King Lear Chapter Summary & Analysis | Act 5, Scene 3

Act 5, Scene 3 Summary

At the British camp near Dover, Edmund, some soldiers and a captain enter, with Lear and Cordelia as prisoners. Cordelia is downcast for her father, but her father expresses joy simply to be with his loyal daughter. He says that they will be happier in prison together than anyone who is out in society. Edmund sends Lear and Cordelia away with a contingent of guards. When Lear and Cordelia are gone, Edmund calls a captain to him and gives him instructions to kill Cordelia and make it look like a suicide.

The captain exits, and Albany, Goneril, Regan and more soldiers enter. Albany asks that the captives be brought to him. Edmund tells him that Lear and Cordelia are under guard where they can be best kept until their trial. Albany, implying that Edmund is overstepping his bounds, says that he's a subordinate not an equal. Regan and Goneril both...
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