edits. Other readers may have stronger feelings about changes that might be made.

And take upon's the mystery of things, As if we were God's spies

The wheel is a common motif in King Lear. It is used to symbolize the reversal of fortunes, as when Edmund laments in his dying moments that "the wheel is come full circle." It is used to represent the cycle of life, its ups and downs and the waning of older generations as they are replaced by the younger. The wheel is also used as a symbol of changing perspectives. Life is like riding a ferris wheel. On it, the rider is constantly, continuously changing positions and from each new vantage point gains a different perspective on the world around him. Each day our perspectives are gradually but constantly shifting, never remaining constant. The idea of changing perspectives is one that is comprehensively advanced in King Lear. The very structure of the play's action forces audiences and readers to challenge their own initial views of the characters. We do not end the play sympathizing with the same characters we sympathized with originally. Furthermore, King Lear is an examination of the process of aging, of gradually losing control as one struggles to come to terms with the inevitable reality of mortality. This is a process that forces even the most stubborn and uncompromising to shift accepted perspectives. King Lear is a play about learning to see one's true self—of casting off one's self-delusional frame of perspective and embracing the truth. At the play's outset, we are given information about the characters that causes our sympathies to fall into the "wrong" camp. Lear's division of the kingdom, his gratuitous love test, and his quick temper and unreasonableness towards Cordelia demonstrate his foolishness and his faults, and the audience cannot help but feel something like hostility towards this cruel old man who has so unkindly and unjustly renounced his daughter. Initially, we feel that whatever ills befall Lear in the end, he will have rightly deserved them. Likewise Gloucester is set up in the first scene as foolish, weak, and unkind, or at least indifferent, towards his son. Meanwhile, Regan and Goneril may be viewed as dishonest and manipulative, but they seem to act reasonably, or at least understandably, given the embarrassing and dehumanizing situation their father has put them in. Edmund as well is portrayed as the downtrodden, unappreciated son. Who could not sympathize with his plight? His father jokingly dismisses him in the opening lines of the play, and when he pleads vehemently to the gods "Why bastard? Wherefore base?" he seems to speak for everyone who has ever lamented the unfairness of the world. The illegitimate Edmund seems to have a legitimate point. Why should he be punished for being "twelve or fourteen moonshines lag of a brother" and conceived out of wedlock when he is physically and mentally as sound "as honest madam's issue"? However, the audience is, in the course of the play's action, forced to reevaluate their initial judgments about the characters. Regan and Goneril soon show their true natures as power-hungry, manipulative, shrews; Edmund's reaction to his misfortune is certainly out of proportion to the extent that he has been wronged and his cruelty and power-lust only grow worse as the play progresses; Gloucester turns out to be foolish but nevertheless loyal and kind, a lovable dope; and it becomes apparent that Lear, even with his many faults, is indeed "a man more sinned against than sinning." This device of misleading the audience as to the true nature of the characters and then abruptly forcing them to change perspectives is effective in advancing ideas about changing the ways we see the world. No one in real life is all good or all bad and everyone's story can be viewed from multiple perspectives. We must be constantly willing to shift our points of view if we are to see truth because truth is not absolute and we rarely, if ever, have all the information about any situation. Lear is an old man trying to come to terms with his diminishing power and control over his own life. We see in the beginning that he seems confident about himself. In the opening scene we see him wielding his authority certainly. He even jokes about his age and his own mortality saying he wishes to "unburdened crawl towards death." However, his giving away of the crown in many ways represents the relinquishing of

control over our own lives that we all have to undergo as we age. Soon Lear realizes that he cannot simply sit back and enjoy his final years of glory, as he believes he so rightly deserves. The cutting down of his train of knights by his daughters is symbolic of his increasing loss of control and honour, and the motifs of stripping down and the word "nothing" certainly suggest this decline towards death, the ultimate nothing. As he slips into senility and madness he is forced to reevaluate his perspectives on life. The pride that he possessed initially dissolves, and he is left disillusioned in the truth and insignificance of his existence. He certainly despises the loss of his honour and pride. "I am asham'd," he exclaims sadly, "That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus," yet pride is the force that has blinded him most. In due course, with his pride stripped from him, Lear comes to stand naked against the world, which actually allows him to see the world more clearly. With his self-delusions shattered he may be uncomfortable in an unfamiliar mindset, but he gains a wisdom that he never would have had he not been thrust into a cold, unfamiliar reality. Lear never "resumes the shape" of his former regal self, but by the end he is able to see his true shape as he truly exists. He loses everything, but in discovering himself he becomes "most rich being poor." Sometimes changing perspective can be painful, but ultimately it is fulfilling. "See better, Lear," Kent demands of his king in the first scene. The old king is foolish and blind to the world around him. He does not understand the true nature of his daughters, and he does not act in a way that would become his position. However, by the end of the play Lear's perspective on life is significantly different. He sees what is truly important in his life, the daughter who loves him and whom he loves above all else. King Lear is a play about changing perspective. In it we witness an old man's struggle with his shifting perspectives on the world. Changing perspective is something that happens to all people, every hour of their lives. We are never the same people we were one year, one month, or even one week ago. The loss of control we experience through aging and of coming to terms with the end of life only helps to accelerate this process of self-discovery. Lear is forced to discard the delusions he formerly held about himself and the world and to discover reality. Even readers of King Lear are involved in changing their perspectives as the play progresses. We see that nothing is ever black and white and that changing perspective is necessary as new information continuously becomes available. In a constantly changing world, perspectives on life are never static.