king lears daughters speeches of love

when king lear got old he decided to divide his kingdome between his three daughters based on how they expressed their love. goneril was the first to express her love.


she said:





Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter;Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty;Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour;As much as child e'er loved, or father found;A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable;Beyond all manner of so much I love you





my analysis:

here goneril is saying that she loves her father more than words can say, more than her vision her freedom or anything of worth that can be had in the world. she loves him more than any child has ever loved her father, so much so that it takes her breath away and makes one unable to speak. king lear is quite flattered and accepts her speech as her true feelings for him.

regans speech:

Sir, I am madeOf the self-same metal that my sister is,And prize me at her worth. In my true heartI find she names my very deed of love;Only she comes too short: that I professMyself an enemy to all other joys,Which the most precious square of sense possesses;And find I am alone felicitateIn your dear highness' love

my analysis:

her regan is saying that she feels exactly the same as goneril. only, goneril has fallen a bit short of how she, regan, feels. she claims that she denys herself all other joys as she finds that only his love can make her truly happy. again, lear is flattered and accepts her speech as well

cordelia's turn comes to speak and lear is all ready to be even more flatttered than before as this is his favoritte child. owever when cordelia simply says:

Nothing, my lord.

he is entirely dissapponted and ask' that she rephrase what she said. when she still says nothing he gets angry and banishes her because she did not express her love as he expected her to.