Lear then devises the love test to avoid the order of succession rule. The love test "is childish, foolish--but very human" (13 Knight). He loves her so much that he wants her to have everything. During the love test, Goneril and Regan smother the king with exaggerated words of praise and pretended love, but Cordelia tells Lear that she loves him, "According to my bond, no more, no less" (I.i.94). Lear flies into a rage upon hearing this because he provides his favorite daughter with a chance to profess her love, and she refuses. This hurts him so he divides the kingdom between Goneril and Regan. Cordelia knows that her sisters possess a "fierce hatred of cruelty and deceitful wickedness" (117 Harbage). She warns them to take care of their father saying, "Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides,/Who covers faults, at last with shame derides" ( I.i.283). She knows that sooner or later their darkness will come to the light. .
Larry Cook serves as the Lear-like character in A Thousand Acres. Unfortunately, alcoholism stands as his fatal flaw, and in a drunken state he cuts his favorite daughter, Caroline out of her share of land. Caroline feels uncertain about farming the land so she simply says, "I don't know"(38 Smiley). Caroline's statement hardly possesses any disrespectful tones, but their "father's pride had been injured to the quick" (39 Smiley). Cook punishes Caroline not out of love but completely out of selfishness. .
Fathers receive the utmost respect from all of their children, especially if he reigns as king, but King Lear receives little respect from his wicked daughters, Goneril andRegan. Regan and her husband Cornwall put Lear's messenger Kent into the stocks. This serves as a blatant smack of disrespect to Lear. The daughters also talk to Lear in a patronizing manner, and constantly disrespect him. He finally tires of the constant slander and decides to verbally attack them.
