In Shakespeare's King Lear, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, Edmund, makes speeches that reveal a great deal about the personality and values of the character. The two speeches are: "Thou Nature art my goddess" and "This is the excellent foppery of the world." In the first speech, Edmund is struggling about the status of himself in society. In the second speech, he refers to the theory of correspondences and reveals his opinion on it. Edmund is an essential ingredient to the plot and theme of the play.

In the speech "Thou Nature art my goddess", Edmund talks about his illegitimacy. During the days of Shakespeare, it was their custom that the inheritance goes to the elder and legitimate son. Edmund admits that he has no say in the elaborate legal or social distinctions. However, he states that he is as good as any legitimate son." [...] my dimensions are...