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- Act 3 Scene 6
-
- Gloucester has brought the king indoors, and
- leaves him safe with Kent. Now Lear, aided by the
- fool and the disguised Edgar, holds a mock trial of
- his daughters, until he falls asleep with exhaustion.
- Gloucester returns with news of fresh danger, and
- the sleeping Lear must be carried to safety.
- 2, 3 piece . . . can: do what I can to make it
- more comfortable.
- 4, 5 power . . . impatience: his mind is totally
- destroyed because he cannot bear this suffering.
- 6, 7 Frateretto . . . Darkness: These are more
- borrowings from Harsnett.
- 10 yeoman: property-owner without a coat-
- of-arms.
- 12, 13, 14 No . . . before him: om. Q.
- 13, 14 a mad . . . before him: i.e. because the
- son will despise his fatherÆs humbler status.
- 15 a thousand: i.e. devils.
- 20 mar my counterfeiting: get in the way of
- my acting (as ôPoor Tomö).
- 21 Tray, Blanch, and Sweetheart: the names
- of pet dogs.
- 22 throw his head: shout at.
- Avaunt: clear off.
- 27 brach: hound bitch.
- 28 Bobtail . . . trundle-tail: little terrier dog
- either dock-tailed or with a long drooping tail.
- 30 For . . . head: He perhaps puts the
- beggarÆs horn (see note on line 32û3) on his head
- and pretends to charge at these (imaginary) dogs.
- 31 hatch: half-door.
- 32 Do de . . . Sese: He pretends to make sure
- there are no dogs left.
- Come . . . market-towns: This may be a call for
- companions to travel to feasts (ôwakesö) and fairs
- in the surrounding market-towns.
- 33 thy horn is dry: The beggarÆs plea for
- drink; the Bedlam beggar wore a horn round his
- neck to carry any alms given to him. But Edgar
- means now that he cannot play his ôPoor Tomö
- role any longer.
- 34 anatomize: dissect.
- 34 what . . . heart: what has happened to her
- heart.
- 36 entertain: take into service.
- 37 hundred: i.e. the hundred knights.
- I do not . . . Persian: The Roman poet Horace
- wrote (Odes 1, 38) of how he disliked the
- elaborate dress of the Persians.
- 41 curtains: Lear imagines he is in his own
- bed.
- 42 supper . . . morning: i.e. we can forget
- about supper for the moment (rest is more
- important than food).
- 43 And . . . noon: If supper is to be eaten in
- the morning, then the middle of the day will be the
- logical time to go to bed: the world is turned
- completely upside down. These are the foolÆs last
- words in the play.
- 47 upon: against.
- 48 litter: a wheeled vehicle, apparently
- horse-drawn (see ôdriveö, line 49).
- 51 dally: delay.
- 52 offer: attempt.
- 53 Stand . . . loss: will certainly be lost.
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