A Not So Perfect Virtue

Many people fault Cordelia for not answering her father adequately during the first scene of King Lear. I count myself among one of those people, but not for the reason everyone else seems to. There are basically two schools of thought about Cordelia’s response. A lot of people admire her for not being drawn into political games and for not cheapening her love of her father with theatrics and mindless words. And others don’t understand why she didn’t say what she had to say and get the land. Telling your father that you love him doesn’t seem like such an awful thing does it? However I do not take issue with Cordelia as a daughter it is as a sister that I find fault in her. After all she does eventually tell the king that she loves him just not in a grand enough way for Lear.
Every member of a family has a certain role that they play. In general the mother is a caregiver, the father a protector and so on and so forth. Cordellia is the youngest sister of three and she has played the role for her entire life. I am the oldest sister of three and I have my role in the family down to an art form. I typically play mediator between the warring factions of Victoria age 15 and Elaina age 10. I pride myself on being able to diffuse their squabbles before a parent even has to become involved. Often times I am the first line of defense. I know how each sister will react in different situations. I can tell you down to the minute when Elaina will start tearing up in the hopes of garnering your sympathies and when that proves futile she becomes inconsolable. I can tell you when Victoria will fly off the handle and begin slamming doors and stomping through the house. None of this did I garner from careful study it is just the result of growing up with people.
Cordelia has no excuse for not knowing her sisters characters and acting accordingly. I can’t image that she didn’t know how this was going to play out when she didn’t suck it up and play to her father’s whims. If she had a one virtuous bone in her body she would have answered him accordingly to protect her father, her country, and even her sister’s if only from themselves. There is no way I would let my sisters run a country knowing the problems they have getting along and it is simple negligence and pride that keep Cordelia from doing likewise. Pride in her supposed perfect virtue.