Edward

The mother in this poem is the one who should be blamed for the bad things that happen. I feel like she influenced her son to kill his father. When he tells his mother he is leaving, the mother asks "and what will ye leave to your own mother dear?" I think she planned this whole thing out. She was going to influence Edward, her son, to kill his father, her husband, so she could gain all of his belongings. Edward was going to leave the country anyway and not leave anything to his wife or children. Therefore, his mother wanted it.