KING LEAR ESSAY PAPER

King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in the 1600’s. It is a play about King Lear and his three daughters. Many characters in this play encounter suffering all throughout; including Cordelia, Edgar, and King Lear. Although King Lear brought the suffering on himself, Cordelia and Edgar did not. Cordelia, Lear’s youngest daughter is a prime example of moral strength, the same can be said about Edgar, the legitimate son of Gloucester. The first act of the play deals with King Lear wanting to divide up his kingdom for his three daughters: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. He then proceeds to ask his daughters how much they love him, it’s used as a way to help him divide the land. Goneril says that she loves her father more than words, and Regan outdid her. Regan said she loves her more than Goneril, “And find I am alone felicitate, in your highness’ love” (1.1.75-6). When it comes to Cordelia, the daughter Lear loves the most, she says nothing. She loves him like a daughter should love a father; but nothing to her sister’s flamboyant extent. “So young, my lord, and true” (1.1.108). She knew she would get ostracized from her father, cut out of the will, and sent on her way: but she stayed steadfast and honest. After being banished from the Kingdom, Cordelia goes to say goodbye to her sisters who are less than polite. Instead of dropping down to her sister’s level, she says her farewell and leave them with this, “Time shall unfold what pleated cunning hides: Who cover faults, at last shame them derides. Well may you prosper!” (1.2.282-4). We meet Cordelia again in act four scene four at Dover, even though her dad banished her she came to him when he was sick, she prayed for him and asked doctors for any types of help for his madness. “Repair those violent harms that my two sisters/ have in thy reverence made!” (4.7.28-9). Aside from Cordelia who died later a noble moral daughter, we have Edgar the son of Gloucester. We are first introduced to Edgar