In the world of Blackadder , the "monster" isn’t just one character—it’s an archetype that evolves across history. Early literary analysis points to references from King Lear , where Edmund the Bastard serves as a clear template for the show’s protagonist. While the central Edmund Blackadder often toes the line of outright villainy, the show uses him to explore the nuances of an antihero: a morally dubious figure who just so happens to be surrounded by people far worse than himself.