Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-118.101.201.197-20130315043408/@comment-5106672-20130408023506

After watching The Miller's Daughter again, I've come to the conclusion that yes, Cora was really evil. She did all the wrong choices, but she did them deliberately. She learned she was fifth in line so she decided to go away with Rumple, who was clearly more powerful than her to-be husband. Perhaps she somewhat loved him too, but that's the reason. Then King Xavier made her change her mind offering her the power she wanted and she swinged back because power was more important to her. It's true, she did many evil deeds while heartless, but the choice to take off her heart to have power over love was ultimately her own.

She probably changed her mind only in her dying moments after realising that she wasted a whole life going after something that wasn't worth the sacrifice, so she told Rumple first and Regina then "this would have been enough", but I do really think it was a very last moment realisation.