In our last blog, we talked about short speeches which can help ease a child’s transition to larger roles. These “building blocks” pieces enable younger, less-experienced performers to gain and grow in confidence on the stage. As we noted, it is those “in-between” points that make all the difference ― whether the student is moving from incidental parts, or behind-the-scenes work, to speaking roles, or whether they are ready to move on to full-fledged characterizations.
A great building block for the latter phase is the speech that Cordelia delivers to her father, King Lear, at the start of the play.
In Act 1, Scene 1, Lear asks his three daughters ― Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia ― to declare who loves him the most so that he will know how to divide his kingdom between them. Regan and Goneril declare their love so melodramatically as to flatter their father’s vanity and gain his wealth; Cordelia, however, answers simply and honestly. “I love your Majesty according to my bond,” she explains, “No more nor less.” This enrages Lear, who banishes his daughter and sets the tragic events of the play in motion.
Cordelia’s speech is not long ― just about a dozen lines ― but it allows for complex character development. She is sincere but not cloying; direct but respectful. Her innocence contrasts with the duplicity of her sisters, with her words attesting to her personal integrity. That quality can be more challenging to convey than humour, romance, or even villainy. It is, simply, an excellent performance piece for a rising star!
© 2020