This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
William Shakespeare's "Tragedy of King Lear" begins with the old king gathering his daughters around him to have them tell him how much they love him. The news of a recent presidential Cabinet meeting, which featured the attendees lavishing praise on President Trump, brought memories of Lear flooding into my brain.
There were no shortages of Gonerils and Regans and their husbands, the Dukes of Albany and Cornwall. But, alas, Cordelia was absent. Recall that she is the one who defied her beloved father by refusing to publicly opine about how much she loved him. For her intransigence she was banished and the whole tragedy unfolded. Perhaps Ivanka could have been Cordelia. After all, she has resisted her father on some issues. But her husband seems to me to be more like Albany or Cornwall.
Alas, the oligarchical reign of Donald Trump is being cemented in place and confirmed daily. I hope that our country can recover its dignity and place as a world leader from the dungeons the current administration is dragging us down into. A tragedy indeed, likely to end up with too many bloodied corpses spread across the stage.
Wayne Wilson
West Jordan