Competition and Desperation: Family Dynamics in Edmund and

School: University of Toronto, Scarborough - Course: ENG ENG4U - Subject: Accounting

ENG4U1 13 December 2022 Edmund and Edgar Foil Edmund and Edgar's soliloquies both reveal various dynamics of family relationships such as competition among siblings through the captivating contrasts between the mood and tone of the soliloquies. Edmund's soliloquy in Act 1 scene 2 obtains a defensive and furious mood and tone. Throughout the monologue, Edmund attempts to defend his identity of being a bastard from society by expressing, "...Why brand they us/ With "base," with "baseness," "bastardy," "base,"..." (1.2.9-10). The repetition of the same word said in various ways, reveals Edmund's anger and gives the soliloquy a rather furious tone. Further, Edmund questions society's perception of bastard children and goes on to argue that bastard children are superior by indicating, "Who in the lusty stealth of nature take/ More composition and fierce quality" (1.2.12-13). By belittling "natural" children, Edmund expresses his anger and strives to defend bastard children like himself, thus further contributing to the furious and defensive mood and tone of his speech. On the other hand, Edgar's soliloquy in Act 2 scene 3 acquires a desperate and terrified mood and tone. In order to protect himself from his father, Edgar reveals, "...To take the basest and most poorest shape/ That ever penury in contempt of man" (2.3.7-8). Edgar deciding to disguise himself as a pauper in order to survive, reveals his desperation and terror. The difference in the tone and mood of the soliloquies highlight the competition among siblings and reveals that one brother's loss is the other brother's gain. The desperate and terrified mood and tone of Edgar's soliloquy allows the defensive and furious mood and tone of Edmund's soliloquy to be emphasized and understood better, and vice versa.

The soliloquies also illustrate the loss and retrieval of identity and the idea that social status is imperative to some, through the change in the power that the two brothers hold. Edgar's monologue exhibits his identity being stripped away from him whereas Edmund's monologue demonstrates him willingly wanting to give up his identity. Because Edgar was not a bastard, Gloucester perceived him as his only son and handed him a lot of power. However, after being deceived by Edmund, Edgar gives up all of his power and disguises himself as a pauper. He gets his identity stripped away from him and feels that he is now inferior to paupers by expressing, "That's something yet. Edgar I nothing am" (2.3.21). Edgar had unwillingly lost everything, including himself. Comparatively, Edmund strongly despises his identity. All through his soliloquy, Edmund complains about how he is treated by the society. He questions society's views and then goes on to express, "Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed/ And my invention thrive, Edmund the base/ Shall top th' legitimate" (1.2.20-22). Edmund reveals that he wants to take Edgar's place and through this, he demonstrates that he dislikes his current identity and instead would like to be someone that has power. This soliloquy also presents how imperative social status is to Edmund due to how desperate he is to replace Edgar and acquire a new identity. The distinction between the change in power of the two brothers allows a better understanding of both of their characters. It also exhibits the significance of a high social status to certain characters. Edmund's desire to obtain a new identity allows Edgar's identity being stripped away from him to be highlighted and differentiated.