This makes me wonder how Cordelia became so nice and generally a good person when all around her there were people like her sisters and her father.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
The Apple Doesn't Fall Far
I couldn't help but notice the similarities between King Lear and his daughters, Goneril and Regan. At the beginning King Lear shows his self-centered attitude when he asked his daughters to say how much they loved him and based the amount of land they would get by how much they "loved" him or in this case how much they flattered him. When Cordelia didn't flatter him like he wanted, he immediately became angry and shunned her. When it came time for Lear to be at the mercy of his two daughters, they showed their self-centered attitudes and throw him out of their houses into a storm. His own attitude is thrown right back at him through his two evil daughters. It seems that karma is already coming into play right from the start. Lear's character flaw, his blindness of the truth and his self-centered attitude, has quickly taken affect in bringing his downfall.
This makes me wonder how Cordelia became so nice and generally a good person when all around her there were people like her sisters and her father.
This makes me wonder how Cordelia became so nice and generally a good person when all around her there were people like her sisters and her father.
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I definitely agree with you, what sort of person asks people to tell them how much they love them in return for land? Major fishing for compliments, and really shows how dysfunctional the family is. It feels like Cordelia's silence was more a protest of the ridiculousnes and shallowness of the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you, what sort of person asks people to tell them how much they love them in return for land? Major fishing for compliments, and really shows how dysfunctional the family is. It feels like Cordelia's silence was more a protest of the ridiculousnes and shallowness of the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteCordelia's mother must have taught her manners. Shame the other two didn't learn as well. I agree with you that Lear is being pretty self centered with his question about love although I also can see where he is coming from. He fears going into dotage and wants to know for sure which daughters love him so that he knows who will respect and care for him in his weakness. Kind of like being given the opportunity to choose your parent. He wants a good one. I think the really sad part is that he is terrible judge of character and just takes Goneril and Regan at the words and completely discounted the loyalty Cordelia showed him up to that point in life.
ReplyDeleteCordelia has manners, sure, but a what point do manners turn her into a doormat? Cordelia is acting like a passenger in her own life. Compared to Edmund's struggle at the moment, it makes Cordelia seem weak and passive.
DeleteMaybe instead of being passive, she was just being the bigger person? Sometimes, when people are crazy or rude, you just say okay and move on. Just smile and nod, as my mother always says. Her honesty and, I'm sure, her lack of lashing out were noticed by the King of France which made him value her and chose her to be his queen. Cordelia didn't stoop to their level.
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