Specific evidence of Edmund's complexity as a character?

[briquette]

Shakespare creates villains with human complexity that goes beyond the stereotypical interpretation of antagonists. I'm trying to examine this case in the play with the character Edmund, and before I throw myself at the text I was wondering if you could point me in some general directions?

I've got general statements so far....
- Beyond the one-faced self-interest, he wants more than just money to compensate for his bastard son status
- He leads a rebellion against social order by being a character composed of contradictions and paradoxes.

Hmmm, but what!
- is he a lady killer, but also described as ugly?
- is he intelligent and stupid?
- what about how he confesses his crimes at the end?
- WHAT makes him a paradox, a contradiction, complex?
- more examples, please! the more the better, doesn't matter how vague you are! (as you can tell, the evidence i have now is pretty weak, and i feel silly posting this. i guess i just never paid too much attention to eddie).


Thanks SO much in advance!

[Ian G]

Edmund is more than an anarchist, an atheist, an individual, : he is disloyal to family and friend alike. Yet at the end, he has an appreciation of justice.

[lyjg1126]

Two Polish guys were taking their first train trip to Warsaw on the train. A vendor came down the corridor selling bananas which they'd never seen before. Each bought one. The first one eagerly peeled the banana and bit into it just as the train went into a tunnel. When the train emerged from the tunnel, he looked across to his friend and said, "I wouldn't eat that if I were you." "Why not?" "I took one bite and went blind for half a minute."