King Lear is another famous tragedy by William Shakespeare that includes women, both virtuous and evil, whom lead to destruction by play’s end. King Lear includes three female characters: Cordelia, Regan, and Goneril. While all three women are daughters of King Lear, Goneril and Regan are portrayed as lying, hypocritical, greedy, and selfish monsters while Cordelia is the only daughter who truly loves and cares for their father. “In spite of her virtue and piety, she is presented as a woman who subscribes to patriarchy and patriarchal values in letter and spirit” (Jajja 231). When it comes time for Cordelia to fill her father’s ears with words of love and praise, Cordelia simply says, “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave / My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty / According to my bond; no more nor less” (Norton King Lear 1.1 90-93). Cordelia is the only one of King Lear’s daughters who truly loves him. When Cordelia says “I love
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(Jajja 231). Cordelia hears of the horrible treatment of her father at the hands of her sisters Goneril and Regan and attempts to assist Lear. Unfortunately, Cordelia is killed. The sight of Cordelia’s corpse upset Lear so much that it induced his own death. By play’s end, King Lear and all three of his daughters are dead, but Cordelia and Lear die with their relationship happily resolved. “In this play, Shakespeare shows the two types of women we are accustomed to seeing in his plays, but these women are in the same play and they are sisters. He is showing how even when women are raised together, it is possible that they grow up quite differently” (Kunool 4). Although the three daughters grew up with differing morals, they were grouped together again in death, no matter if they were virtuous or evil, nothing unexpected from a tragedy by William
(Jajja 231). Cordelia hears of the horrible treatment of her father at the hands of her sisters Goneril and Regan and attempts to assist Lear. Unfortunately, Cordelia is killed. The sight of Cordelia’s corpse upset Lear so much that it induced his own death. By play’s end, King Lear and all three of his daughters are dead, but Cordelia and Lear die with their relationship happily resolved. “In this play, Shakespeare shows the two types of women we are accustomed to seeing in his plays, but these women are in the same play and they are sisters. He is showing how even when women are raised together, it is possible that they grow up quite differently” (Kunool 4). Although the three daughters grew up with differing morals, they were grouped together again in death, no matter if they were virtuous or evil, nothing unexpected from a tragedy by William