one might imagine in him a sort of parental love, the return of the son to the murderous mother demonstrates that the dark-skinned infant is not a beloved exception among the second generation in the play. He too is imagined in his parents' minds as first an object of guilt to be discreetly disposed of, then as a second manly warrior self, and finally as an object of revenge. This narration that Aaron creates is one of complete masculinity with no traces of femininity and the result is nothing but suffering.In King Lear the family that has been raised by Gloucester suffers greatly as result of the absence of a feminine influence. Much like the child born from Aaron and Tamora, Edmund, the play’s most detestable character, is born out of wedlock and as result is bastard. His birth is described by his father as being a, “knave (who) came saucily to the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair, there was good sport in his making.” (Shakespeare, I.i, 21-23) His birth is not the result of the love of husband and wife instead it is one of simple casual sex and as result Edmund is branded a bastard. Ania Loomba states that, “In Edmund we see a clear example of the bastard villain. Like Prince John his evil ways are largely the result of his outsider status in Shakespearean society.”(160) Loomba’s opinion is quite valid yet it is important to mention further that it is the lacking of a mother that contributes to his outsider status. Edmund, thus placed in a low position in the societal hierarchy is denied certain individual rights such as the right to own property, which leads to his resentment of his father Gloucester.. This in turn causes nothing but suffering not only Edmund but his father as well.Though Gloucester feels that Edmund, “is no dearer in {[his] account” (Shakespeare, I,I. 19-20) then his legitimate son Edgar it does not change his illegitimacy that only bo...
