What are the characters of the two fathers, Lear and Gloucester, and the mistakes of judgement they make?

Both fathers are arrogant and blind to their
children.

Gloucester's attitude toward his children is
established in the first scene when he brags about how much fun he had in begetting
Edmond, his illegitimate son, while the young man is standing right there.  He treats
him like a lap dog.

It is amazing how quickly he believes
Edmond's lies about Edgar.  Admittedly, Edmond sells his brother's "betrayal" but
shouldn't a father know his children better?  The deception of Edmond is perhaps
understandable since he is away at school most of the time and has spent very little
time with Gloucester.

Edgar, on the other hand, would
appear to be the apple of daddy's eye.  He remains faithful to his father despite having
to flee and disguise himself.  He is there for his father when the old man needs him the
most.  Once Gloucester is blind, he begins to see.

King
Lear's question in Act I, scene 1 is also telling.  It shows that the old king is blind
to the truth.  Are Goneril and Regan evil?  I don't think so.  They haven't lived under
daddy's roof for quite some time.  Each woman has her own life with her husband away
from their father.  Do they love him?  I'm sure they do but as a daughter should love
her father.  They tell Lear what he wants to hear.  They know him well enough to know he
wants his ego stroked.

In her innocence, Cordelia does not
know what to say since she cannot heave her heart into her mouth.  Lear obviously does
not under what love truly is since he feels the need to ask the question and does not
understand that love is expansive.

For their part, Goneril
and Regan feel that they must protect themselves against the whims of their father.  If
he could disown his favorite daughter and exile Kent just because they did not please
him, what would he do to them if they displease him?  When people are scared, rational
behavior disappears.

As Lear loses his identity beginning
with the loss of his crown, then his men, he, too, experiences
fear.

Just as Edgar and Gloucester are reunited, so, too,
are Cordelia and Lear.  Before they die, each father realizes who truly loves them and
how powerful that love is.