In order to understand the characteristic of any character, especially Edmund, one must be aware of his background. In the beginning of the play, "King Lear," the reader views Edmund as a character who should be pitied upon; not as how critics assert him to be one of the most evil characters in all of literature. This viewpoint of Edmund is evident in the proceeding pages of this play. When the reader is first introduced …showed first 75 words of 714 total…

…showed last 75 words of 714 total…it--to the' castle, for my writ Is on the life of Lear, and on Cordelia. Nay, send in time. (V.iii.291) This not the same Edmund the reader became accustomed to: an Edmund whose first instincts would be to help him before helping others, an Edmund who is one of the most evil characters of literature and an Edmund who is innately pitiless. This is an Edmund whose heart has become apparent through his repenting.