Cordelia

King Lear is one of the greatest dramas written by Shakespeare. It is a poetic tragedy in which the good as well as bad characters play their role. King Lear has three daughters; Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Cordelia is the youngest daughter. She is an important character of the play. In the last act, she is hanged and her death seems unjustified. Her death heightens the tragic ending of the play; thus there is the defeat of Cordelia’s army, the imprisonment of Lear and Cordelia, and Cordelia’s murder in the prison. Although Cordelia's character can be argued to be a one dimensional, she contributes to the play's theme and a dramatic device since King Lear's downfall can be directly attributed to Cordelia and there is dramatic irony in her tragic death and banishment. Old king Lear banishes his good daughter, Cordelia, in his characteristic fit of anger, and it initiates the play's action. Cordelia's banishment is suggestive of the abandonment of reason in Lear and his impending madness. The irony of King Lear is that the two daughters he rewards for flattering him betray him entirely while the daughter who refused to flatter him and to whom he gives nothing, is the one who truly loves him and remains faithful to him and comes to his aid. Her character’s role throughout the play is to be the peacemaker and the angel archetype.

Cordelia is a stabilizing force, As the honorable and beloved daughter of King Lear, Cordelia ranks among Shakespeare's finest heroines. Although Cordelia's role in the play is minor, she is ever-present as the symbol of virtue and mercy, in stark contrast to her sisters, Goneril and Regan. Cordelia heals Lear’s madness. Moreover Lear names her “a soul in bliss” 1, a name which clearly makes reference to Cordelia’s sanctity. O the other hand, a second approach refuses King Lear being a “Christian Play.” Why evil goes solong unchecked? Why such a bleak ending? Characters such as Cordelia seek to do good, but they are unprotected by the Gods, and they are surrounded by the chaos created by the evil characters

Cordelia's death contributes to the theme of an unjust world, there is a sense of redemption in all of the other deaths in the play, but none in Cordelia's death

The Death of Cordelia in William Shakespeare's King Lear King Lear is a tragedy unlike any other written by William Shakespeare. It focuses on the psychological downfall of a powerful King. It proves that as long as a nation has a king on the throne all is well, but as soon as a king steps off the throne nothing but chaos transpires. The downfall of the king results in the downfall of the kingdom.

With all the swarms of evil residing in this play, Cordelia is the epitome of goodness in Shakespeares King Lear.
"What shall Cordelia speak?/ Love, and be silent" (I.i.63-64).

These words echo a reminiscent time when loyalty to the king and one's father was paramount. King Lear, planned on dividing his land among his three daughters, but for a price, the price of their love. While her sisters exaggerated their love for their father to win the "prize," Cordelia stayed true to herself and her loyalty to Lear by not making a mockery out of her feelings for him and playing it composed. She was also not characterized by her openness of her feelings. She was a quiet girl who kept emotions locked inside. Even so, Lear got angry at her response and disowned her. Why such a brutal attack on his daughter? Cordelia is known to be Lear's favorite and he had hoped that he could give her the largest piece of land so he could reside on it with her, but the plan failed. Overall, the King's decision lead him and his daughter to their tragic downfall.
She is loving, virtuous, and forgiving. She also demonstrates law and order in that she was a devoted daughter and had great respect for her father and his position. Her goodness is highlighted in Act IV, Scene VII, when she is at Lear's side and he slowly awakes and thinks of her as an angel. He asks the "angel" for Cordelia to forgive him, but according to Cordelia, there is no need to do so.