Act 2, Scene 2 Summary

The Ghost of the gravedigger's son visits Lear in prison. Lear speaks to him with mad poeticism about the animal trapped in a cage, and cries out to see his daughters. The Ghost conjures images of Bodice and Fontanelle as children. They bicker girlishly about their clothes, sit playfully on Lear's knee, disobey him when he tells them to not wear their dead mother's dress, and seek comfort from him when they realize they're in a prison and become frightened. He assures them their suffering will pass, saying the animal will slip out of its cage, return to nature, and live happily. The images of Bodice and Fontanelle remain as three soldiers come in, conduct a routine search of Lear's cell, and go back out. After they've gone, the images also leave. Lear tries to restrain them but the Ghost insists...