Edmund (King Lear) Edmund (King Lear) Edmund or Edmond is a fictional character and the main antagonist in William Shakespeare's "King Lear". He is the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, and the younger brother of Edgar, the Earl's legitimate son. Early on in the play, Edmund resolves to get rid of his brother, then his father, and become Earl in his own right. He later flirts with both Goneril and Regan and attempts to play them off against each other. Shakespeare's source for the subplot of Edmund, Edgar and Gloucester was a tale from Philip Sidney's "Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia" of
King Lear to be that old and to be banished from your family into the open air in a storm. That's a level of impoverishment you would never want to see in any other human being, ever." In 2016 Talawa Theatre Company and Royal Exchange Manchester co-produced a production of "King Lear" with Don Warrington in the title role. The production, featuring a largely black cast, was described in "The Guardian" as being "as close to definitive as can be". "The Daily Telegraph" said "Don Warrington's King Lear is a heartbreaking tour de force". "King Lear" was also staged by Royal Shakespeare