From the opening of Act2 of King Lear we become aware of the intense deceit at the core of the society in which the play is set; in fact so much so that even within family units immense deception is taking place. Edmund perfectly characterises such deceitfulness when he finds out that the Duke of Cornwall and Regan will be arriving to Gloucester's, his father house, stating that "This weaves itself perforce into my business." …showed first 75 words of 714 total…

…showed last 75 words of 714 total…stating "Ay, my good lord", and the people with which he is conversing with. Clearly the culture in which he lives is so fixated with power that it created self-seeking and calculating individuals. The irony of Edmund pronouncing that "I shall serve you, sir, truly, however else..." is only too clear to us as an audience having already been made aware of the self-indulgent nature of the society in which the play is taking place.