There is a very specific tone that I've tried to capture in my last two King Lear posts: "
The beginning of nothing," and "
The meaning of nothing." King Lear is full of anger, and is beyond reason at this point. I am reminded of a verse in
Proverbs: "A soft answer turneth away wrath," (Proverbs 15:1). But Cordelia's soft answer has not turned Lear's wrath away, it has escalated it. I have found that this verse, perhaps ironically, applies more to the Prince of France than to King Lear. I think that this verse is usually interpreted as a means to disarm the anger in another person. However, perhaps it will most usually apply to a third party--someone who is not engaged firsthand in the argument. King Lear is the one dealing out wrath; Cordelia is the one receiving it. The tone of anger is painful, and while all efforts to recover what the king is losing have failed, there comes another voice that we haven't heard much yet. The Prince of France steps forward, and changes the tone. The onslaught of angry words feels like a loud waterfall; no real order, just loud and crashing down. The Prince of France changes that not only with a soft answer, but the way in which he speaks:
France: Fairest Cordelia, thou art most rich, being poor;
Most choice, forsaken, and most loved, despised.
Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon, Be it lawful I take up what's cast away.
'Tis strange that from their cold'st
neglect
My love should kindle to inflamed
respect.
Thy dowerless daughter, King, thrown to my
chance,
Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair
France.
Not all the dukes of waterish
Burgendy
Can buy this unprized precious maid of
me.
Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though
unkind.
Thou loses here a better where to
find.
 |
| King Lear is like a loud, crashing waterfall |
You'll notice that this is the first time for a while that anyone has spoken in prose. This totally changes the tone of the scene. If I were directing this scene, I would have the Prince turn to Cordelia, and speak softly for near only her to hear. Because a soft answer may not always turn off wrath, someone can always turn it away from someone they love. That's what the Prince of France did here, as spoke in contrast not only to the torrential onslaught of the king, but in measured words of kindness.
