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Failing
to secure his fortune on the road, Edmund intends to steal his brother
Edgar's inheritance and usurp his father Gloucester's authority, killing
both if necessary.
1.2
Edmund is confident, charming, and
incredibly shrewd, but remains hindered by his status as the illegitimate son.
He is contemptuous of his station in life, but does not act rashly out of hatred;
rather he is fiendishly thoughtful in his ambition. He is willing to risk
everything to deceive his father and brother and gain power for himself, and
therefore takes nothing for granted. Edmund’s monologues are not complaints,
nor are they boasts. He is superior, but does not seek praise or admiration for
his cunning, lest he hinder his success. Instead, he meticulously works through
his own thoughts, planning for every eventuality, and sarcastically expressing
contempt for society in the process. He is not plotting revenge against
Gloucester for unwittingly humiliating him in the opening scene. His decision
to pursue his father’s title has been made prior to his return to the kingdom.
His father behavior only makes him more eager to finally carry out what he has
so carefully planned for.