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In the play King Lear, by William Shakespeare, one of the most mischievous characters is Gloucester’s bastard son Edmund. As an outlet for his anger of being illegitimately born, Edmund commits many villainous acts throughout the play. He plots against his half-brother Edgar, betrays his father Gloucester and orders Cordelia to be executed.
When Edmund is first left by himself, he speaks this soliloquy and it is the first time we get an insight into his character. He plans to trick his father, Gloucester, into believing Edgar is plotting against Gloucester so that he can claim all the land and the family rights. Through this soliloquy Edmund is obviously frustrated that he is always second to Edgar, and the repeated use of the word “legitimate” in reference to Edgar shows how envious he is of his brother’s status. However his ambitious behaviour is not just because he wants power, but more importantly Edmund is trying to seek the recognition that was denied to him because of his bastard status. Although Edmund may appear to be a cruel villain without a conscience, it is only near the end of the play when he is wounded that he shows regret for ordering the execution of Cordelia. This passage helps us to gain an initial understanding of Edmund’s thoughts and it also foreshadows his plans for the rest of the play.
The first villainous act that Edmund commits is when he wrongly accuses Edgar of plotting against Gloucester. When Gloucester first asks to see what Edmund is holding in his hand [the letter], Edmund denies that he is hiding anything. Gloucester persists and eventually learns about Edgar’s supposed threat against him.