Malcolm Lear
Bio
Malcolm Lear is a minor character from the Adventures in Odyssey episode #528: “The Taming of the Two”. He is a profound, gentleman like actor, but is a rival and antagonist in the perspective of Edwin Blackgaard for his knowledge and superb enactments of Shakespeare plays. His despising of Edwin leads some of the plot of the adventure.
History
Malcolm Lear appeared in #528: “The Taming of the Two”, where Bart Rathbone needs a classier image for the Electric Palace, but Edwin Blackgaard says it’s out of the question for him to do commercials. Bart goes searching for another Shakespearean actor, and keeps searching by calling his "business consultant" (who happens to be his brother Lanny). Here, he encounters a deep-voiced customer, but Bart rudely asks him to hang on a sec. The man then starts to quote Shakespeare openly to gain Bart's attention. After hearing this, Bart hung up on Lanny and quickly hired Malcom, under a specific contract of Malcom being the star, foreman, manager, director, etc. This is because Malcolm thinks Bart should do more than advertising: why not a Shakespeare festival to advertise the Electric Palace, being hosted at the Harlequin Theatre?
However, Edwin unexpectedly shows up as Malcolm is taking over his theatre for the show. Edwin isn't thrilled about the idea, especially when he learns his old rival Malcolm is in charge of it. Yet rather than give Malcolm a stage to himself, Edwin opts to let the show go on... featuring him as a star, naturally. Malcom is later seen arguing with Edwin over who is going to do the Hamlet soliloquy at the performance. Finally, a compromise was made: a nuetral third party would select which of the two would perform the soliloquy. Bart was suggested by Malcom, but, as Edwin put it, "Bart wouldn't know good Shakespeare from an electrical outlet!" So another person was thought of, who is shown at the next scene at Whit's End-Whit. Malcom explained that he only gave in to the decision on the note that Whit would be preferably unbiased. Whit said he would do his best, but even at the test, the two quarreled over Edwin not saying the soliloquy correctly, or Malcom keeps interrupting. Whit gets a bit flushed, so he issues another resolution, that the pair would perform two separate soliloquies, where Edwin and Malcom finally agree. Making their way out the door, they seem to become friends, but only temporarily. Malcom states that Edwin can do whatever he wants--as long as it isn't Hamlet. Here is when the two are triggered and enraged at each other, since they both tell each other he is doing Hamlet. They mock each other with Old English insults during the night.
The next day, Bart goes looking for Malcom and Edwin, but finds them both with a throat cold. Malcom accuses Edwin of bringing him in a quarrel through the night, and the talking made them both receive a nasty throat ache. Their need to rest their voices for their soliloquies forced Bart to host the show, leaving the duo to squabble about who was going first.
After Nick Mulligan and Xavier Washington's presentation of a science fiction version of a sword fight of Romeo and Juliet, Bart announced that next was a soliloquy by... he didn't get that far. Malcom and Edwin hassled over who was doing it. Finally, a fed-up Bart left it for Edwin and Malcom to figure it out. They stumbled over each other and took parts from the other, but went nowhere as their swollen throats and the laughter of the crowd began to make the scene fade.
Edwin and Malcom are later seen complaining about how their "public image" would be ruined as a result of this mishap. Bart suggests for them to be in his commercials to fill in that ruined image, where they both declare no. Malcom is last heard of saying his talents are more deserving to be in another part of the country, and for Bart to tear up their contract.
Personality and Traits
Malcom is a sophisticated sort, being a well brought gentleman and a large fan of William Shakespeare. Although he seems to be refined and cultured, he does have an immature squabbler inside. He is stubborn, and seems to always want to get the last word. He also seems to be competitive, as he always is in rivalry with Edwin Blackgaard. He and Edwin crossed paths once, but it is unknown where, why, when, or how they met. They seem to be adversaries in their enactments of Shakespeare, even though they do have similarities. Malcom likes the Hamlet soliloquy, and implies to take it personally. He is also good at hustling, as he does so to Bart Rathbone. He scoffs at most who seem to be uncultured, making him a poor judge of character sometimes. One final notable trait of Malcom is his ability to criticize, as he constantly does so to Edwin's performances.
Trivia
- His name, like that of later character Duncan Banquo, is a Shakespeare reference—Malcolm is one of King Duncan's sons in the tragedy Macbeth, while King Lear is the titular character of another Shakespearean tragedy.
Episodes
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