Explore the ways Shakespeare presents Edgar as a Christ like figure in the play "King Lear"

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Explore the ways Shakespeare presents Edgar in “King Lear” and how the character of Edgar changes throughout the play

An interesting concept is the ways Shakespeare presents Edgar in the play “King Lear”.

Edgar is the legitimate son of Gloucester and his illegitimate brother Edmund, wants to take his father’s land, so he says to his father that Edgar is planning to kill him, and tells Edgar to flee. The role of Edgar changes throughout the play, he plays a symbolic part that who brings out central themes in the play. He supports and reflects the character of Cordelia; because both of the characters have almost been disowned by their fathers, even though both of them have done nothing wrong.

The first scene we see Edgar is in plain contrast to his brother Edmund, in Act I scene II, where Edmund first tells Edgar to flee, because he has up set his father, Edgar is presented as gentle and almost placid, which is unlike his brother who comes across as strong and fierce. Shakespeare is showing the two sides of human nature, by giving the two brothers alternate personalities.

 

Shakespeare also presents Edgar as a Christ like figure, the first scene the audience could notice this is act II scene III, where, Edgar decides he must take on a new identity, that of “Poor Tom” he announces this to the audience; he also announces that he is a wanted person. Throughout this soliloquy, there is an image of Christ on the cross he states “In contempt of man” this is showing that Edgar believes that man is a dreadful creature.

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He refers to “Bedlam beggars” which is men who come from or pretended to come from the hospital of Bethlehem, and were known at the time where the insane gather in London. His decision to opt for this disguise is interesting, in that by copying the life of the unpleasant subjects in Lear’s kingdom is a criticism of Lear’s rule.

The last line of the soliloquy Edgar says “Edgar I nothing am” this is continuing the theme of disappearance, that has occurred so regularly in the play, the word “Nothing” is used a great deal through out the ...

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