King Lear Betrayal

Level of Severity of Acts of Betrayal The question that arises when two separate sets of father and child relationships go through acts of betrayal is; which is more sinister and heartless? There are many contributing factors and different aspects to consider when it comes to answering such a question such as who is involved, what specific acts were committed and other elements of that nature. In the play “King Lear” by Shakespeare, there are many striking similarities between the betrayal of Gloucester by Edmund and the betrayal of King Lear by Goneril and Regan, yet one in particular stands out as being much more sinister and heartless. Edmund’s betrayal of his father, Gloucester is more sinister compared to Goneril and Regan’s betrayal of their father, King Lear due to their degrees of ungratefulness, acts of deception and intentions. The ungratefulness displayed by both parties that took actions towards betraying their fathers varies due to certain psychological aspects of Edmund, Goneril and Regan, and the means of which they were taught gratitude shows that Edmund’s betrayal is much more heartless. Edmund, just like Goneril and Regan, is ungrateful and ignores what Gloucester has done for him. This is due to Edmund's strictly Machiavellian type nature as shown when he says “All with me’s meet that I can fashion fit” (I.ii.178) where Edmund explains that he does not care about what means he takes to achieve his goal but as long as he achieves it. His Machiavellian way of thinking that his father is simply another obstacle in the way of his path stops him from feeling any gratitude towards his father. Goneril and Regan do not have such a brutal way of thinking but are similarly ungrateful towards King Lear who is their father and given portions of his kingdom to each of them. Their lack of gratitude is seen in Goneril and Regan when they banish King Lear from their homes after a dispute due a clash of egos that results in Lear leaving that house of Regan in scene one of act 3. This shows that Goneril and Regan do not possess the emotional maturity to let their egos subside and be grateful towards their father. In their defense, they have never had a role model that is emotionally mature nor been taught the vital attribute of being emotionally mature, unlike Edmund. Despite being the younger, illegitimate son of Gloucester, Edmund is shown empathy by his father who did not need to take care of him, give him education and a completely different life due to his illegitimacy which is shown in the first scene of the first act in Gloucester’s conversation with Kent. This act of empathy on the part of Gloucester shows that he may be in possession of some emotional maturity which allows Edmund to have an example of emotional maturity that could have developed into gratitude. This shows that his betrayal was more sinister and heartless than Goneril and Regan’s who had King Lear to raise them who in the beginning of the play has the least amount of emotional maturity as seen in “Come not between the dragon and his wrath.” (I.i.130) which displays King Lear’s nature not fit as a role model. Due to certain psychological aspects of Edmund, Goneril and Regan, and the means of which they were taught gratitude, the ungratefulness is prominent in both parties but Edmund’s ungratefulness is without an excuse therefore proving his betrayal more sinister in nature. Edmund, Goneril, and Regan’s way of thinking greatly influences their intentions and philosophical reasoning behind each respective betrayal and this is seen through Edmund’s intentions, Goneril and Regan’s intentions before the betrayal and what makes Edmund’s philosophical reasoning for betrayal far more sinister. Edmund’s intentions from the beginning before all of his plans had been set in motion, was purely driven by self-advancement and greed for power. This is seen when he says “And my invention thrive, Edmund the base/ Shall top the legitimate; I grow; I prosper.” (I.ii.20-21) and when where his truly Darwinian nature is shown earlier in that same soliloquy where he worships the goddess of nature, a hostile, unforgiving entity that does not show empathy to anything or anyone. However, Goneril and Regan’s intentions from the start were much different from Edmund’s in the fact that they honestly wanted King Lear to stay as resident of their houses but without his power and it was due to this that their betrayal came to be. Their intentions are clearly seen in a conversation with Lear where Regan says “I pray you, father being weak seem so./If till the expiration of your month,/ You return and sojourn with my sister” (II.iv.227-229) where even in the heat of a dispute Regan shows that she still wants Lear to stay with both her and Goneril. Their betrayal is less of spite than it is out of a clash of egos and going about the right thing the wrong way causing the eventual betrayal of King Lear. Edmund’s philosophical reasoning behind his betrayal was that out of greed for power and position with in fact is a clear example of one of the seven deadly sins as stated by Pope Gregory I and later by Dante Alighieri in “The Divine Comedy”. It was also out of his Darwinian nature where it is survival of the fittest where he sees Gloucester is no longer the fittest, hence the betrayal. In complete contrast, Goneril and Regan’s intentions began with good intentions but due to a lack of compromise that cause the betrayal. This displays the Edmund’s philosophical reasoning and intentions were worse than Goneril and Regan’s, once again showing that his betrayal was higher in its degree of heartlessness. Despite whether their intentions started of good or sinister, both Edmund and Goneril and Regan used various degrees of deception which Edmund’s betrayal is proved more heartless when they physically lied, schemed and either were genuine or seriously lacked that attribute. From the beginning, Edmund is full of dishonestly and lies when he starts to take action towards his eventual betrayal. This is displayed throughout the play but is especially evident when Edmund starts his web of lies with the fake letter from Edgar where he says “It is a letter from my brother that I have not all o’er-read; and for so much I have perused, I find it not fit for your o’erlooking.” (I.ii.37-39). His lies are a constant throughout the play and throughout the betrayal of his father where in contrast, Goneril and Regan very rarely are dishonest to Lear and are mostly upfront and blunt about what they want and plan. Goneril and Regan’s planning and scheming are much less harsh compared to Edmunds because they only begin scheming on a whim due to their father’s questionable decision making. This is prominent just after King Lear divides his kingdom and banishes possibly two of the people that care about him the most and they respond by scheme after where Goneril mentions “If our father carry authority with such disposition as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us…We must do something, and I’ the heat.” (I.i.332-336). Edmund’s scheming can clearly be seen by the way he goes about his actions that there has been a large amount of time, energy and thought put into it and not just on a whim. This shows Edmund’s scheming is at a much higher level of a sinister nature towards his eventual and inevitable betrayal of his father, Gloucester. Another aspect that displays that Edmund’s betrayal as being much more sinister and heartless is his lack of genuineness towards his father throughout the betrayal. With a great use of deception and possible aspects of a coward, Edmund never at one point during the entirety of the betrayal is candid to his father. Even in the final moments of the betrayal where Gloucester has been maimed by Cornwall and cries out to Edmund who he thought he could trust, Edmund doesn’t say what he truly feels but instead Regan reveals the betrayal when she says “It was he/That made the overture of thy treasons to us” (IV.i.104-105). From the early stages, Goneril and Regan genuinely expresses her desires and thought towards King Lear therefore in a way, he at least sees the betrayal unfold before him unlike Gloucester who finds out after the final sinister act of betrayal has already been done by Edmund. Through the deception where both parties use lies, schemes and either lack or express genuineness, it is clear that Edmund’s betrayal was more heartless due to his deception being at a higher level of severity. Due to the various degrees of ungratefulness, acts of deception and intentions, Edmund’s betrayal of his father, Gloucester is proven to be more sinister compared to Goneril and Regan’s betrayal of their father, King Lear as in all aspects his actions, psychological nature and philosophical reasoning. Despite the many striking similarities, in the play “King Lear” by Shakespeare, between the betrayal of Gloucester by Edmund and the betrayal of King Lear by Goneril and Regan, one in particular stands out as being much more sinister and heartless. Edmund’s betrayal was worse in many ways but one most that had been proven previously, is that Gloucester, despite being his father, was merely an obstacle that must be cleared, that was always in that way and he was waiting to get past it as seen by his acts, and by his Machiavellian and Darwinian nature that Edmund’s betrayal was truly heartless.