Edmund's 'Fine Word Legitimate'

a measuring point or a gauge because Edmund uses the amount of love he thinks his father holds for Edgar to justify getting rid of him. He goes on to say, “Fine word, “legitimate”” this illustrates his contempt for Edgar and for societal constraints placed on him and the quotes around legitimate also show that he does not believe in the word or the meaning of it. The use of my in “Well, my legitimate,” is interesting as it shows that Edmund is in a sense is trying to own the title legitimate, as doing so gives him some satisfaction that he is going to climb up the social ladder. He is also savoring his plan to remove Edgar, while also taking the word legitimate and applying it to himself as he wants to be legitimate too, but cannot. The implication of this then, is that he wants to prove to society that he is able to be the same or better than Edgar despite Edmund’s social standing.

I grow, I prosper.” Here, he is clearly showing his reasoning as to why he wants to usurp his brother, as doing so will provide him with power, prestige, and prosperity that he is not able to attain while he is still labeled a bastard. Through his actions, he proves that he is capable enough to oust his brother and betray his father, all in order to gain power. Edgar’s blind trust in his brother is seen when Edmund tells him that Edgar may have upset their father when they last spoke. Edmund asks Edgar whether they parted in good terms and whether their father was unhappy with him; Edmund’s answer is “None at all” (1.2.157). Even though Edgar’s answer contradicts Edmund’s assertion, Edgar is still gullible enough to trust his brother and does not question him. This led to his downfall as his trust in his brother led him to believe that Edmund was acting in Edgar’s best interests, while in fact he was not. Furthermore, Edgar’s mistake to trust his brother comes when Edmund tells him to flee. Edmund says to Edgar, “I hear my father