Analysis of the Death of Cordelia “The play subverts the genre of tragedy by offering a promise of fulfillment and yet delivering the opposite.(Epstein)” As it is defined, a tragedy is “a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, a moral weakness, or an inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.” Clearly, upon review of this definition, …showed first 75 words of 796 total…

…showed last 75 words of 796 total…is that she is too idealistic, and therefore, she refuses to say things that will compromise a situation. Rather, she always speaks the extreme, or does not speak at all, something even more extreme. In King Lear, Shakespeare portrays a dark view of the world, and Cordelia’s unfortunate death marks this darkness with an exclamation point. Bibliography 1. Epstein, Paul. “The Purgation of the Hero in Shakespearian Tragedy” www.mun.ca/animus/1998vol3/epstein3.htm