Cordelia and Lear are led in by Edmund, who has been victorious in the recent battle. Cordelia recognises that they are in danger, but Lear thinks that he and Cordelia will be happy in prison because they will be together. Edmund tells the guard to take them away and gives the man a note, saying that its contents are to be obeyed immediately. We don’t know what the note says, but we can guess it contains orders for their execution. The guard says he will do his duty straight away.
Albany, Goneril and Regan enter. Albany praises Edmund for his brave fighting and then asks that Lear and Cordelia be turned over to him. Edmund refuses and says he has ordered their imprisonment so that they can’t stir up support among the common soldiers, who still love them and might mutiny if they saw them in person. Albany says Edmund presumes too much and says that he, not Edmund, is in control. Regan takes Edmund’s side and claims she will marry him and make him her lord. Goneril reacts jealously to this and the two women quarrel over Edmund. Goneril claims that he will never marry Regan. Regan says she feels ill, otherwise she would argue more strongly with her sister. Albany, who has heard all of this, steps in and arrests Edmund on charges of treason. He also points out to Goneril that she is already married and has no right to claim Edmund. Albany challenges Edmund to defend himself in a trial by combat and says if no champion comes forward to fight Edmund, he will do so. The trumpets are sounded to call any man who wishes to fight Edmund. Regan, who now feels extremely ill, is led away to Albany’s tent to rest.
