This courtesy forbid thee shall the Duke
Instantly know, and of that letter too.
This seems a fair deserving, and must draw me
That which my father loses – no less than all.
The younger rises when the old doth fall.
– William Shakespeare
King Lear, Act 3, Scene 3. The evil Edmund’s true colors really come out here when he decides to betray his father Gloucester for political gain, after learning that he is helping King Lear against the wishes of the Duke of Cornwall. A backstabber, opportunist and selfish individual, who is willing to do anything to achieve his goals, the only loyalty Edmund knows is to himself and his self-interest. He also places no value on family. The amoral destructiveness of Edmund in plotting his the downfall of his father, after having his brother Edgar falsely accused of a murder conspiracy, shows how much of a nihilistic character he is.