As for the mercy
Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia,
The battle done and they within our power,
Shall never see his pardon.
– William Shakespeare
King Lear, Act 5, Scene 1. Albany intends to be merciful to Lear and Cordelia, but here Edmund says that if he wins the battle and they become his prisoners, they won’t live long enough to see his pardon. The word compassion does not exist in Edmund’s vocabulary or his dealings with people.