Shakespeare uses Edmund to present the theme of nature to the audience. Edmund talks about ‘nature’ at the beginning of his soliloquy, which has various connotations during the play. Continuously, the word ‘nature’ is a reminder of the natural affection between parent and children. It is clear that Edmund discards these natural ties and associating himself with the ‘lusty stealth of nature’ such as wild animals and beasts. Shakespeare may have chosen to use the word ‘lusty’ because it relates to his parents affair, highlighting that he was not born out of wedlock. This may appeal to Edmund because it contradicts what society accepts as the norm, and his society doesn’t respect him and he feels that they ‘deprive’ him of his father’s inheritance, which he believes he deserves. Shakespeare’s choice of language in Edmund’s soliloquy reveals more about his character. The tone of this soliloquy is angry and bitter, as Edmunds feelings of deprivation are uncovered. Shakespeare uses repeated plosive sounds, ‘With base? With baseness, bastardy? Base, base?’. These repeated plosive sounds expose how infuriated Edmund feels about how he thinks he has been treated. However Shakespeare indicates that Edmund may be proud to be an illegitimate child when he uses juxtaposition, comparing how Edmund was conceived in a ‘lusty’ affair compared to most ‘legitimate’ children, like Edgar, who are born out of ‘dull stale’ wedlock. Shakespeare reveals his opinions through his characters viewpoints and through Edmund and he appears to regard adultery as very exciting and exhilarating.
When Edgar is first introduced to the audience he is immediately shown as gullible and a target of his brother, agreeing to leave his home saying ‘shall I hear from you anon?’ believing that Edmund has good intentions. Edmund betrays him so that consequently Gloucester banishes Edgar and therefore he, Edmund, will become the heir of Gloucester. Edmund is aware that his brother is very naïve; he demonstrates this knowledge when he says ‘on whose foolish honesty my practices ride easy’. Here Edmund stands alone on stage when thinking about how he is going to deceive his innocent brother. Shakespeare may have chosen to stand Edmund alone in his resentment towards Edgar just as Edmund feels he stands alone in his ‘baseness’, he feels nobody understands how inferior he feels. A further contrast between the two brothers is that while here Edmund stands ands feels alone, Edgar scarcely stands alone. When Edgar adopts his new persona as ‘poor Tom’ he is shortly joined by other demoralized characters such as Lear who immediately warms to his base character ’Noble philosopher, your company.’
Gloucester choice to banish Edgar is a rash decision, which parallels to Lear’s sudden decision to banish Cordelia and Kent. Both Lear and Gloucester overlook the child that loves them most. The audience might feel sympathy for Edgar as he has been put in a situation that he believes is real whereas Edmund and the audience know that this is not so. On the other hand the audience may feel frustrated by how much Edgar trusts his brother when they know what he really believes and the true nature of his character. Edgar is introduced after Edmund, which mirrors how Edmund believes the social order should be. Shakespeare may have chosen to introduce Edmund before Edgar because it creates tension as it contradicts what the social norm was at the period the play was written. However, the tension creates intrigue for the audience so they are engaged in what is happening in the play and therefore interested in what will happen later in the performance. In contrast to the main plot, Lear’s daughters were introduced to the audience and delivered their speeches in order of how old they were, the eldest daughter: Goneril, spoke before Regan and Cordelia.
Edgar uses similar imagery in his soliloquy in Act2, Edgar relates himself to nature as part of ‘the hunt’, which he has just ‘escaped’. A hunt invokes the image of fox hunting in the audiences’ imagination, Edgar representing the fox. A fox is a cunning animal and very clever which might represent how Edgar manages to convince the town that he is ‘poor tom’, an example of a ‘Bedlam beggar’ who commonly walked ‘bare-armed’. The animal imagery used in this soliloquy help to create the atmosphere in the play, intensify the dramatic impact of what the characters are saying as well as deepen the mood of the soliloquy.
Similarly to the ending of Edmunds soliloquy, Shakespeare chose to end Edgars with him discussing how he is going to adopt a new persona, which would involve him becoming ‘Poor Tom’. However, in contrast, Edgar will be changing from the highest to the lowest in the social order whereas Edmund is going to ‘grow’, and believes he will be more respected because he will be the heir of Gloucester. Therefore Edmund is aiming to change his position in society so that he will inherit his father’s money and land, so all his effort is for personal gain and benefit unlike Edgar, who becomes a ‘Poor Turlygod’ so he would subsequently be able to take care of his father as well as look after Lear. The motives for adopting a new persona and level in the social order completely contrast and reveal a lot about their personalities; Edgar who is humane and generous and Edmund who is manipulative and spiteful.
It is interesting, that in their speeches, that Edmund is the one that asks for help. He is intelligent and he can control the situation and anticipate the outcome of it so he can receive exactly what he wants from it, however he still asks that ‘Gods, stand up for bastards’ when he does not need their help, this may reinforce the audiences’ perception of Edmund, that he is an exceptionally self absorbed character. Unlike Edgar who is living outdoors as ‘Poor Tom’ and doesn’t ask anyone for help even though he does not deserve to be in the position he is in.
One of the main themes that Shakespeare explores in King Lear is betrayal. Siblings betray siblings and children betray parents. Edmund immediately betrays Gloucester when France invades, Gloucester talks to Edmund about supporting Lear and what he is going to do to help them and Edmund instantly betrays him to Goneril and Regan. Gloucester confides in Edmund regarding a letter which discusses how Lear will be ‘revenged’ and that the French armies have ‘footed’ already, Shakespeare may have chosen to use the word ‘footed’ to express that the French have invaded, as an alternative to landed because it is much more ambiguous and creates much more intrigue for the audience. Another theme that Shakespeare explores is fortune. Similarly Shakespeare uses Edmund as the protagonist to represent this theme. Edmund consistently makes reference to ‘the wheel of fortune’ and throughout the play. Edmund believes the fortune in his life is represented by the wheel and ‘the wheel is come a full circle’. Edmund believed that he had been deprived of his father’s inheritance because of his ‘bastard birth’, however he skilfully controlled situations by betraying his father and brother, which consequently provided him with the inheritance he believed he was entitled to. This section of Edmunds life is when he feels the wheel of fortune has ‘spun’ in his ‘fortune’, which reveals that he believes that good things have been given to his after a lifetime of deprivation. However later the wheel ‘turns’ from Edmund when Edgar returns and Edgar ‘hast this fortune on’ him.
In conclusion, Shakespeare primarily focuses on creating contrasts between Edgar and Edmund opposed to similarities between the two characters. However one striking similarity does arise. Shakespeare chose to names the brothers Edgar and Edmund; the names are very alike, which is unexpected when their characters differ so greatly. This may be Shakespeare’s way of explaining how difficult it is to distinguish between good and evil. The most important contrast he presents is how the two characters represent good or evil. In performance, the colours each of the characters wear reveal the distinct contrast between Edmund and Edgar. This is specifically shown in the battle between the two brothers at the end of the play. Edgar wears white to suggest innocence and goodness and Edmund wears dark colours, which represent evil and sin. The colours symbolise their mental attitudes and personalities. Edmund is presented as a cold malevolent character while Edmund is shown as a trustworthy and loyal who is devastated by losing his family and livelihood. However, it is Edgar who represents morality and is one of the few characters who survives the play, in consequence, presenting the legendary moral that good will always defeat evil.
Approx Word Count: 2002
Bibliography: King Lear Penguin Books 1972, Reprinted 2005
King Lear, Cambridge Student Guide First published 2002 then in 2005
King Lear, The Arden Shakespeare, Reprinted 2006
