Parallelism: Shakespeare establishes two separate dysfunctional family dramas from the first sentence of his play, both following the parallel structure of corrupted children scheming against their blinded fathers. The first of the two arises between Gloucester, his true son whom he does not name (Edgar), and his presumably adopted son, Edmund. The second drama of course is between <a href="/keyword/king-lear/" >king lear</a> and his three daughters: his favorite Cordelia, and the two scheming for his kingdom, Goneril and Regan. By pitting blood against blood Shakespeare not only presents the fact that both sexes are capable of atrocities, but that the human bond thought to be tougher than any other, a parent to his child, is expendable; for nothing more than land or money. Foreshadow: <a href="/keyword/king-lear/" >king lear</a> s rash and foolish banishment of his youngest daughter Cordelia sets the entire story in motion. Upon hearing Cordelia had been banished, his advisor Kent does his best to implore the King to reconsider his decision for his own sake- in thy best consideration check / this hideous rashness. Answer my life my / judgment, thy youngest daughter does not love thee least. (I.i) Kent s passionate attempts to sway the king imply his knowledge of the consequences of his actions- that by choosing to listen to his older daughters false speeches of adoration, he will inevitably lose more than his younger daughter; which in fact, he does. Interior Monologue: Shakespeare establishes the discord between his three daughters in Act I by voicing the disgruntled opinions of Cordelia in response to her sisters vain attempts to show their love for their father, and in turn be awarded with parts of his kingdom. Following Goneril s fake laudation of the King, Cordelia rebuts to the audience, What shall Cordelia speak? / Love, and be silent. (I.i) and after Regan s similar overdone false show of affection, not so, since I am sure my love is / more ponderous than my tounge. (I.i). By making the differences between the daughters so apparent, it becomes clear who can be trusted and who cannot- for Cordelia is the only one who speaks the truth when asked, while the other two do not think twice about the dishonesty of their actions. The audience is then left to watch as <a href="/keyword/king-lear/" >king lear</a> falls into their trap, banishing his one true offspring in favor of the lies and praise of the others. *&quot;Literary Terms.&quot; Spark Notes. 2008. Barnes and Noble. 14 Sept. 2008 &lt;http://sparkcharts.sparknotes.com/lit/literaryterms/section2.php #literary%20techniques&gt;;. *Lockett, J. &quot;Lear's Lapse.&quot; 14 Sept. 2008 &lt;http://www.io.com/~jlockett/grist/english/lear.html&gt;;. *Shakespeare, William. Four Great Tragedies : Hamlet; Othello; <a href="/keyword/king-lear/" >king lear</a> ; Macbeth. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Signet Classics, 1998. 3-15.