Poetic Justice?

In relation to King Lear, how might you respond to the following statement: "It is a mark of Shakespeare's uncompromising view of reality that there is no simple application of poetic justice to reward the good and punish the wicked"?

Shakespeare's uncompromising view of reality is that it isn't always sunny in life. There are some days where it's going to rain, and there's no way you can change or fix that. It is in the case of Cordelia where this is most apparent.
Cordelia was one of the very few wholesome characters in the play. Under no conviction was there any poetic justice used in her favor. After not lathering her father with copious amounts of flattery, she was exiled from the kingdom. Her sisters, on the other hand, foolishly praised their father just for the possession of his kingdom. It worked for them though. Although they were insincere with their appraisal, they were the ones that Lear believed.
Lear realized he lost his daughter after a long trudge through a storm where he finally understood himself. He came to obtain the knowledge that he is human, not just a king. He wanted his once-favorite daughter back in his life. As soon as Lear and Cordelia reconciled their relationship, Cordelia was sentenced to death by Edmund.
It was Shakespeare's uncompromising view of reality that shaped the plot line of Cordelia. She never caught a break, which is exactly what Shakespeare thinks of reality. This play depicts the struggles that still go on today, which means they are real life problems, and it's not just a fairytale gone wrong.

~kd