- Edgar still hasn't told his father who he really is. But he has decided to fight in the battle on the side of Lear and Cordelia.
- He stashes Gloucester beside a tree and tells him to hang out until the battle is over. Then he runs offstage.
- Edgar runs back onstage and informs his father that Lear and Cordelia have lost the battle. (What? You were expecting something else from Shakespeare's greatest tragedy? Now would be a good time to prepare yourself, because it gets a whole lot worse.)
- Predictably enough, Gloucester starts talking about suicide once more. Edgar tells him to buck up and leads him offstage.