The youngest daughter of King Lear, who in Shakespeare's play is mostly a passive and gentle character despite her defiant adherence to the truth in the opening of the play which results in her banishment. This scene is retained in Stephen Armourae' s screenplay, but Cordelia whilst in exile in France and requiring to exercise power quickly reveals a dominant and effective side. Her return to Britain is a massive change from Shakespeare's King Lear. Shakespeare's King Lear references Pagan gods of Rome, this version of King Lear expands upon that using Anglo-Saxon chronicles and ascribing ancestry such as Emperor Constans II to Cordelia and Lear, all of which play a significant role as the film unfolds.