“Does Nothing come from Nothing?”

As King Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. He requires of Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia to show how much they love him. His two eldest daughters, Regan and Goneril, praise and deceive the old king, and receive their rewards. He asks Cordelia to speak up and praise him more than her sisters have just done. The youngest, favoured daughter Cordelia, who loves him most, cannot find the words to articulate this love. When asked, “What can you say to draw a third more opulent than your sister? Speak.” (I. i. 86-87) Cordelia responds "Nothing, my lord." (I. i. 88) Lear repeats this answer as a question. She responds the same. Lear is outraged and tells her "Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again.” (I. i. 91) and banishes her without money, title, or any part of his kingdom. The theme begins to unravel hereafter. Throughout the play Lear himself realizes that “Nothing can be made out of nothing.” (I iv. 123) only when he is stripped of importance, quantity, and encompasses emptiness could he truly appreciate small acts of charity.

Lear believes he is still in possession of everything that belongs to him the faith in hi

mself as an all-powerful monarch and the title of king. Goneril, Regan, and the Fool continually remind him that he is an old man who has lost his kingdom and his intelligence through his own stupidity. When Goneril and Reagan are in power they try to make Lear appear to be incompetent. They refer to him as "Idle old man" (I iii. 17) in

front of everyone and start to make even Lear ponder nothing of himself. The Fool speaks truth to the king but King Lear doesn’t acknowledge his words because of his vocation. “Now thou art an O without a figure. I am better than thou art now. I am a Fool, thou art nothing.” (I iv. 180-181). He fails to realize that he holds no importance through name or additions after giving power to Cornwall and Albany.

In a sense Lear’s words were unfulfilled. Something did come from nothing not through a materialistic sense but rather a significant persuasion of the existing

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