What is the tragic flaw in the character of Cordelia?
King Lear is a notable literary work by William Shakespeare. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of King Lear.
Answer
What is the tragic flaw in the character of Cordelia? (2020, 2016) ✪✪✪
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) wrote King Lear between 1605 and 1606. Cordelia, the youngest daughter of King Lear, is pure and honest. Yet her honesty becomes her tragic flaw. Her silence and pride bring pain and death for herself and her father.
Silence Before the King: Cordelia refuses to flatter her father. When Lear asks for words of love, she calmly says,
“Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again.”
Her silence is truthful but dangerous. Lear mistakes it for coldness. Her quiet nature makes her lose her father’s love and her royal fortune.
Pride in Truth: Cordelia’s truth is noble but proud. She cannot pretend like her sisters. She says she loves her father “no more, nor less.” Her pride in truth blinds her to Lear’s feelings. This pride brings her exile and opens the door for evil to grow.
Failure to Please: Cordelia’s tragic flaw is not in her heart but in her words. She fails to please Lear with kind speech. Her honesty lacks softness. Her truth could have been gentle, but she chooses firmness. This failure causes the great tragedy to begin.
Love Beyond Words: Later, Cordelia returns to save Lear. Her silent love becomes strong action. Yet fate punishes her pure soul. Lear holds her dead body crying,
“Howl, howl, howl, howl!”
Her love ends in death, not reward.
Thus, Cordelia’s tragic flaw lies in her proud honesty and silence. She values truth more than life and power. Her goodness causes her fall, showing that even virtue can bring tragedy in Shakespeare’s world.