Evil In Frankenstein

Edmund’s actions make him seem evil, but his actions can be attributed to his personality and his social status. Edmund desires to be seen as an honorable man, and he desires wealth and power. Edmund is an illegitimate son to Gloucester as a result of Gloucester’s adultery, meaning that Edgar will inherit all of Gloucester’s wealth and power. Edmund decides that the only way he can become his father’s heir is to convince Edgar to leave and Gloucester to believe that Edgar is a villain. He creates a fake letter from Edgar, knowing that “If this letter speed, And my intention thrive, Edmund the base shall top the legitimate” (King Lear Act 1,1).

Secondly, the sin of pride is noticeable within this Shakespeare’s classic and is the stimulus to the characters eventual downfall. Once Regan and Goneril took complete authority over the kingdom, they stopped listening to their father’s orders and began to rule under no dominion. “Tis his own blame; hath put himself from rest, and must needs taste his folly” (King Lear 2.iv.287-288). This citation explains that the sisters believe that the King should get what he deserves for all the foolish actions he did. Their arrogance took over and they were inclined to break all family ties to be on top. In addition to that, the two sisters both pursued Edmund, even after knowing that the opposite sister also wanted to be with him. It became a rivalry that took a turn for the worst. As an outcome of the power trip and self-proclamation of pride, Goneril poisoned Regan and ended up committing suicide for all the complications she had caused and the

countering hatred and apathy with more anger can not possibly end well. Doing so is not only imprudent, but it also reinforces how readily vice and sin spread. Whenever a human being attempts to create new life, he or she must be prepared to nurture that life and teach it right from wrong no matter the cost. New life demands a protector and a mentor from which to learn. If it can not have these resources, the results could be

Edmund considers himself an intrusion within Gloucester’s family, with no true placement, as his father continuously refers to him as a bastard, confirming his inability to inherit what Edgar can. Edmund decides, “Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit;/ All with me’s meet that I can fashion to fit” (1.2.180-181). He desires the recognition denied to him by his status as a bastard, causing him to wonder “why bastard? Wherefore base?” (1.2.5) He is required to accept the conventional laws that refrain him from his rights, due to his illegitimacy. Despite his lower status, he believes to be above all others within the kingdom, as he is a product of the most powerful emotion-love, rather than those produced of duty “within a dull, stale, tired bed” (1.2.13), such as Edgar. Edmund is the only character within this play to envision himself as a victim as well as a villain when he states, "Now, God’s, stand up for the bastards…as if we were villains of necessity” (1.2.22, 2.1.121-122). Edmund’s accumulation of anger and neglect drives his ambition to prove to himself, his father, and the Kingdom that he can be as good

Furthermore, Gloucester’s lack of clear vision deceives him into believing that Edmund is the good son while Edgar, despite the fact that he is the good one, is plotting his death to gain his inheritance. After Edmund informs Gloucester of his attempt to “[dissuade Edgar] from his intent” and shows his false wounds, Gloucester claims that “of [his] land, / Loyal and natural [Edmund], / [he will] work the means / [to] make [Edmund] capable” (II, i. 84-86). When Edmund hereafter betrays his father for his wealth and authority, Gloucester is physically blinded as a punishment and when told the truth of Edmund’s betrayal, he cries “[t]hen Edgar was abused. / King gods, forgive [him] that, and prosper him!” (III, vii, 91-92) Gloucester's deeper insight into the true characters of his sons after he is blind reflects irony: literal blindness ironically yields insight. Only when Gloucester is blind can he see things for what they are, and his mistake of his refusal to hear out Edgar is what brings about his punishment. Only after, he finally regains his sight and discovers that Edger had put all of his effort to save his father’s life while playing poor Tom and that Edgar loves him all regardless of past events. Although Gloucester appears weak and gullible, his realization helps him to stay capable of great bravery and seeking justice. Gloucester’s

In King Lear, Shakespeare portrays Goneril as a wicked and cunning woman, who was intelligent enough to flatter her father into inheriting half the kingdom. In the beginning of the play Goneril's attitude towards her father is justified by the Kings arrogance and anger, as he soon proves to be an unfit King. Goneril's ruthless ambition allows her to get rid of any threats, which steadily impacts her desire for power. For instance, when Goneril's husband, Albany learns there is an armed attack by France led by Cordelia, he shows no concern and takes no action as he realizes that Cordelia trying to help her father. Goneril criticizes Albany's response during a conversation with Edmund (The Earl of Gloucester's illegitimate son) when she states, "I must change arms at home an give the distaff/ Into my husband's hands," (4.2.19-20).Basically, Goneril is implying that she plans to take charge of her family and wants her husband to play the traditional role of an housewife.

The depravation of the characters’ morality, as a consequence of their hamartia that lusts for the inordinate love, entice them to commit immoral acts and lead to their ineluctable condemnation. Goneril, the eldest daughter of King Lear, portrays the influence of lust on morality through her increasing malevolence. Shakespeare depicts her character with a strong thirst for power yet still maintains some restrains in her actions before she becomes intrigued by the congeniality between Edmund and herself. After which, she develops into a monster that destroys anything, anyone obstructing her way as she surrenders to her lust for Edmund. As Edgar exposes the letter that Goneril writes to Edmund about the plot against her husband, the wicked plan

Edmund who had broken a sin by dethroning his father, Gloucester and, as a result, Edmund was slain by his brother. Next, King Lear was betrayed by his three daughters. During act I, scene IV, Lear said:“Degenerate bastard, I’ll not trouble thee. Yet I have left daughter” (Lear I-IV 242-243). This statement tells us, that King Lear won’t be bothering Goneril as, Goneril is a different character from before.

There aren’t a lot of people that Goneril has the time or patience to care about, but there are a special few. Her sister, Regan, has a similar personality as Goneril, which makes them as close as these sisters could get. Goneril has a negative effect on the Duke of Albany because he doesn’t support her plan to overthrow the king. They have a good relationship in the beginning of the play, but her attention turns to Edmund, that cheeky bastard. Edmund had an influence on Goneril, not necessarily good or bad, but his actions made her poison her sister and kill

King Lear is a tragic hero that was brought to Earth with nobility, "endowed with a tragic flaw, and is doomed to make a serious error in judgment” (Lee). He disowned his youngest daughter Cordelia because she refused to flatter her father. Due to this, King Lear brands his two eldest daughters, Regan and Goneril, rulers of his land now divided into two lands after had being three. Regan and Goneril truly did not love their father; they just desired the land and power that came along with the title. Both the ladies betrayed their father, King Lear, and had betrayed him to own any last ounce of authority he held.

The two eldest daughters of King Lear, are portrayed as villains from the beginning of the novel. Both Regan and Goneril are very much alike, both being wicked and cruel. From the first act of the play in the most flattering of love to their father for part of the kingdom, to the last act in the poisoning of Regan and suicide of Goneril; they progressively become worse as the play develops. Goneril, the eldest of King Lear’s three daughters, is a ruthless, amoral, and jealous woman. She takes pride in being the eldest sister and is aware Regan tries to follow in her footsteps.

Many of the eye-opening scenes associated in ‘King Lear’ come from the asinine judgement of character’s propositions and explanations. Therefor, opinions, and mere words, like swords are weapons with the extreme ability to execute or kill. For example, Gloucester goes into a bellicose, unreasonable rage intended for his son, Edgar, after being handed a letter with supposed foul play: “O villain, villain! His very opinion in the letter!/abhorred villain; unnatural, detested, brutish villain” (1.1.71-72). Of course, we as the reader understand the letter is forged by Edmund in a ploy for Edgar’s inheritance. Nevertheless, the sudden explosion of rage allows Edmund to continuously manipulate his father, using Gloucester’s emotions for his legitimate son to dominate his scheme. The abuse of such rage also reflects Goneril’s and Regan’s constant diminution of Lear’s retinue. With the lack of knights, constant disrespect, and banishment of even his most respected comrades, Lear is left to self-pity and lack of preservation by his careless daughters. As readers, we must acknowledge the merciless background intent we receive from Goneril, Regan and

Edgar is humiliated by his own father for his bastardy. Gloucester even talks openly in front of him with Kent about how this illegitimacy embarrasses him. Edmund uses his bastardy as a justification for his evil acts. As he is considered a bastard he decides to act as one. However, there is one important thing that should be emphasized revenge is not the driving force of his actions but rather greed, self-interest, and egoism. Even at the end he thinks about himself: “Yet Edmund was belov’d:/The one the other poison’d for my sake, / And after slew herself”. He has no reason to hate neither his father nor his brother. He has no intention to hurt them; he only sees them as a nuisance to become an

Edmund, the comically evil villain, referred to by Shakespeare in the stage directions merely as “The Bastard,” ascends to supremacy by deceiving his father, Gloucester, and framing his half brother Edgar, the legitimate heir to his father’s estate. Through fraud, he convinces Gloucester that Edgar plans to usurp him, forcing his brother to go into hiding, grievously upsetting nature. In traditional English society, Edmund, an illegitimately conceived bastard, would be exiled from the royal family on principle. For him to ascend to the throne would be inconceivable. Therefore, his bid for power is punished by death. After his duel with a disguised Edgar, he confesses to his crimes and tells his opponent “If thou’rt noble, I do forgive thee” (V. iii. 200-201). This demonstrates his return to social norms. Edmund knows, deep down, that he did not deserve his newly acquired royal status, because he was not born into it. A true noble inflicting punishment on a lowly bastard for such pretentions of greatness is the only remedy for this behavior. Edgar, by rising to the task of defeating his brother, the disruptor of nature, restores harmony to the kingdom.

The remainders of Act I and Act II in Eyre’s film focus on the conflict between Lear and his two daughters, Goneril and Regan. Goneril and Regan begin looking down on their father and take away more of his privileges every chance that they get. They reduce Lear’s hundred knights down to fifty. Goneril and Regan’s tone of voice when arguing with Lear about reducing his number of knights down is vehement. Goneril complains about how the palace seems more like a tavern because of Lear’s knights’ demeanor, her voice quivers slightly, making it seem like she doesn’t want to have to argue with her father, in the play this change of tone is absent. This suggests that although Goneril cares more about the way others see her and material objects than the safety of her father. Both Shakespeare and Eyre emphasize the consequences of Lear’s choice to give up his power and give it to his two eldest daughters, Regan and Goneril.