One Hundred Men // Haylee Lynd

     Cordelia's love for her father as shown by the lengths she goes to find and care for him is a beautiful picture. Despite the fact that Britain's armies are marching towards her, she sends one hundred of her men out to search for her father. Her love, partnered with other elements of the story, paints a parallel to the gospel. Before Lear is saved by Cordelia, he has to be humbled. He has to be realize that the forces of nature effect him and that he is not all powerful. Lear states, "...the thunder would not peace at my bidding... I am not auge-proof" (4.6.103-107).  Lear realizes he is vulnerable; he realizes he can get sick. Once that realization occurs, Cordelia's men find Lear and one scene later, Lear and his daughter are reunited. He admits his wrongs saying, "I am a very foolish fond old man" (4.7.60).  Cordelia responds with nothing but grace and forgiveness. He says she must have cause to hate him and she replies, "No cause, no cause" (4.7.75). 

    Obviously, Cordelia is not waiting until Lear has been humbled to save him. She has no way of knowing what Lear is thinking and saying until her men find him. However, Shakespeare sets up the story in such a way that Lear is not saved until he realizes that he needs saving, similar to how we cannot be saved by God until we realize that we need it and accept the gift of salvation. Cordelia, in a way, represents the archetype of the divine hero. She acts as a savior.  Sadly, although King Lear makes many allusions and parallels to the Bible, it does not take place within a Christian world. All the characters pray to pagan gods. Thus, there is no justice in the end. There is no hope for eternal life once Lear and Cordelia die. The love and care Cordelia offers her father before they are captured by the British is the closest to heaven either of them will experience. 


P.S. I commented on Emily's and Justin's posts.

Comments

  1. The Mahn-sterAugust 29, 2021 at 7:57 PM

    It is interesting that you draw a parallel between King Lear and salvation. In this case, his madness and fall from greatness could also further this idea, pointing to the fall of man, resulting in a broken world. The world we see after king Lear's fall is definitely broken for the majority of the play, and it doesn't really ever fully heal.

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  2. UnknownAugust 30, 2021 at 3:31 PM

    In truth, I had not considered much of the eternal life of these characters, given that each of them in the end weren't real. But I suppose their is something poetic about what you said, about before death the two of them being together was the closest thing to heaven either would experience. It is rather strange in the end, how they came to be closer because of the madness.

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