Cordelia: So young, my lord, and true. (1.1.106-7)
Those worthy of love and those who bestow love in King Lear, are the ones who highlight the cruelty and hardness of the play. Their love is genuine -- whether it be filial love, friendship, or loyalty -- and in a tragedy such as Lear, it naturally leaves them vulnerable: to plots and duplicity, to banishment and dismissal.
In examining Act I of the play, let us pull out a few examples of love and their consequences.
We first have the Love Test presented by Lear to his three daughters. A test seemingly to determine the division of a kingdom, though more of a formality since the land has already been divided (with each section most likely associated with a particular daughter). Goneril and Regan however, play the roles expected of them. Their eyes on the prize. Each offers up an insincere attempt at flattery, using the most colorful language imaginable to convey what they know their father wishes to hear.
Then there is Cordelia, whose genuine love of her father (and lack of "oily art") prevents her from competing with her sisters. Though the rules of the game are clear, Cordelia cannot bring herself to be a player. Though there is no question that she loves Lear, she cannot give her entire heart, knowing that she must leave room for another: her future husband. While Goneril and Regan, and to a certain extent Lear himself, take the Love Test to be merely a game, Cordelia takes it very seriously and though she does not mean to offend her father, she would rather be honest than cheapen her love with flowery, empty words.
In addition, she should not have to prove her love, or be criticized for being unable to articulate her heart. Lear certainly knows what Cordelia feels for him, which as it turns out, is what he credits his disappointment to, as he wanted his favorite daughter to win:
Better thou,
Hadst not been born than not to have pleased me better.
(Lear, 1.1.234-5)
Lear banishes her from his kingdom and his heart. Just like that. A very rash decision on Lear's part, but as we discover, love is an emotion that can easily cloud better judgment, as well as blindside a person. Take Kent, our second example of love. He has pledged his allegiance to Lear, but as much as he wishes to please him, he cannot stand by and hold his tongue while Cordelia is rejected so cruelly. He intercedes, only to find himself banished as well:
