King Lear Notes | Act 3, Scene 2

The storm begins to roar in this scene, and Lear enters the stage with the Fool. He has no royal procession behind him anymore. Gone are the benefits of a stately official. Matching the storm's angry voice with his own, Lear calls on the higher powers to bring down full revenge against his two unappreciative daughters. In a softer voice, he asks the same higher powers to take note of his pitiful state. Kent enters, and asks who is there. The Fool replies: "Marry, here's grace and a cod-piece; that's a wise man and a fool." Act 3, Scene 2, lines 40-41 The underlying joke being that the Fool is the wise man, and Lear is the fool.

Kent begs Lear to seek shelter and get out of the storm, but Lear refuses. He needs to cry out against his enemies. He says he is "more sinned against than sinning" (line 60).

Finally, Lear feels badly that he has dragged the Fool with him into the horrible storm, so he leaves and takes refuge in a haven discovered by Kent. The Fool, now clearly the wise man, says: "Then shall the realm of Albion come to great confusion" (lines 91-92). Albion is another name for England, which the Fool notes will now itself suffer the turn of Fortune's wheel.

Topic Tracking: The Natural Order 9