Have you ever had a disagreement with a family member? What was the extent of the disagreement? Most families would not allow a disagreement to result in banishment of one person from the house. In King Lear, Lear decides to do exactly this, by banishing his daughter, Cordelia, from his kingdom. This decision begins the division of the family only to become increasing large by the actions of his two selfish daughters, Goneril and Reagan, who seek more power thus, deciding to cast aside Lear to gain more power. Although Cordelia could refuse to speak or help her father, she decides instead saves Lear from her brutish sister only to result in her own death.
My question throughout the play, was if Cordelia had too much pride and was too loyal? Cordelia could play her father’s game like the rest of her sisters and gain her piece of his land. But she does not, thus she banished from England. Cordelia could as she intended find her sisters and question them, “Shall we not see these daughters and these sister?” (5.3.8) however, she goes quietly to jail as her father desires. By not find her sisters she instead hangs (although it is questionable whether her sisters would do anything to help her). These actions and decisions could be a debate as to being the key to solidifying her future of death. Cordelia, with the flaws of pride and loyalty, is unable to turn her back to her father and escape to a different future and life; instead she has a fate few would desire. The belief of fortune and fate could be avoidable, “Myself could else outfrown false Fortune’s frown,” (5.3.9) instead Fortune does not look kindly upon Cordelia, thus, she dies. With this solidification of death and having major flaws of pride and loyalty, Cordelia could be considered one of the tragic heroes in King Lear. The tragic death of Cordelia however, does not go unnoticed; she instead like many tragic heroes is able to teach a lesson to all of King Lear’s characters and future generations of readers and viewers of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.
I believe Shakespeare uses Cordelia to show the flaws of pride and loyalty as a fault, you can have too much pride and too much loyalty leading you astray. Also Cordelia shows that life is full of choices. The choices we make dictates our future- a choice of this or that- these choices are in our control; however, our fate is out of our control. For example, Cordelia chooses to stay with her father, however, Fortune decides it is her time to die.
In the picture above, in the Elizabethan era’s Fortune wheel is the essence of Cordelia’s fortune and fate throughout the play. Cordelia is born into nobility and marries the King of France - top of the wheel- who values her not for her wealth, but as a person. However, Cordelia- bottom of the wheel- is banished, gets no land from her father, and dies. The wheel, as Shakespeare describes in many of his plays, has a tendency to change when least expected. And we are fortune’s pawns to be moved as pleased however, we can make our choices to thus dictate our character.
