In the plays of William Shakespeare, whether a comedy or a tragedy, one character that is often seen is a villain. This villain may come in many forms, but one of the most popular forms is that of the bastard. The character of the bastard is always evil, but Shakespeare also gives us some clue as to why they have grown to be so evil. The character of Don John the bastard in Much Ado About Nothing, and the character of Edmund in King Lear have many of the same qualities. They are both bastards with legitimate brother, and their brothers are in line to inherit their father’s title as well as real assets. They are both scheming villains and their villainy leads them into trouble. They both say they are bastards and act evil because they are expected …show more content…
At first his plan is to get his brother killed so that, he, the illegitimate heir may take all. As the play goes on he is seen trying to get his father convicted of treason, he becomes known as an adulterer, he has the queen of France killed, he tries to have the king murdered. His evil is so complete that by the time he dies in the last scene the audience is relieved. His father’s treatment of him has turned him against a heavenly belief that causes society to think of him as unnatural or illegitimate to an earthly belief that allows his illegitimacy to become legitimate. He is not sad and downcast he is not looking for the affection of a father though toward the beginning of the play he seems to hint at it when he says “Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land. / Our father’s love is to the bastard Edmund” (1.2.16-17). The audience may have a small amount of sorrow for this character at this point, but he soon turns on his father, erasing any sympathy the audience may have felt for him. Edmund’s crimes are much more serious than Don John’s and the evilness of his character is not enjoyable for the