4. Consider Lear’s use of a love test.

What motivates him to use this type of

device? What type of love does Lear seek? Does Lear seem to learn his lesson
after the disastrous results of the love test in Act 1, Scene 1?

In Act1 Scene1 the 'love test' takes place. This is when Lear wants his three
daughters to confess who loves him the most to claim there share of kingdom. Lear
wanted to split his kingdom between his three daughters. He expected himself to
still be king but his daughters to rule the kingdom whilst he does nothing.

He wants to make sure that his family still loves him, even if he needs to force
them to lie about it. When Cordelia tells her father that she cannot flatter him in the
same way that her sisters did, King Lear becomes outraged and banishes her.

By promising to divide his kingdom based on who loves him the most, Lear has
essentially pitted daughter against daughter.

Lear demands that his daughters affirm their love for him. He asks, “which of you
shall we say doth love us most?” Lear expects his three daughters to offer him
rivaling speeches and declarations of love and affection. However, Lear is looking
for empty words and flatteries rather than an honest affirmation of love.

The love between each of these parties is reciprocal, and Cordelia's love for her
father is what she owes him. Cordelia tempers her love test reply with reason — a
simple, unembellished statement of the honor due a father from his daughter. Lear
irrationally responds by denying Cordelia all affection and paternal care.

King Lear favors Goneril and Regan because their professions of love are so
much more extravagant than Cordelia's. It is obvious to the audience that the two
older sisters are just lying because they are motivated by greed and not by love.

Finally, Lear dies before he can reconcile himself to his loss. The blindness that
caused Lear to give his kingdom to the wrong heirs and fail to see Cordelia's love
persists through the end of the play, as Lear is unable to see that his mistakes have
resulted in the death of the one person who truly loved him.