KENT in the stocks Enter LEAR, FOOL, and GENTLEMAN
KENT is in the stocks. LEAR enters with the FOOL and the GENTLEMAN.
LEAR
'Tis strange that they should so depart from home,
And not send back my messenger.
LEAR
It's strange that Regan and her husband left their house without sending back my messenger.
GENTLEMAN
As I learned,
The night before there was no purpose in them
Of this remove.
GENTLEMAN
According to what I heard, they had no travel plans as of last night.
KENT
5
(to LEAR) Hail to thee, noble master!
KENT
(to LEAR) Hail, noble master!
LEAR
Ha! Makest thou this shame thy pastime?
LEAR
What's this? Are you sitting around in this humiliation to amuse yourself?
KENT
No, my lord.
KENT
No, my lord.
FOOL
Ha, ha! Look, he wears cruel garters. Horses are tied by the
heads, dogs and bears by the neck, monkeys by the loins,
and men by the legs. When a man's overlusty at legs, then
10
he wears wooden nether-stocks.
FOOL
Ha, ha! That's a nasty garter belt. You tie up horses by their heads, dogs and bears by their necks, monkeys by their waists, and humans by their legs. When a person's prone to wanderlust, he has to wear wooden socks, like a chastity belt around his ankles.
LEAR
(to KENT) What's he that hath so much thy place mistook
To set thee here?
LEAR
(to KENT) Who could have misunderstood your assigment so completely as to lock you up like this?
