William Shakespeare Quotes

King Lear, Act 1, Scene 1. The stubborn Lear encounters an equally stubborn Cordelia, as her integrity and pride stop her from taking part in the narcissistic Lear’s love test in which his daughters must flatter him to gain his wealth. Using a metaphor she says that she cannot "heave" her heart into her mouth – put her feelings into words. She tells him that she loves him as a daughter should love a father and her king, no more and no less. The "bond" she refers to is the relationship within a family, and also the one between kings and their subjects.