oth a strange and noble thing that Gloucester tells Kent that he loves his sons equally and is no longer ashamed to recognize Edmund. However, Edmund was most likely deeply affected by the time that his father was ashamed of him. He may have also felt that while acceptance and love were unconditional and came easily to his half-brother, Edgar, he had to earn his father’s acknowledgement and pride. The Earl seems to mention his other son, Edmund to Kent by way of being an apology for having an illegitimate son saying, “ But I have a son, sir, by order of law, some year elder than this, who is yet no dearer in my account” (Act I, Scene I, Line19). The emphasis in Gloucester’s statement is “ by order of law”. Even though Gloucester insists he loves equally there does seem to be some underlying comparison between the brothers. Edmund’s display of greed and villainy was an attempt to alienate his father from his brother so that he would inherit all his father’s wealth. This mischief may have been sparked by past treatment, feelings of inadequacy, the social stigma of the day, and comparison to his brother. All of these issues stem from the multifaceted relationship he holds with his father, which could be debated endlessly. With his pen, Shakespeare has created relationships and characters that pose complex questions, providing his readers with food for thought and discussion. ...
