King Lear by William Shakespeare

King Lear by William Shakespeare is an iconic piece of English literature, as are many of Shakespeare's plays. King Lear is a tragedy, in which King Lear, the king of Britain, divides his kingdom among his daughters. The first two daughters, Regan and Goneril, appeal to their father's ego by complimenting him with extravagant professions of their love for him. His third daughter, Cordelia, though her father's favorite, refuses to appease him and tells him honestly that she loves him, but not as extravagantly as her sisters. Lear banishes his daughter to France as a result. As the story continues, Regan and Goneril continue to fight for maximum poer, against each other and their father. The play essentially depicts the downfall of Lear, culminating with his death and the death of Cordelia. Despite the various examples of dysfunctional familial relationships, King Lear largely supports the idea that love is intellectual.

Big Question: Is love a matter of the intellect or a matter of the heart (emotions)?
The initial and untruthful professions of love by Goneril and Regan suggest that love is often falsely "advertised" for some type of gain. Furthermore, the abrupt shift in Lear's feelings towards Cordelia indicates that, by process of thought, he was able to decide that his love for her was LESS important than her love for him, allowing him to banish her from his kingdom. If love were emotional, it is possible that King Lear's sentiments towards Cordelia (his favorite daughter) might have made it significantly more difficult for him to do so. Similarly, because Regan and Goneril's love for their father was based upon an opportunity for personal gain, this love was conditional and therefore logic-based. Arguably, if their love had not been logic based by emotionally based, they would have handled their Father's demands similarly to Cordelia. Overall, King Lear seems to suggest that love is based moreso upon the intellect than the emotion or "the heart."