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Monks (Edward Leeford) Oliver's half brother, the son of Edwin and Elizabeth Leeford. A strong presence in Dickens's novel, but perhaps a rather inconsistent character. He is the product of a loveless marriage, never sees his father and is brought up by his over-bearing and cruel mother. Marc Warren plays the epileptic and disturbed Monks: "The younger Monks is quite vulnerable and very much the victim and I would imagine that the audience will empathize with him, but later on he's become very driven. He wants to find Oliver, because he and his mother stand to inherit a lot of money. He wants more out of life and, as his half-brother Oliver famously says: "Please Sir, I want some more", so Monks wants more. This money is how he can get more out of life.
"In a way, Oliver Twist is a story of two brothers, both of whom suffer dreadfully and both of whom are searching for their identity."
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