The Importance of Nothingness in William Shakespeare's King Lear The tragedy of King Lear has many important themes. One of the main themes concerns "nothing". The main point of the “nothing” discussion is that “nothing” is many things. Nothing is what binds everything. The first mention of "nothing" is when King Lear asks his daughters to declare how much they love him. His older daughters compliment him by tickling his ears. Yet the Lears' favorite daughter, Cordelia, will only tell the truth. When asked what he can say to gain her a better portion of land than her sisters, she replies, "Nothing, my Lord" (1.1.) He exclaims, "Nothing!" (1.1.) and she replies: "Nothing" (1.1.). Lear's answers: "Nothing will come from nothing" (1.1.) As he expresses it, he created something from nothing. Lear takes offense at a true and honest answer. Cordelia's "nothing" will blossom into something extraordinary. This is the cause of Kent's exile and her hasty marriage to the Prince of France. In 1.4, the Fool reels off a lesson to Lear. Kent (in disguise) says his speech...