So young, my lord, and true. (1.1.105-109)

KING LEAR

But goes thy heart with this?

CORDELIA

Ay, good my lord.

KING LEAR

So young, and so untender?

CORDELIA

So young, my lord, and true.

Lear shocked, asks Cordelia if her “heart goes with this”, to which she affirms. It is important that Cordelia’s mind and heart are one in their decisions as it makes her love natural and true in comparison to the mouth and mind being united in Goneril and Regan - who use this bond to gain power and land; in their case, the removal of the heart from the equation makes them rather heartless towards Lear. However, for Cordelia, the lack of mouth is what removes her. Despite his behaviour, she still calls him “good”. Perhaps this is a form of willingness to forgive and believe in him, but it could also be there to alleviate his anger at - what he believes to be her betrayal. This constant belief contrasts Goneril and Regan - who at the end of this scene express their concern with his growing rashness. This foreshadows how Cordelia’s loving position will be constant throughout the play in comparison to Goneril and Regan whose love will be transient. Lear goes on to muse how she is “so young, and so untender”. Cordelia’s lack of tenderness isn’t something she denies but corrects. Tenderness suggests that Lear would love her if she were like a young animal, for young meat is also described as tender. Perhaps this shows that he cannot deal with women who are smarter and stubborn. It suggests that he is insecure and has a strain of confidence. He would rather be blind to things which displease him, thus explaining his rash decision to banish her. Cordelia responds by repeating Lear’s words: “so young”. By using his own words back at him, she gains an upper hand of sorts. She is clearly a logical person, and, despite her weakness in flattery, she can speak strongly when her heart is in it. She ends with “true”: a word that completely sums her up. It is not in Cordelia’s nature to lie, no matter how painful the truth may be, and she wants this trait to be known to Lear over “untender”: she wants him to see the truth.