I’m right here in front of you
I’ve been standing here for years
Yet we hardly ever talk
Because you never open your ears.
Can you see beyond yourself?
And see me for who I truly am
I don’t care what your problems are
I simply don’t give a damn.
I’m tired of your draining din
Your self-centered and spiteful ways
You can’t see that we are annoyed
Due to your self-induced haze
Are you sleeping with eyes open
Or awake with eyes blurry
The world’s changing fast
Train’s leaving soon, I’d hurry.
Eyes in Paul Simon’s song Silent Eyes are used to represent the eyes of the reaction-less bystanders who are watching a woman being stoned and burned, and the eyes of God. The song tells the story of how a woman is being stoned and burned to death while no one does anything. The narrator appears to be either the boyfriend or husband of the victim and yet even he does intervene. He along with everyone else just watches and is silent. The narrator knows that he himself, along with the other bystanders, will eventually have to “stand before the eyes of God”, meaning that God will decide whether or not they go to heaven based on their submissiveness. The message that Paul Simon wants to get across in the song is that there are two types of evil people, people who do evil things and people who see evil things being done and do nothing to stop it. Therefore, Simon is saying that the bystanders are just as bad as the people committing the crime. Paul Simon is also saying that it is still a sin if a man chooses not to stop a crime because God, who’s watching from above, simply sees a man not helping a person in need; therefore in God’s eyes the man has committed a sin.
Eyes in Paul Simon’s song Silent Eyes is similar to both Shaffer’s Equus and Ellison’s Invisible Man, but it differs from Shakespeare’s King Lear. Eyes in Equus are similar to the symbolism of eyes in Silent Eyes because in both works of literature eyes represent God’s eyes looking over the world. The two works of literature differ in that in Silent Eyes God sees things directly whereas in Equus God sees the world through the eyes of the animals. Eyes in Paul Simon’s song Silent Eyes is also similar to Ellison’s Invisible Man because in both works of literature characters have chosen to avoid reacting to blatant offenses. In Invisible Man Bledsoe chooses neither to see nor to react toward the obvious racism of life. He chooses not to speak up against racism so he can maintain his power in the community. The Invisible Man is similar to the narrator in Paul Simon’s song Silent Eyes because the narrator chooses not to speak up against the crime so he can spare his life. Eyes in Paul Simon’s song Silent Eyes differs from eyes in Shakespeare’s King Lear because in Paul Simon’s song the narrator chooses not to act on the crime he witnesses, whereas in King Lear when Lear is asking his daughters to praise him, Lear is blind toward his daughter’s phony flattery yet reactionary to their responses, especially Cordelia’s who he yells at for her sincere comments.
Source: http://www.field-of-themes.com/shakespeare/essays/Elear3.htm
The essay entitled Clear Vision in King Lear strongly explains each of the characters blindness and clear-sightedness in King Lear. The essay begins by discussing King Lear’s vision that is blinded by his “lack of insight”, which in turn leads to his death. Though I agree that Lear cannot “identify (people) for who they truly are”, it is not only based on to his inability to “see into other people’s character’s”, it is also due to his arrogance. This is evident at the beginning of the play, since Lear is asking his daughters to tell him how much they love him. I agree with the author when he says that, “Kent was only trying to do what was best for Lear, but Lear could not see that. Kent’s vision is not clouded, as is Lear’s, and he knows that he can remain near Lear as long as he is in disguise.” The author’s insight is correct because Kent is trying to make Lear understand that Cordelia truly loves him unlike Goneril and Regan. Unfortunately, Lear is so conceited that he is blinded from Goneril and Regan’s deceptiveness. Cordelia does not overly flatter Lear, which to Lear appears as an insult and this is because “Lear lacks the insight that Kent has. He only sees what is on the surface, and cannot understand the deeper intentions of the daughter’s speeches.” The author also makes a strong point in saying how Lear has difficulty seeing down the road when making decisions. He supports his claim by explaining how after Lear says, “we/Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see/That face of hers again” and further banishes Cordelia from the castle” he realizes that she is the only daughter he wants to see. The author is right in saying that Lear cannot see the future consequences of his actions because he reacts too emotionally and too narrow-minded. Overall Lear’s blindness is accurately described and well supported.
The author demonstrates the clear distinction between Gloucester’s blindness and Lear’s blindness simply great. He says that, “Lear depicts Shakespeare’s theme of clear vision by demonstrating that physical sight does not guarantee clear sight. Gloucester depicts this theme by demonstrating clear vision, despite the total lack of physical sight.” I strongly agree with this since Lear truly is blind despite having eyes, and Gloucester is able to see with depth perception even though he lacks eyes. Gloucester, as the author says, is similar to Lear in the beginning of the play since despite having eyes he lacks the ability to see the true nature of people. Gloucester like Lear does not see nor fully understand his children. He sees only what’s on the surface and is quite gullible believing in whatever he is told or sees. As the author says, “when Lear shows (Gloucester) the letter that is supposedly from Edgar…Gloucester calls him an Abhorred villain, unnatural, detested, brutish villain.” The author uses a good quotation to reveal that Gloucester has clear vision once he loses his eyes and this is, “I have no way and therefore want no eyes; I stumbled when I saw. Full oft ‘tis seen, our means secure us, and our mere defects prove our commodities.” He further supports this quote by saying that, “he has no need for eyes because when he had them, he could not see clearly. He realizes that when he had eyes, he was confident that he could see, while in reality, he could not see until his eyes were removed.” The author’s essay is very well written because he makes bold assertions, gives examples, and then further backs up his claims.
Eyes are a powerful motif in Shakespeare’s King Lear, Shaffer’s Equus, and Ellison’s Invisible Man since they reveal people’s blindness toward truth, love, and understanding. Eyes are linked with deception, power, religion, and racism. In King Lear, most characters are blind and in turn have become susceptible to deception. These characters eventually gain their sight but only after they have lost something of importance. In Equus, eyes represent not blindness, but power in religion. Alan sees horses eyes to be the eyes of God since they appear to be always watching. Blindness toward racism, truth, and internal beings are ongoing themes in Invisible Man. The Invisible Man cannot see that his superiors are using him as an instrument. Once the Invisible Man sees that has been used his entire life he remembers his grandfathers’ advice and decides on page 508 to weaken his superiors “with yeses, undermine them with grins, (and) agree them to death and destruction”. When he comes to the realization that by agreeing with his superiors he is only benefiting them and harming himself he chooses to isolate himself from society.
In King Lear, eyes are used to illustrate Lear’s, Gloucester’s, and Albany’s blindness. It is clear that Lear is blind early on due to his inability to detect deception. When Lear asks his daughters to praise him, only Cordelia chooses not to flatter him with false admiration. Being unable to see past himself, and his enormous ego, Lear is easily deceived by his other two daughters Goneril and Regan and their excessive flattery. Kent calls King Lear out on his blindness when he says in 1.1.163-168, “My Life I never held but as a pawn to wage against thy enemies; nor fear to lose it, thy safety being the motive.” Lear: “Out of my sight!” Kent: “See better, Lear; and let me still remain the true blank of thine eye.” The two sisters only praise him in order to acquire his wealth. As a result of Lear’s blindness, he loses Cordelia’s love as well as her trust. He also loses his own life when he is later hanged. Ironically, Lear is only killed once he can see the truth of his own situation. Once he realizes Goneril and Regan’s cruel, wicked nature, based upon their mistreatment of him, he see that it is Cordelia who truly loves him. Unfortunately for Lear it is too late because once he confesses how foolish he has been to Cordelia, he is hanged. Gloucester, similar to Lear, is also blinded and deceived by his children. Gloucester is unable to see the internal being of his children and as a result he is duped into believing that his son Edgar is bad when indeed it is his son Edmund who is evil and who had framed Edgar. Edmund, who Gloucester feels is trustworthy, betrays Gloucester into having him arrested. While arrested, Gloucester has his eyes gouged out. Once Gloucester loses his eyes, he gains his sight of the truth. This is because once Regan blinds Gloucester; she tells him that Edmund had betrayed him, not Edgar. Specifically Regan tells Gloucester who is asking in 3.7.184-186, “Where’s my son Edmund, Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature, to quit this horrid act”, that in 3.7.187-190, “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.” Unlike Lear, Gloucester’s sudden clear-sightedness does not lead to his demise. Instead he is given a chance to redeem himself for his blindness. Albany is yet another character who is blinded in the play. He unlike the other two characters is blinded by love. Albany is smitten over Goneril and therefore is blind to her deceptiveness and cruelness. Albany is so in love with Goneril that he cannot see that she is involved with Edmund. He is also blind toward Goneril’s callousness of her father. As a result of Albany’s blindness, he loses his wife to Edmund. Shakespeare uses the motif of eyes in the play because he wants the reader to look inside themselves and other people in order to see the true nature of human beings. Shakespeare is telling his audience to not be egotistical nor blinded by love because you will be susceptible to deception.
Shaffer’s Equus, uses eyes to represent power and dominance. Horses eyes indicate God or some greater power looking over the world. To Alan, horses eyes seem to see everything like God’s ability to see everything due to their large size. Alan’s paranoia is a result of feeling that he is being watched all the time. This is evident on page 104 when he tells his psychiatrist, Dysart, that a horse had watched him having sex with a girl named Jill. Alan states to Dysart on page 104, “He was there. Through the door. The door was shut, but he was there! …He’d seen everything. I could hear him. He was laughing…Mocking! … Mocking!” Alan tells Dysart that the horse had told him on page 105 that, “You’re mine! … I am yours and you are mine!’… Then I see his eyes. They are rolling! “I see you. I see you. Always! Everywhere! Forever!” Alan worships a picture of a horse, which his mother Dora describes on page 45 as, “most extraordinary. It comes out all eyes.” Frank, Alan’s father, later tells Dysart that he has seen Alan whipping himself in front of the picture in order to repent for his sins. As Frank says to Dysart on page 51, “He took a piece of string out of his pocket. Made up into a noose. And put it in his mouth. And then with his other hand he picked up a coat hanger. A wooden coat hanger, and – and.” Dysart deduces that Alan was using the coat hanger to beat himself. Frank continues on page 51 by saying, “You see why I couldn’t tell his mother…Religion. Religion’s at the bottom of all this!” When Alan grudgingly decides to go on a date with Jill to a vulgar movie, Alan becomes even more anxious of being watched once he sees his dad in the theater as well. This further supports Alan’s belief that he is being watched at all times. Alan cannot get himself to have sex with a girl named Jill because he is fearful that he is committing a sin in front of God. Alan responds to this feeling of obsessive consciousness by puncturing six horses’ eyes in an attempt to free himself from God’s view. This leads Alan toward having sessions with Dysart, the psychiatrist. During these sessions it is revealed that Dysart envies Alan for his passionate personality. It appears that Shaffer wants the reader to enjoy life and to avoid being suppressed by outer influences such as parents, religion, husbands and wives.
In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, eyes are used to show people’s avoidance of the truth, and racism. Eyes are also used to show blindness and misunderstanding. The invisible man early on is especially naïve and cannot see the distrustful ploys waged against him. Early in the novel, the invisible man is honored at a big ceremony where he is told he will recite his speech. Instead of giving his speech he has to fight several other black men in a boxing ring blindfolded. It is evident that the invisible man is naïve since he cannot see early on that racism is real and that the white men will not accept him as an equal. Prior to the fight he says on page 17 when referring to his speech that, “It was a great success. Everyone praised me and I was invited to give the speech at a gathering of the towns’ leading white citizens. It was a triumph for our whole community.” He does not think twice about giving the speech and truly believes the white community will honor him. This incident teaches the invisible man that he cannot trust the white community, which is why he dislikes Bledsoe, the president of the university that the invisible man attends, because he overly flatters the white community. Bledsoe chooses to avoid seeing racism in order to keep his power as president of the university. It is clear that Bledsoe is not blind toward racism when he tells the invisible man on page 143, “You’re nobody, son. You don’t exist-can’t you see that? The white folk tell everybody what to think- except men like me. I tell them; that’s my life, telling white folk how to think about the things I know about. Shocks you, doesn’t it? Well, that’s the way it is. It’s a nasty deal and I don’t always like it myself. But you listen to me: I didn’t make it, and I know that I can’t change it. But I’d made my place in it and I’ll have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs by morning if it means staying where I am…I had to be strong and purposeful to get where I am. I had to wait and plan and lick around…Yes, I had to act the nigger!” By ignoring racism, Bledsoe is able to maintain his position as president of the university. When the invisible man is reprimanded by the Brotherhood for starting a protest for the death of Tod Clifton without the Brotherhood’s consent, the invisible man finally sees that he is only an instrument to the Brotherhood. He is told this by Brother Jack on page 470 when he says, “For all of us, the committee does the thinking. For all of us. An you were hired to talk.” This altercation between the invisible man and the Brotherhood enlightens the invisible man that the Brotherhood is unable to see the black community as individuals, they can only see what’s on the surface. This is revealed when Brother Jack loses his eye. By losing one eye, Brother Jack loses his depth perception and in turn is unable to see his the black community as people. He sees them as similar to how he sees the invisible man, as instruments that will be used to rise up against the white man. The invisible man realizes how blind he had been and states the Brotherhood’s own blindness on page 507 when he says, “It was all a swindle, an obscene swindle! They had set themselves up to describe the world. What did they know of us, except that we numbered so many, worked on certain jobs, offered so many votes, and provided so many marchers for some protest parade of theirs?” Once the invisible man realizes that most everyone he has met has lied to him and had given him false direction in life, he chooses to live underground where he can enter society when he wants to. By being underground the invisible man will be able to see the world for what it truly is because he will be on the outside looking in. Ellison wants the reader to be cautious in life, and to tell them that things are not always the way they appear.
In all three works of literature the motif of eyes symbolizes a character’s inability to see. In King Lear, Lear and Gloucester like Brother Jack in Invisible Man lack depth perception. Lear and Gloucester can only see their children as their children, they cannot see that they are people who have their own individual opinions and ideas. Brother Jack is similar to Lear and Gloucester because he like them can see people, but only as mindless instruments that he wishes to manipulate in order to accomplish his goal of rising up against the white population. In Equus, Alan is unable to neither see nor understand that horses eyes are not the eyes of the Lord. Terrified that he is being watched at all times he blinds six horse’s eyes with a spike. In all three works of literature, the main characters are all blind in the beginning, but they differ in how they evolve as characters. King Lear is blinded by his ego early on, but once he realizes that he has been blind toward the people in his life, especially Cordelia, he is hanged. Alan, who is blinded by the idea that God is always watching him in the beginning of the play, continues to have dilapidating anxiety, which he never fully recovers from, at the end of the play. The invisible man is blind toward all aspects of society through most of the novel. He is unable to see early on that racism exists whether it is subtle or blatant. As the invisible man matures he is able to overcome his struggles with blindness and racism by living alone away from society.
