Blog Post #33

You know, having only read the first couple scenes of King Lear, I feel kind of bad for the guy. He's old, dying, senile, and he has to deal with a couple crazy catty daughters. Let's start off with Goneril. When Lear asks Goneril to publicly declare how much she loves him, she proclaims "Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter" (Shakespeare I. i). Now this may seem all well and good, she just loves her father a whole bunch. This whole monologue of professed love is a ruse however. Goneril couldn't care less about her father, she just wants some of the land he's giving away. So, we have a trusted daughter of nobility who is willing to lie and conspire to gain power. Sounds like a perfect recipe for some drama.

Regan is the middle child and it shows. When she is asked how much she loves her father the reply basically boils down to "Um, as much as my big sister... And then some!" This response shows that Regan struggles to live up to her older sister, Goneril. Regan's profession of love for her father is also just as hollow as Goneril's, as Kent and Cordelia would attest.

While Goneril and Regan share many character traits (Lying and scheming for starters), Cordelia stands alone. Lear's youngest daughter is also his favorite, he even proclaims "I loved her most" (Shakespeare  I. i). Cordelia is fair and honest even when asked by her father for a public declaration of love. She's not going to lie to her father just to get some land (even if it's the finest portion). Cordelia's loyalty and love for her father is a sharp contrast to her conniving sisters.

To sum things up, Goneril and Regan are an axis of evil and Cordelia is the good daughter. Methinks things are going to get messy in ancient England...