Cordelia Flashcards
Why does Lear denounce Cordelia?
She is not complicit in his love test, shown in her aside: “What shall Cordelia speak? Love and be silent”
What effect does Cordelia’s aside in Lear’s love test have?
It shows she loves her father but will not flatter him.
It also creates sympathy and contrasts Regan and Goneril’s hyperbole.
This makes Lear’s blinds clearer
How does Cordelia start the motif of “nothing” and what does she represent through this?
“Nothing, my lord”
She is representative of the truth and openness in the play, though some view her as stubborn
How does Cordelia view her sisters?
She despises them and calls them “jewels of our father”
How does Cordelia remain loyal to Lear?
She finds a cure to his madness and creates an army in France to rescue him
This shows her to be a forgiving character
What is unusual about France rescuing Lear?
France are attacking England and so we should be against them, though as they are lead by Cordelia in an aim to rescue Lear, the audience are inclined to support them
What shows Lear to be ashamed of his behaviour?
He views Cordelia as a “soul in bliss”, a reference to heaven, and himself as “bound upon a wheel of fire”, in hell
What opposes Cordelia as a christ-like figure?
She doesn’t redeem anyone and dies a shocking, unnecessary, undeserved death, and is so a victim
Why was the play deemed “unperformable”?
The shocking nature of Cordelia’s death
How does Cordelia die?
She is hanged off-stage by Edmond
How is Cordelia’s ending adapted by Nahum Tate?
In The History of King Lear, by Nahum Tate, Cordelia marries Edgar and becomes the ruler of the kingdom
How is Cordelia viewed by feminists?
“On the market” for a husband when she marries France. She is seen as lucky that France sees her true merit
