Nothing will come of nothing (1.1.87-95)

CORDELIA

Nothing, my lord.

KING LEAR

Nothing!

CORDELIA

Nothing.

KING LEAR

Nothing will come of nothing: speak again.

CORDELIA

Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; nor more nor less.

KING LEAR

How, how, Cordelia! mend your speech a little, Lest it may mar your fortunes.

Cordelia replies with “nothing” - a key theme in this play. There is quite a lot of irony in “nothing” here as she is the only sister who truly feels something in the way of love for Lear. Her sisters - however - hold no true love for him, and yet, they spill large, and eloquent, hyperbolic sentences. It’s important in this play that: only when one experiences nothingness, can one see the truth for what it is. Lear who doesn’t understand the importance of “nothing” - cannot see the truth of his daughter’s words and yet is blind to the fallacies of Goneril and Regan. Only when all is stripped, can one see the truth. In this way, Lear only recognises Cordelia’s love when he is left alone. Gloucester similarly only sees Edmund for what he truly is - when he is blinded. Punctuation is also used to mark the difference in attitude Lear and Cordelia have with regards to “nothing”. Next, Lear goes on to use the Latin proverb: “nothing will come of nothing” or Ex nihilo nihil fit. This is incredibly significant as it directly contradicts the creation story - where God creates something from nothing. Not only his actions, but his mindset also reflects anti-Christian views; it seems certain that he will suffer through some sort of hellish sequence. He once again uses the imperative “speak” to give Cordelia a second chance (she is clearly his favourite daughter). Cordelia uses alliteration to ling the verb “heave” with the noun “heart”. This aggressive verb being juxtaposed with the kind and loving heart makes flattery seem inherently incorrect. Cordelia provides a perfectly reasonable explanation of loving “According to [her] bond”. The isocolon of “nor more nor less” makes her seem balanced, and reasonable in face of Lear’s exclamations. Lear tells her off for this mentioning that she should “mend [her] speech”. The verb “mend” suggests that Cordelia is a healing presence, as well as showing that Lear tries to see the best in her - regardless of whether she follows his game or not.