Edmund's Motives: Very Interesting.

Edmund The Bastard, a very interesting character in Shakespeare's King Lear. He is a classic Shakespeare villain, a close relation to a central character, plots to kill and deceive in order to obtain land and money, show the world that bastard born children are equally smart, skilled, and natural as normal people....wait what? Yes Edmund is a villain looking to gain money and land, these are his motives. Hidden away is a more important motive for Edmund's villainous actions, Edmund actually wants to do something good. He is standing up for children who aren't born out of wed-lock. “Now, gods, stand up for bastards,” (1.2.22.) Edmund seems to be wanting to show the world that he is capable and equal to regular children born under marriage. Edmund really wants love and respect from his peers, not distaste for his entrance into the world. I think this is very interesting because Edmund is doing some bad things, but he wants to do something good for people like him. 

Comments

[Arlo S.]

After reading this post, it makes me wonder if Edmund is actually an antihero rather than a villain. An antihero is defined by dictionary.com as "a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose, and the like." Since Edmund has a higher motivation for doing the things he is doing, I can see him as an antihero like Robin Hood or the Punisher. Doing some bad things for a better or greater cause. When thinking about it like this, it makes me think of Edmund as a misunderstood person rather than a bad person. What do you think?

[Sara]

I also think that Edmnd is just misunderstood. He wants so badly to be accepted that he will do whatever it takes in order to gain his father's love and show that bastards are people too. However, some of his actions are mistakes and I think he will reach an epiphany in the end that he should not have done what he did. As far as making connections between Edmund and other antiheroes, I agree because Edmund is fighting for a nobel cause, just not one that is necessarily the most popular at the moment.

[Liz Reyes]

I honestly never perceived Edmund as being right in his decisions. He seemed to be a villain to me always. It is interesting though to seem him in a different light. I think if I were in his position it would be hard for me tolerate my position in life. I think that I would want to be rebellious as well, but at what cost? Is it worth to kill off your own brother and become as worthless and deceitful as those who call you “illegitimate?” It seems to me that he is only sinking to Cordelia and Regan’s level in order to obtain financial success. Though it may also carry the idea that Edmund will also become “legitimate,” his plan to kill his own father and banish his own brother is ruthless. I don’t know if I would be willing to do that.