The Heavenly Queen of King Lear

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William Shakespeare’s tragic play King Lear is a well-plotted play about obsession of power and land, blindness, and sacrifices for the restoration of the kingdom. King Lear has split his three kingdoms amongst his three daughters; Goneril, Regan, Cordelia, however, Cordelia refused his offer and she spoke the truth and Lear has disowned her. Lear blindly trusted the two daughters but Cordelia. However, this character Cordelia is a significant character through the play, her name means the "heavenly queen" and the word "heart". This character also shows how she can be a Christ-like figure. Cordelia can be a Christ-like figure through her actions, suffering and her righteous path. Furthermore, this significant character shows that she is similar to Christ through her actions and righteous acts.
In act 4 of the play Cordelia has said while King Lear was resting; "Thy medicine on my lips, and let this kiss/ Repair those violent harms that my two sisters/ Have in thy reverence made” (Shakespeare 4.7:25-27). The significance of this quote shows that Cordelia is loyal to Lear regardless of how he treated her. This quote also refers to how Jesus loyal to his disciples and his peoples, according to the website BibleGateway, mentioning from the bible John 13:36-14:4, one of his disciples Peter will eventually be denial to Jesus. Also, the quote can relate how Jesus has revived Lazarus of Bethany and he blessed Lazarus, while Cordelia’s kiss to Lear was a blessing to him for the respect he deserved from Goneril and Regan. Cordelia just like Jesus, they were disowned by their loved ones for doing the righteous acts. Cordelia was disowned by Lear because she truly love him as father, and he wanted more than that from her, according to this...

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...ingdoms and she has shown those all around, especially Lear, what means to take leadership and what it means to do good. It would be a lesson learned for Lear to accept Cordelia and became a better king and a good father to all of his daughter so the play would not end in tragedy.

Works Cited

“Lazarus of Bethany” 2012-2013
“Bible Hub: Luke 22:34” 2004-2014
“Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial and Speaks of His Own Departure”
“Judas Iscariot”
“Apostles’ Creed
“Adam, Eve, and the Serpant” by William B. Bradshaw

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