It is worth noting that though Cordelia's sisters Regan
and Goneril will later prove to be unloving and treacherous in their actions, in this
opening scene, the audience does not know this. Shakespeare has them say all the lovely
"correct" things a child should say when a parent asks them to describe their feelings.
At this point in the play, an audience that is new to the story might wonder like Lear,
why Cordelia isn't speaking as a good daughter should, like her
sisters.
Cordelia's decision to "love and be silent" since
her "love's more richer than [her] tongue", shows a conviction that mirrors a deeply
held Christian belief -- that love is an action that one performs, not a feeling that
one describes. Cordelia's is often described as a Christ figure in the play, and this
opening determination to let her loving actions speak for themselves, supports
that.
Ultimately, Shakespeare doesn't give a definitive
answer, so how do you see Cordelia?
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