“King Lear” is a story focused mainly on the character in which it entitles, but perhaps one will allow the sad story of the youngest daughter to step in for a bit and take the spotlight. Dr. Abernathy so boldly made this comparison: her two older sisters, Gonreil and Regan, can easily be seen as the two stepsisters from the old fairytale “Cinderella.” However, can Cordelia be equated with the main character of this bedtime story?
Several opinions were tossed around the classroom regarding Cordelia’s actions toward her father and her moral character. These observations are analyzed within the first act of the play and continue throughout simply because Cordelia is described as Lear’s favorite daughter. Why then, would she be banished? Why then, would her ungrateful and selfish sisters receive the land originally promised to her? Why then, would a father send his only loving heir away from his presence especially at his fragile age? The question remains: Was Cordelia correct in her reaction and is she the correct maiden to be adored in this tragedy?
The king might have overreacted a bit in banishing his own daughter simply because of her refusal to accommodate his request of flowery speech. Cordelia seems to display virtuous qualities even within the small time allotted her in the play. Even though we catch only glimpses of her throughout the storyline, we still gather that she is the beloved daughter, the trusted character, the classic heroine. Was she technically the one who received the disrespect at the beginning of the story, and not King Lear? Is Cordelia the epitome of our fairytale princess-to-be?
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