This is the Excellent Foppery of the World
-Shakespeare’s King Lear
King Lear is a play of power and families. Where Lear has all of the power and fails to recognize the value of his family until it is too late, Edmund yearns for power and knows just how important having a family and its name is to getting that power.
Of all the villains in this play, and there are arguably several, Edmund is recognized as the most complex and sympathetic. He is honest about himself, his wants, and his methods; his continuous rebellion against his bastardhood is a conscious effort for the status denied him because he is not a true son of Gloucester. It is only in the end, close to death, that he shows any sign of weakness as he realizes that both sisters have died for him..
Michael Bubbers is new to our ensemble but has so much to contribute. He said he “really liked this monologue because of its slap in the face, get over it buttercup, harsh reality. Yes, life is hard sometimes. No, it’s not always your fault. Sometimes it just is what it is and you have to roll with it. You can’t spend life going around and blaming your misfortunes elsewhere.”
Bubbers is most know for his work in LIVE! From La Crosse and also hosts a podcast called “The Millennium Fandom.”
Michael Bubbers as Edmund in King Lear:
THE MONOLOGUE: KING LEAR, ACT I SCENE 2, EDMUND BY MICHAEL BUBBERS
“'This is the excellent foppery of the world, that,
when we are sick in fortune, often the surfeit
of our own behaviour, we make guilty of our
disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars; as
if we were villains on necessity; fools by
heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and
treachers by spherical pre-dominance; drunkards,
liars, and adulterers by an enforc'd obedience of
planetary influence; and all that we are evil in,
by a divine thrusting on. An admirable evasion
of whore-master man, to lay his goatish
disposition to the charge of a star! My
father compounded with my mother under the
Dragon's Tail, and my nativity was under Ursa
Major, so that it follows I am rough and
lecherous. Fut! I should have been that I am,
had the maidenliest star in the firmament
twinkled on my bastardizing.”
MORE ABOUT THE MONOLOGUE PROJECT
Our goal of Shakespeare from the Ground’s Monologue Project is to collect a library of Shakespearean monologues to share with our community for virtual entertainment while we are still socially distanced. You don’t need to be a professional actor to participate. If you’re inspired and ready to record, great! If you need help selecting your Shakespeare Monologue or getting it recorded, reach out and we’ll help you get the ball rolling. Are you ready to take to the boards once again…virtually?
