Blindness
Blindness is a recurring motif in King Lear, in both the figurative and literal sense. Many characters in the play are blinded by their own egos and ambitions, most notably Lear and Gloucester, who misjudge their own children and make fatal mistakes because of it. Gloucester is then literally blinded in the play, a brutal scene that renders him weak, vulnerable, but surprisingly astute. The play suggests that in losing his eyesight, Gloucester develops a keen sense of knowledge that he did not possess in the beginning of the play.
The Fool
The fool in King Lear is a famous example of a character typically meant for comic relief playing a much more significant role in the events of the play. Lear's fool is perhaps the wisest of all the characters, making observations throughout the play that both foreshadow Lear's fate and speak truthfully about Lear's lack of self-knowledge. That Lear chooses to criticize his fool rather than listen to him suggests the extent of his ego, while at the end of the play Lear begins speaking in a way that mirrors the language of the fool from the earlier acts.
Weather
The storm that occurs in Act Three symbolizes Lear's chaotic mental state. At one point, he even states that he has a "tempest in [his] mind" (3.4). The thunder and lightning of the storm signifies the uncontrollable fate of Lear and many other characters in the play, while also suggesting England's own descent into political turmoil after Lear had divided his kingdom.
Lear's Crown
Early on in the play, Lear's fool remarks that Lear has mistakenly cut his crown in two by choosing to divide his kingdom. As such, Lear's crown is a symbol of both his own power and his kingdom's stability. Later in the play, Lear appears wearing a crown made only of flowers, a symbol that suggests his complete loss of power. This flower-crown also associates Lear with another Shakespearean character, Ophelia from Hamlet, who distributes wildflowers to passers-by just before her death. Ophelia's behavior has often been interpreted as a form of grief-driven madness, and the same could be said about Lear at the end of the play.
Nakedness
Nakedness is a central motif of the play, as it addresses one of King Lear's central questions: whether there is any value or meaning to man's life on earth. Edgar's disguise, Poor Tom, is a naked beggar, while Lear, too, strips off his clothes after seeing Poor Tom's nude body. Lear asks whether man is "no more than this" (3.4), suggesting that man's natural state is a weak and vulnerable one. This realization helps Lear gain the self-knowledge to which he had previously been blind, as he comes to recognize himself as an aging and powerless man rather than a fearsome king.
