Act III, Scene I

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• Kent has been out (I suggest) looking for Cordelia from whom he has received his letter. He meets the Gentleman, France, who has left Lear with Cordelia and gone off to check on the situation with his troops.

• Kent says he knows France, but he obviously doesn't and France does not reveal his identity even though Kent calls "Who's there, besides foul weather?" France evades identifying himself with "One minded like the weather...."

• Kent asks France where the king is and France explains that he is running exposed to the elements with no one to help him but the Fool.

• Kent is sure that he knows France, and thinks that he can trust him, so he tells him that there may be a war between Albany and Cornwall and the King of France is about to lead an invasion of England!

• He offers to be the means for the promotion of France within the ranks by allowing him to assist by going to Dover to inform loyal subjects of how Lear has been mistreated, and later we will learn, of how Kent has been so loyal.

• France appears to want to take Kent into his confidence. "I will talk further with you" he says. But Kent wants him to go in a hurry.

• If he meets Cordelia, as no doubt he would, he is supposed to show a ring to her and she will reveal to him just who it is that he has been dealing with that he doesn't know.

• France wants Kent to see who he is, and is amazed that he seems only to want him to report to Cordelia all that he has done. "Have you no more to say?" he asks.

• Kent is suddenly aware that he has lost his master, Lear, and enlists France's assistance in finding him.

Next scene

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