Lear's banishment of Cordelia sets off a chain of events that leads to his downfall. He is defeated in battle by his two elder daughters, Goneril and Regan, and he is stripped of his power. He wanders the heath in madness, and he is eventually reunited with Cordelia. However, it is too late. Cordelia is killed, and Lear dies of grief.
Lear is a tragic figure because he is ultimately responsible for his own downfall. His pride and his foolishness lead him to make a series of bad decisions, and he pays the price for those decisions. However, he is also a sympathetic figure. He is a man who is struggling with the challenges of old age and the loss of his power, and he is ultimately destroyed by his love for his daughters.
Lear is one of Shakespeare's most complex and well-developed characters. He is a man of great passion and great weakness, and he is ultimately a tragic figure.