An Analysis of the three sisters' speeches

In King Lear, all three (3) sisters seemed to have professed their love for their father in different ways. The eldest daughter, Goneril was the first to profess her love for King Lear. When he asked her to go first and show him how much she loves him, she says,

"Sir, I do love you more than words can wield the matter,

Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty,

Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,

No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor,

As much as child e'er loved or father found—

A love that makes breath poor and speech unable.
Beyond all manner of so much I love you."

Here Goneril is saying that she loves King Lear more than words can say and that she loves him more than eyesight, space, freedom and other luxuries of the world. She further exclaims that her love is too deep to be spoken of for she loves him more than any answer to the question how much? Goneril seems to be saying a lt of meaningful things and expressing her love for her father just so that she can get the largest gift out of all of the sisters. It also seems like she was only doing so much exlaining and embellished so much just so that she would win.

After Goneril has said her part, her sister Regan, being the middle child, goes right after her and says,

"Sir, I am made of that self mettle as my sister,

And prize me at her worth. In my true heart,

I find she names my very deed of love—

Only she comes too short, that I profess

Myself an enemy to all other joys,

Which the most precious square of sense possesses.

And find I am alone felicitate

In your dear highness' love."

Here Regan is saying that she considers herself to be as good as her sister since they are made out of the same "mettle" and posits that her sister said everything she would have said, but at the same time she still fell a little short of the truth. Regan explains to her father that she does not have a joy for anything else and that only her father's love makes her happy. This clearly showing to the audience that she is trying to "out do" her sister in saying that Goneril fell short, and her feelings for him surpasses that of her sister Goneril.

Finally, the last to speak is Cordelia, since she is the youngest out of the three daughters and King Lear's favourite, of which he expects to hear something far greater than what her sisters have said thus far. Sadly, she disappoints him by saying " Nothing my Lord," where King Lear get's upset and tells her that nothing will get her nothing. Cordelia goes on to say that she is unlucky and does not have a talent for putting her feelings into her mouth, meaning into words, and she loves him as a child should love her father, nothing more nothing less. This shows that Cordelia is merely telling the truth and is not trying to impress him with lies like her other sisters have done just so that they can receieve the largest gift. He is her father who has brught her up and loved her and she is in return loving, obeying and honoring him as she should and not trying to make her love for him sound as grand as her sisters did.