2020-10-09 7:10:56 ¶ ●

## A Second King Lear Headcannon/ theory, this time about the Lear family

OK SO

The Lear Family. It’s a mess. But for how long was it so messy? As I mentioned in my Edmund theory, you can learn a lot about a character from other characters’ reactions (or lack there of) to what they do. Which is gonna be what this whole theory is based around.

In the opening scene of Lear, Lear divides up his kingdom among his three daughters. Or tries to, at least. Because while Goneril and Regan were kissing up to him and playing his game, Cordelia didn’t think that was the most functional way to figure out such important matters, and refuses to participate. Lear, who prior to this claimed that Cordelia was his favorite child, does a complete 180 and banishes her from the kingdom.

As I said, we learn a lot by looking at people’s reactions. Kent, upon hearing this, is shocked and appalled. Goneril and Regan, however, are completely unfazed. G and R [this time meaning Goneril and Regan, not Guildenstern and Rosencrantz], who have lived with and dealt with Lear longer and more frequently than Kent, view the situation as “just another day in the Lear household”. Which of course leads me to believe that Lear does things like this often. He changes his entire opinion of people in milliseconds, based off of minor and irrelevant things. G and R know this, and have probably not had the best childhood as a result of it. They both seem to think the same way in regard to how to deal with it- go along with whatever Lear wants while you’re in front of him, but as soon as he’s not there you’re free to be yourself. Their original agreement to participate in Lear’s praise game wasn’t in and of itself malicious, but rather it was appeasement. A decent strategy for dealing with someone like Lear.

And then, what about Cordelia? Why didn’t she agree to go along with it? You can say that it’s because of what type of person she is: ie someone who’d rather express her feelings genuinely than express them for the purpose of receiving compensation of some sort. But I’d argue otherwise. Considering how surprised she is by Lear’s extreme reaction to her refusal, it would seem to be that she just hasn’t dealt with this before. She happened to be lucky- she was never in a situation before where she disagreed with Lear or did anything out of line, so she never saw this side of Lear before. Or if she did, it was directed towards someone else, and she assumed it was justified. (This is most likely why Lear said she’s his favorite prior to the praise game). If given enough experience with this side of Lear, there is a chance that she may have chosen G and R’s strategy rather than the one she tried using.

In conclusion, Cordelia isn’t necessarily innocent or “the nice one”, she’s just inexperienced with Lear’s bad side, and may have joined G and R’s team if she would have known.