The Big Question - King Lear

In the face of adversity, what causes some individuals to prevail while others fail? The Shakespearean play of King Lear is characterized by much adversity, devastation, and tragedy. One of the dominate themes in the play is morality, and being able to hold true to morals when they are challenged. One particular conflict that shows this is the relationship of King Lear to his three daughters - Reagan, Goneril, and Cordelia. The daughters are faced with a challenge in the beginning when Lear asks them to tell him how much they love him, in particular a self-honesty challenge. Reagan and Goneril proceed to tell gush their "feelings of love" to their father, in the hopes of inheriting many riches, wealth, and land. Cordelia, however, knows her sisters are only saying things they think will please their father. Though she loves her father, she cannot lie or exaggerate her feelings for these purposes. She notably speaks, "I cannot heave, my heart into my head". She cannot lower herself to lie like her sisters, and tell her father what she knows he wants to hear. This situation immediately sets Cordelia apart from her sisters, and the rest of society for the remainder of the play. She becomes an outcast, but is okay with it because she stood by her heart. Goneril and Reagan have a completely different outlook and journey. They become so corrupted by power and lust, and in the end, the get nothing. Although Cordelia died in the end as well, her heart prevailed. Through Cordelia's adversity, she was able to save her soul because she stood by her heart. She never lost sight of her beliefs, even with all the doubt and temptations around her. She dies an admirable and moral character, completely unlike her sisters. Her sisters failed, and were ultimately doomed because they did not have that anchor that Cordelia did. Their morals were overshadowed by lust and power-hunger. Shakespeare illustrates through the daughters that in the end, the one who "survives" is the moral character. Justice prevails.