In the second scene of the opening act of ‘King Lear’, Edmund is the sole character on stage. He proceeds to give a speech, admitting to being a bastard and revealing his intention to gain his brother Edgar’s inheritance. This sub-plot mirrors the main plot of the play.
The passage illustrates how this monologue details Edmund’s grievances as a bastard and his plot to surpass the legitimate offspring. The phrase “I must have your land” suggests that this will be a narrative centered around inheritance and its rights. This theme is also reflected in the main storyline, as in the preceding scene we witness Cordelia being disinherited by Lear due to her failure to overly emphasize her love for him, unlike her sisters in his “love test”. Prior to this speech, Edmund was depicted as a polite young man who meekly endured mistreatment from his father Gloucester.
In this monologue, Edmund expresses his true feelings, including a lot of pent-up anger. He directly addresses the audience, with no other actors present on stage. As readers, we must consider if Edmund is seeking sympathy from the audience. Through his words, Edmund portrays a life overshadowed by the stigma of being labeled a bastard, resulting in mistreatment similar to what we witnessed in the first scene. The monologue begins with the line “Thou, Nature, art my goddess; to thy law/My services are bound.”
“This demonstrates how Edmund recognizes himself as nature’s offspring, which is how illegitimate children were viewed in Shakespeare’s era, as they were considered to have no legitimate parents if born out of wedlock. The mention of “nature” here is crucial because it not only refers to the contemporary perceptions of bastards, but it also establishes one of the central themes of the play. This theme revolves around the question of what controls the events in the play, whether it is individual actions or the actions of fate. The fact that both patriarchs, who are brought down by their own children, contribute to their own downfall is both ironic and a clever way for Shakespeare to introduce the concept of nature in the play.”
The main play as well as the sub-plot in King Lear consistently tests the natural bond between parent and child. Edmund acknowledges his affiliation with nature when he declares that his “services are bound” to it, indicating his acceptance of being a bastard but also his desire to take action. Later in his speech, he reveals his intention of claiming his brothers lands. The “plague of custom” he refers to signifies the injustice in Shakespeare’s era where illegitimate sons were either excluded from their fathers’ inheritance or received a smaller portion.
Shakespeare wants to convey Edmund’s grievances and he clarifies them strongly by referring to his younger son status and his lack of inheritance rights. The absence of a rhyme scheme in this speech indicates its significance in the plot and emphasizes its message rather than its form. Edmund further emphasizes his point by playing with the word “bastard” and its synonyms, highlighting his belief that one’s legitimacy should not determine their rights.
Edmund emphasizes that he was only a few months away from being legitimate, as he questions the disparity between himself and Edgar. Being a bastard is the only factor that separates him from Edgar, who is respected and honored as the heir of Gloucester. This deeply frustrates Edmund. Despite proclaiming his moral and physical equivalence to a legitimate child, Edmund questions why he has been labeled a bastard, attributing it to the timing of his conception.
.. sleep and wake. ” According to him, this was because his mother had a more attractive appearance and possessed a stronger personality, implying that the conception of illegitimate children might be more passionate and therefore superior. Gloucester also refers to this idea in scene i, stating that “there was good sport at his making”.
In contrast to this, Edmund describes the conception of a legitimate child as a mundane routine task, stating that it is like “the creating of a whole tribe of fops/Got ‘tween sleep and wake.” By referring to legitimate children as “fops” or fools, Edmund implies that bastards are better than them, based on the prejudice they have to overcome and the possibility that their initial sin was at least enjoyable. The use of the epithet “Legitimate” in reference to Edgar strongly suggests that what Edmund said was about him and that Edmund considers himself superior to Edgar, which is supported by his belief that he is entitled to Edgar’s inheritance. Edmund again expresses his frustration at the unfairness of not having inheritance rights, as their father seems to love both sons equally, as Gloucester describes in scene I by stating that Edgar is “no dearer in my account” than Edmund.
When the word “legitimate” is mentioned, he jokes about it. He says, “Fine word, ‘legitimate’! Well, my legitimate…”
“It seems to strike him, as it is at the ‘legitimate’ that his plan is aimed. We learn that this plan is to do with the letter with which Edmund came on stage, ‘if this letter speed/And my invention thrive, Edmund the base/Shall top the legitimate.’ This tells us that Edmund’s plan to gain Edgar’s inheritance is to do with some sort of deception that revolves around this letter, which is exactly what happens.”
In this soliloquy, Edmund’s character is revealed to have another side. He is no longer the timid child we saw in scene I but instead an intelligent individual plotting to overthrow his oppressors. Despite his evil intentions, we sympathize with him because we witness his mistreatment and hear about the hardships he has faced solely because of his illegitimate birth, which is not his fault. This scheme can be seen as a predictable response to the oppression he has endured, a theory that is supported by R. A.
Foakes provides information on current beliefs and rights concerning bastards. Additionally, he reveals Edmund’s plans and hints at the direction of this sub-plot, as well as its potential connection to the main story of Lear.
