Psychopathy is a personality disorder manifested in people who use a mixture of charm, manipulation, intimidation, and occasionally violence to control others, in order to satisfy their own selfish needs (“Serial Murder”). This is exactly what killer Edmund Kemper used against his victims before committing numerous, heinous acts upon them and their corpora. Not only has Kemper been infamously used as an inspiration for many films and television shows, he also serves as a constant reminder to young women across the country to stay away from strangers. Like many literary characters we’ve read about such as Macbeth, The Co-Ed Killer has brought our nightmares to life starting when he was just a young child.
On December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California, …show more content…
Like Macbeth, Kemper struggled with many obvious mental health issues. Both men killed the people closest to them, essentially for their own purposeful need and greed. The two also had outside forces that were clear to push them to commit such actions. Macbeth suffered the agonistic push of Lady Macbeth to commit King Duncan’s murder, telling him he wasn’t worthy to be a man (Crowther). Likewise, Edmund grew up with severe mental and verbal abuse from his mother, she often telling him no woman would ever grow to love him (Paoletti). The pair of men were also very intelligent, persuasive, and likable. Kemper often went to the bar across the town courthouse and made friends with multiple officers and important people involved with the law, who grew to know him as “Big Ed” (Edmund Kemper). Correspondingly, Macbeth also put on a facade of trust, gaining the confidence of the kingdom of Scotland, as well as King Duncan.
What is a monster? Your initial answer would instinctively be someone who is evil, someone who does something horrid. Truthfully, a monster could be anyone; it could be your next-door neighbor, your child, best friend, spouse, or your own grandchild. Perhaps one day we will understand what drives certain people to commit such horrendous acts, but until then individuals like Macbeth and Edmund Kemper remind us of the monsters that deceivingly
On December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California, …show more content…
Like Macbeth, Kemper struggled with many obvious mental health issues. Both men killed the people closest to them, essentially for their own purposeful need and greed. The two also had outside forces that were clear to push them to commit such actions. Macbeth suffered the agonistic push of Lady Macbeth to commit King Duncan’s murder, telling him he wasn’t worthy to be a man (Crowther). Likewise, Edmund grew up with severe mental and verbal abuse from his mother, she often telling him no woman would ever grow to love him (Paoletti). The pair of men were also very intelligent, persuasive, and likable. Kemper often went to the bar across the town courthouse and made friends with multiple officers and important people involved with the law, who grew to know him as “Big Ed” (Edmund Kemper). Correspondingly, Macbeth also put on a facade of trust, gaining the confidence of the kingdom of Scotland, as well as King Duncan.
What is a monster? Your initial answer would instinctively be someone who is evil, someone who does something horrid. Truthfully, a monster could be anyone; it could be your next-door neighbor, your child, best friend, spouse, or your own grandchild. Perhaps one day we will understand what drives certain people to commit such horrendous acts, but until then individuals like Macbeth and Edmund Kemper remind us of the monsters that deceivingly