The map was projected onto a screen, which Lear then tore, showing it to be of paper.

Goneril and Regan were ... yes, I think "just plain wicked" sums it up nicely. Lear showed himself to be a sad old man - seemingly harsh at first, but then this was shown to be early signs of his madness. (It may not be a coincidence that Timothy West's wife Prunella Scales suffers from Alheizmer's).

Cordelua is harder for me to say, as I have little to compare it to - I am sorry to say that I have never seen the play before.