Kahana Ho answers “Did anyone else like Edmund?”

Salma asked this question about King Lear (Shakespeare Made Easy):

Did anyone else like Edmund?

Kahana Ho Edmund, like all Shakespeareʻs "villains", exposes something very human, and therefore reveals much about ourselves, and the human condition. i think …moreEdmund, like all Shakespeareʻs "villains", exposes something very human, and therefore reveals much about ourselves, and the human condition. i think great performances of characters such as Edmund, Richard III, and even comic characters such as Parolles and Bertram, hold up a mirror to all of us, wherein we can recognize that within such detestable characters, there is something of us, something that begs recognition and self-ownership, and something of understanding, and perhaps, even compassion, if not forgiveness, of the character, and our own failings.
in a nutshell, i would love to be cast (alas, gender- and age blind) in the role of Edmund - an actorʻs challenge to bring humanity to an easily despiseable character.(less)

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