Although Cordelia and the Fool had the intention and goal to save Lear from himself, Cordelia was much less successful, due to her gender and position in the family. As Lear's daughter, Cordelia loved him, and wanted to save him however, she was not around long enough to do so. In contrast the fool was able to continually work at Lear for most of the play, in a somewhat successful attempt to save Lear from his faults. As a person with unique position, where he is prized for both his wit and his ability to speak the truth to those in power, the fool is able to effectively critique Lear in a way that Cordelia wasn't able to, for fear of stepping out of her social bounds. Although the outcome was not exactly what was expected, the success that they had impacted Lear internally.
Cordelia loves her father. She loves him for real, not for his money or title or land that he could give her. She recognizes that he has character flaws that will come back to hurt him and just wants to help him out. During Lear's test of love, she calls out her sisters, claiming that they couldn't possibly love the king as much as they say because they already have husbands; "why have my sisters husbands if they say they love you all?" (1.1.101) Her confession of love is the most sincere, the most sensible. However, because of Lear's pride, it just angers him. Even after Lear takes away her dowry and disowns her, Cordelia still loves him. As she is leaving, she tries to implore her sisters to take care of him; "use well our father" (1.1.274). Even at the end, after all he has done, she still forgives him and wants him to be ok. "All you unpublished virtues of the earth, spring with my tears! Be ardent and remediate in the good man's stress." Even now, after all that has happened, and even with Lear's mental state, Cordelia knows that he is still a good man. Unlike her sisters, who don't follow through on their professions of love, Cordelia keeps her promises and more.
