Edward Murdstone
Encyclopedia
Edward Murdstone is a fictional character and one of the primary antagonists in the first part of the Charles Dickens
novel
David Copperfield
. Born in 1775, he is the cruel and ruthless stepfather of the titular character.
Near the beginning of the novel, Murdstone marries Clara Copperfield when David is about eight years old (David's father died six months before David was born). This arrangement is done secretly (much to Peggotty's
disapproval), while David is away at the Yarmouth seashore. Soon after the marriage and David's return home, Murdstone's sister Jane moves into the house at Blunderstone with them. The Murdstones' true colours, those of cruel and unforgiving sadists, quickly reveal themselves and they dominate the household.
Murdstone thrashes David merely for falling behind in his studies, and David retaliates by biting Murdstone's fingers severely. As a result of what Murdstone views as "sullen behaviour", he sends David away to Salem House, a boarding school owned by his equally abusive friend, Mr Creakle, who singles David out for extra torment on Murdstone's request.
While David is at Salem House, Clara gives birth to her and Murdstone's son. Three months later, Clara and her baby die, it being implied that this is due to the stress caused by Murdstone's tyrannical nature. David is summoned home from Salem House and sent to work at Murdstone's wine bottling factory, Murdstone and Grinby's, in London
. Murdstone also arranges for David to live with a friend called Wilkins Micawber
, who takes good care of David. After being released from a debtor's prison, Mr Micawber moves to Plymouth
and David flees the factory to find his aunt Betsey Trotwood
at Dover
.
Murdstone later receives a letter from Miss Trotwood, informing him of David's arrival. He travels down to Dover to discuss David's future with Miss Trotwood, who eventually agrees to take over as David's legal guardian, but then blasts Murdstone for his appalling treatment of Clara and David, even insinuating that Murdstone only invited his sister to live with them to serve as his enforcer, referring to her as Murdstone's "instrument". Murdstone, apparently feeling remorse for the first time for his actions, merely leaves without a word.
Murdstone and his sister appear a few times later in the novel, associated in business with David's employer Mr. Spenlow. Near the end of the novel, the adult David learns from an old acquaintance that Murdstone, despite Aunt Betsey's scolding, reverted to his old ways, married a rich young woman and "since the sister came to help, the brother and sister between them have nearly reduced her to a state of imbecility".
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
David Copperfield
David Copperfield (novel)
The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery , commonly referred to as David Copperfield, is the eighth novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a novel in 1850. Like most of his works, it originally appeared in serial...
. Born in 1775, he is the cruel and ruthless stepfather of the titular character.
Near the beginning of the novel, Murdstone marries Clara Copperfield when David is about eight years old (David's father died six months before David was born). This arrangement is done secretly (much to Peggotty's
Peggotty
Clara Peggotty is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1850 novel David Copperfield.Referred to as 'Peggotty' so as not to confuse her with David's mother, who is also called Clara, Peggotty is the housekeeper of the family home and plays a big part in David's upbringing. Peggotty is the...
disapproval), while David is away at the Yarmouth seashore. Soon after the marriage and David's return home, Murdstone's sister Jane moves into the house at Blunderstone with them. The Murdstones' true colours, those of cruel and unforgiving sadists, quickly reveal themselves and they dominate the household.
Murdstone thrashes David merely for falling behind in his studies, and David retaliates by biting Murdstone's fingers severely. As a result of what Murdstone views as "sullen behaviour", he sends David away to Salem House, a boarding school owned by his equally abusive friend, Mr Creakle, who singles David out for extra torment on Murdstone's request.
While David is at Salem House, Clara gives birth to her and Murdstone's son. Three months later, Clara and her baby die, it being implied that this is due to the stress caused by Murdstone's tyrannical nature. David is summoned home from Salem House and sent to work at Murdstone's wine bottling factory, Murdstone and Grinby's, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Murdstone also arranges for David to live with a friend called Wilkins Micawber
Wilkins Micawber
Wilkins Micawber is a fictional character from Charles Dickens's 1850 novel, David Copperfield. He was modelled on Dickens's father, John Dickens, who like Micawber was incarcerated in debtors' prison after failing to meet his creditors' demands.Micawber's long-suffering wife, Emma, stands by him...
, who takes good care of David. After being released from a debtor's prison, Mr Micawber moves to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
and David flees the factory to find his aunt Betsey Trotwood
Betsey Trotwood
Betsey Trotwood is a fictional character from Charles Dickens' 1850 novel David Copperfield.-Role in novel:She is David's great-aunt on his father's side, and has an unfavourable view of men and boys, having been ill-used and abandoned by a worthless husband earlier in life...
at Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
.
Murdstone later receives a letter from Miss Trotwood, informing him of David's arrival. He travels down to Dover to discuss David's future with Miss Trotwood, who eventually agrees to take over as David's legal guardian, but then blasts Murdstone for his appalling treatment of Clara and David, even insinuating that Murdstone only invited his sister to live with them to serve as his enforcer, referring to her as Murdstone's "instrument". Murdstone, apparently feeling remorse for the first time for his actions, merely leaves without a word.
Murdstone and his sister appear a few times later in the novel, associated in business with David's employer Mr. Spenlow. Near the end of the novel, the adult David learns from an old acquaintance that Murdstone, despite Aunt Betsey's scolding, reverted to his old ways, married a rich young woman and "since the sister came to help, the brother and sister between them have nearly reduced her to a state of imbecility".
Film and television portrayals
| Year | Title | Edward Murdstone played by: |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | David Copperfield | Basil Rathbone Basil Rathbone Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films... |
| 1969 | David Copperfield David Copperfield (1969 film) David Copperfield is a 1969 American television film directed by Delbert Mann based on the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens adapted by Jack Pulman, who later went on to adapt the Roman saga I, Claudius for BBC Television. The film was made in the UK for 20th Century Fox Television.The film... |
James Donald James Donald James Donald was a Scottish actor. Tall and thin, he usually specialised in playing authority figures.Donald was born in Aberdeen, and made his first professional stage appearance sometime in the late-1930s, having been educated at Rossall School on Lancashire's Fylde coast... |
| 1993 | David Copperfield David Copperfield (1993 film) David Copperfield is a 1993 traditionally-animated musical feature-length adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic story of the same name. It was directed by Don Arioli and features the voices of Sheena Easton, Julian Lennon, Howie Mandel, Andrea Martin, Kelly LeBrock, Michael York, Joseph Marcell... |
Michael York Michael York (actor) Michael York, OBE is an English actor.-Early life:York was born in Fulmer, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the son of Florence Edith May , a musician; and Joseph Gwynne Johnson, a Llandovery born Welsh ex-Royal Artillery British Army officer and executive with Marks and Spencer department stores... |
| 1999 | David Copperfield David Copperfield (1999 film) David Copperfield is a two part BBC television drama adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield, adapted by Adrian Hodges. The first part was shown on Christmas Day and the second on Boxing Day in 1999... |
Trevor Eve Trevor Eve Trevor John Eve is a British film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series Shoestring and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC television drama Waking the Dead.-Early life:Eve was born in Sutton Coldfield,... |
| 2000 | David Copperfield David Copperfield (2000 film) David Copperfield is a 2000 film that was a joint US/Irish TV film adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel David Copperfield. It was filmed in Ireland, and broadcast on the TV Channel TNT as a Hallmark Entertainment production on December 10–11, 2000.... |
Anthony Andrews Anthony Andrews -Life and career:Andrews was born in London, the son of Geraldine Agnes , a dancer, and Stanley Thomas Andrews, a musical arranger and musical conductor. He grew up in the North Finchley district of London... |