Study Questions

1. What does Edmund produce as evidence of Gloucester’s treason?

2. What important information does the letter contain?

3. How does Cornwall reward Edmund for being his informant against Gloucester?

4. Why does Edmund call upon the heavens?

5. What will Cornwall do to Gloucester for his crime of treason?

6. What is Edmund’s main ambition?

7. What does Cornwall think might have been the cause of Edgar’s plot to murder his father?

8. What does Cornwall promise to do to replace Edmund’s loss of his father?

9. What is Cornwall’s attitude as a Duke in this scene?

10. How will Cornwall search for the Duke of Gloucester?

Answers

1. Edmund shows Cornwall the supposed letter that Gloucester received from France.

2. The letter, it can be assumed, contains news of France’s impending invasion of England.

3. Cornwall rewards Edmund by giving him the new title of the Duke of Gloucester.

4. Edmund calls upon the heavens to pity him in his adversity.

5. Cornwall will apprehend Gloucester when he is found.

6. Edmund hopes to replace his father as Earl of Gloucester.

7. Cornwall thinks that Gloucester might have provoked Edgar to plot the death of his father.

8. Cornwall promises Edmund that he will love him even “dearer” than his own father would.

9. Cornwall pretends to possess the qualities of fairness and integrity and will see that justice is done.

10. Cornwall asks Edmund to bring his father back to him.