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The author examines King Lear's banishment of his favorite daughter, an action which generations of critics have attempted to explain. Lear's unconscious passion for Cordelia leads him to ask of her that which she cannot grant. The author suggests that as Lear loved Cordelia the most, he must have known her best. Thus, on some level, he must have anticipated her response. When she is deprived of a dowry, Burgundy emerges as "noble" for refusing to marry her—refusing to come between an aging father and his favorite daughter. The links between Cordelia and the fool are demonstrated clearly, as is Lear's passion for the truth, except as expressed by Cordelia. The True Chronicle History of King Leir, one of Shakespeare's sources, sets forth a much more rational plot. Leir rhymes with "there," and the author suggests that Shakespeare intended to convey the meaning of "leer," with respect to the King's incestuous longings. Cordella, in the early play, is changed to Cordelia—Cor de Lear—"the heart of Lear, Lear's Love." All who are familiar with Shakespeare's love of word play will acknowledge these as possible reasons for the seemingly minor alterations. King Lear's character development is traced in a lucid, convincing manner. The author also underscores another significant theme in the play: the struggle between fathers and their children (Lear and his daughters, and Gloucester and his sons), the exploration of which Freud simply dismissed.