Once a Villain Always a Villain: Edmund's "Reformation" in King Lear, 5.3.241-2

Abstract: The article examines possible motives behind the alleged change of heart shown by Edmund at the end of King Lear when, defeated by his brother Edgar, he decides to revoke his former order to execute Lear and Cordelia.  Edmund’s decision has been almost unanimously interpreted by critics as a sign of genuine remorse and repentance in the face of death.  However, I argue that far from denoting any moral reformation, Edmund’s delayed decision to call off the execution is coldly calculated in self-interest, both to play for time and to mollify his captors, Albany and Edgar.  Interpreting Edmund’s show of pity as feigned rather than genuine helps preserve both the dramatic consistency of the scene, and the psychological unity of Shakespeare’s stage villain

Location
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
Extent
Online-Ressource
Language
Englisch
Notes
Veröffentlichungsversion
begutachtet (peer reviewed)
In: Studies in Arts and Humanities ; 1 (2015) 1 ; 5-13

Event
Veröffentlichung
(where)
Mannheim
(who)
SSOAR, GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften e.V.
(when)
2015
Creator
Sadowski, Piotr

DOI
10.18193/sah.v1i1.14
URN
urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022090115254037111793
Rights
Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
Last update
25.03.2025, 1:53 PM CET

Data provider

This object is provided by:
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.

Associated

  • Sadowski, Piotr
  • SSOAR, GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften e.V.

Time of origin

  • 2015

Other Objects (12)