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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
An 8 page paper which examines how Edmund is a Machiavellian character of scheming complexity, and may be perceived as both villainous and sympathetic. Specifically considered is the character’s political development and how he will exploit any opportunity to achieve his goals. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGedmund.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
Lorenzo de Medici, a member of the Italian ruling family of Florence. Machiavelli scoffed at the notion that kings were divine emissaries of God; instead he believed that their
reign was cemented by a foundation of power, pure and simple. If concepts of power are not understood or practically applied by the ruling prince, cracks in the foundation
emerge and there will be another young prince lying in wait for his chance to grab the prize. According to Machiavelli, to the cunning opportunist go the spoils, which
in politics translates to power. This radical new approach to politics fuels the passions of William Shakespeares King Lear, which was first performed in December of 1606, nearly 70
years after Machiavellis death, and when his power treatise was published and circulated beyond the de Medici ruling faction, it made a profound impression. In the complex characterization of
Edmund, Shakespeare created the ultimate Machiavel, who seeks to manipulate situations to his own advantage and to acquire the power to which he feels entitled to possess, which has been
constantly denied by a status-conscious society (Cahn 146). He is always acutely aware of what he needs to do to achieve maximum benefit, and his practical reaction is immediate
action (Cahn 146). As Victor L. Cahn noted in his consideration of Edmund, "Good intentions mean nothing. In the war for power, results are all that matter" (Cahn
147). Edmunds personal philosopher was Thomas Hobbes, whose text, Leviathan, continued on Machiavellis political path, describing in the metaphorical universal wolf, "A general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual
and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death" (quoted in Danby 39). While Lear represents the old-world type of medieval warrior king, Edmund "defines much of
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