The two men who want to marry Cordelia are the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy. Part of the reason that these men are pursuing her is because of her political position. However, when Cordelia is dismissed by King Lear, the men's true character is revealed. Without the promise of land and power, the Duke of Burgundy is very quick to withdraw his suit. The King of France is not motivated by her position, though. He loves Cordelia, and still wants to make her even though it wouldn't politically assist his kingdom at all. In fact, marrying her causes his country to go to war with Britain. The King of France is shown as having the truer motives in marrying Cordelia, which counters both Burgundy and the marriages of her sisters.
See eNotes Ad-Free
Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts.
Already a member? Log in here.