“A chip off the old block.” By considering Shakespeare’s dramatic presentation of Cordelia in King Lear, evaluate this view.

Cordelia is irrevocably loyal to her father, whereas Lear is quick to dismiss Cordelia as his daughter and banish her to France. For example, Cordelia’s response to the love test: “I shall never marry like my sisters, /To love my father all” and her promise to “obey”, “love” and “honour” Lear is evocative of wedding vows, which shows Cordelia’s unfaltering dedication to her father. However, Lear’s loyalty to Cordelia is fickle. Lear believes Cordelia’s profession of love to be insufficient and instead he disclaims all “paternal care, /Propinquity and property of blood.” Shakespeare’s use of alliteration emphasises Lear’s feelings of disgust at Cordelia’s unwillingness to cooperate with his desired superficial display of love. Furthermore, when Cordelia returns to Britain as the Queen of France, she calls Lear “King” and “royal lord”, despite him abdicating his power as England’s King and her new status as Queen, Cordelia refuses to let her father kneel for her. Lear's weak sense of loyalty caused him to banish Cordelia, however, upon her return to England with the French invasion, Cordelia proves loyal to Lear in spite of the injustice done to her. Therefore, in terms of loyalty and morality, Cordelia is not “a chip off the old block.” Shakespeare’s portrayal of Cordelia and Lear’s attitudes towards love further differentiates these two characters. Lear expects Cordelia to quantify her love for him in front of the court, in return for giving her land “a third more opulent” than her sisters. To Lear, his love is something to win, a public confession, and something which is expressed through lavish speeches and gifts. In contrast, Cordelia’s love for her father is “more ponderous” than her tongue, thus, she cannot commit to a superficial love speech. ‘Cor’ is the Greek word for heart and ‘delia’ is an anagram of ideal, thus Cordelia’s name coins her character as being/having the ‘ideal love’. Cordelia is often depicted wearing white to symbolise her purity, for example in Nunn’s 2008 adaptation. Also, a Christian interpretation of Cordelia is as a holy figure, thus, her unconditional love and purity is seen as spiritually healing, offering redemption to Lear. For instance, in Henry Irving’s 1892 version, Cordelia’s tears are tasted by Lear, meaning he was “restored of faith and peace when Cordelia died to prove her love for him was true”. Conversely to Cordelia’s healing properties, Lear’s disintegration of speech, for example: “You shall get it by running sa sa sa sa” depicts how Lear embodies the chaos he created by dividing up his kingdom through the repeated expletive of “sa”. Cordelia is the epitome of forgiveness and grace, unlike Lear, whose materialism and greediness actively causes national chaos and his own downfall.