Ending in a Win or a Draw?
Editing King Lear
King Lear begins with the ceremony that Lear stages while dividing his kingdom up between his three daughters, asking each to describe their love for him so that the one who “say[s] doth love us most/…we our largest bounty may extend” (I.1.56-7.) After each complies with his request for flattery, Lear doles out equal shares of his kingdom to his two eldest daughters, assuring Regan that her portion is a fully “ample third of our fair kingdom, /No less in space, validity, and pleasure/Than that [conferred/confirmed] on Goneril.” (I.1.86-8) However, when Lear calls Cordelia for her turn to speak, he offers her the chance to receive “a third more opulent than [her] sisters.” (I.1.90)
Though it is only apparent in the written text and would go unnoticed if the lines were spoken, the construction of this sentence is interesting in itself. The word “sisters” is not in its possessive form, which would carry the connotation that the portion of land Cordelia was slated to receive was more opulent that the portions of land now belonging to Goneril and Regan. Instead, Lear refers to Cordelia’s “sisters” in the nominative form of the word, implying that Cordelia now has the opportunity to outperform her sisters in her expression of love for her father, and thus receive a better piece of the kingdom “than [her] sisters” had earned from their displays of affection. This distinction, though very subtle, speaks to the relationship between Lear and Cordelia, as well as to the purpose of the method Lear uses to divide his kingdom. Though Cordelia is his favorite, Lear does not automatically allot the best portion of the kingdom to her; instead, he expects that Cordelia will earn the best portion, since she loves him the most and will, therefore, be able to express it best.
To the same effect, the Quarto and Folio versions of King Lear phrase this line slightly differently, which subtly alters its implication of Lear’s intent. While the Quarto has Lear asking Cordelia what she could say “to win” her third of the land, the Folio uses the verb “to draw” instead. The different words do not alter the meaning of the sentence; either way, Lear is asking Cordelia to perform a task in order to receive her share of the kingdom. However, the two sentences carry the implications of slightly different offers.
By telling Cordelia “to draw” a portion of the kingdom, Lear is offering her the chance “to pull or select by lot” or “to exercise allurement or attractive force” (OED, 2nd Edition, s.v. “Draw,” 34b, 27) to receive her piece of the land. Like a magician asking his audience to “draw a card,” Lear is telling Cordelia that the land is hers for the taking, so long as she is able “to pull” (OED, 2nd Edition, s.v. “Draw,” 1a) it for herself by giving her father the flattery he has asked for. The contest Lear has staged is not really a contest at all, but is simply a hoop that he is making his daughters jump through instead of simply giving each her share of the land.
However, the offer Lear makes in the Quarto to Cordelia “to win” her portion of the kingdom legitimizes the contest he has set up. Having a winner implies that there is also a loser; by offering Cordelia the chance “to win” her portion of the kingdom, Lear gives her the chance “to strive” (OED, 2nd Edition, s.v. “Win,” 1) for this prize that will be awarded for her victory in this contest. However, having a winner implies that there is also a loser; this word also raises the possibility that Cordelia may not “be victorious in a contest” (OED, 2nd Edition, s.v. “Win,” 3a), and – as is realized – not be awarded any land at all. Cordelia’s invitation “to win a third more opulent” than her sisters adds a competitive element to the process, as well. Cordelia is not only being evaluated on her performance, but is being positioned “to beat” (OED, 2nd Edition, s.v. “Win,” 2) Goneril and Regan and thus be awarded a better portion of the kingdom than either of her sisters had won.
As does the subtle distinction of the word “sisters” being in its nominative form instead of its possessive, Lear’s invitation to Cordelia “to win” her piece of the kingdom adds connotations of uncertainty and competition that an invitation “to draw” her portion lacks. Lear’s language implies that he expects Cordelia not only to pass his evaluation, and to outperform her sisters in doing so. However, the land is not simply Cordelia’s for the taking (or, specifically, “drawing”); instead, Lear offers Cordelia a chance to enter a contest she is expected to win, while retaining the possibility that she may also lose.