In ‘more, much more’ he seems to be thinking of the order for the deaths of Lear and Cordelia (what else remained undisclosed?); yet he says nothing about it.  A few lines later he recognises the justice of his fate, yet still says nothing.  Then he hears the story of his father’s death, says it has moved him and ‘shall perchance do good’ (What good except saving his victims?); yet he still says nothing.  Even when he hears that Goneril is dead and Regan poisoned, he still says nothing.  It is only when directly questioned about Lear and Cordelia that he tries to save the victims who were to be killed ‘instantly’ (242).  How can we explain his delay?  Perhaps, thinking the deaths of Lear and Cordelia would be of use to Goneril and Regan, he will not speak till he is sure that both the sisters are dead.  Or perhaps, though he can recognise the justice of his fate and can be touched by the account of his father’s death, he is still too self-absorbed to rise to the active effort to ‘do some good, despite of his own nature.’  But, while either of these conjectures is possible, it is surely far from satisfactory that we should be left to mere conjecture as to the cause of the delay which permits the catastrophe to take place.  The real cause lies outside the dramatic nexus.  It is Shakespeare’s wish to deliver a sudden and crushing blow to the hopes which he has excited.]

[Footnote 131:  Everything in these paragraphs must, of course, be taken in connection with later remarks.]

[Footnote 132:  I say ‘the reader’s,’ because on the stage, whenever I have seen King Lear, the ‘cuts’ necessitated by modern scenery would have made this part of the play absolutely unintelligible to me if I had not been familiar with it.  It is significant that Lamb in his Tale of King Lear almost omits the sub-plot.]

[Footnote 133:  Even if Cordelia had won the battle, Shakespeare would probably have hesitated to concentrate interest on it, for her victory would have been a British defeat.  On Spedding’s view, that he did mean to make the battle more interesting, and that his purpose has been defeated by our wrong division of Acts IV. and V., see Note X.]

[Footnote 134:  It is vain to suggest that Edmund has only just come home, and that the letter is supposed to have been sent to him when he was ‘out’ See I. ii. 38-40, 65 f.]

[Footnote 135:  The idea in scene i., perhaps, is that Cordelia’s marriage, like the division of the kingdom, has really been pre-arranged, and that the ceremony of choosing between France and Burgundy (I. i. 46 f.) is a mere fiction.  Burgundy is to be her husband, and that is why, when Lear has cast her off, he offers her to Burgundy first (l. 192 ff.).  It might seem from 211 ff. that Lear’s reason for doing so is that he prefers France, or thinks him the greater man, and therefore will not offer him first what is worthless:  but the language of France (240 ff.) seems to show that he recognises a prior right in Burgundy.]