Lear has begun to realize that by giving away his power to his daughters, he has lost his identity as king. Here, he calls out to the heavens to help him, fearing that in losing his identity he will lose his mind. His appeal to the heavens shows his belief in the power of fate and the gods, but he has already begun to suspect that his anger at the “monstrous ingratitude” will be enough to drive him mad.

In an earlier scene, Goneril and Regan stated that as Lear has become older, he has continued to lose his power of reason. This line complicates the themes of old age and madness in that the Fool suggests that with old age can come more wisdom, but Lear has apparently become old without learning anything. This is one of the most direct criticisms that the Fool has said to Lear, and it’s possible that Lear’s reaction in the next line is part of his slow realization that he has made decisions based on unsound judgment.

The Fool’s comment here recalls the conversation in the previous scene in which the Fool calls Lear a fool as well, suggesting that there is potential for role reversal in the tragedy. The comment should also be read in conjunction with Lear’s fear that he might go mad himself, losing his reason and becoming a fool. With this in mind, this can be viewed as potential foreshadowing for future events.

Shakespeare again uses animals to symbolize the natures of different characters. The Fool cleverly points out that Goneril and Regan are both similar in their cruel and savage character, and Lear’s assumption that Regan will be any different from Goneril is somewhat comical. Once again, the Fool shows himself as one of the most insightful characters, which leads us to question who the real “fool” is.

The word “slip-shod” refers to walking in footwear that loosely fits one’s foot. The joke here is that since Lear’s wit is not in his heels, his brain won’t need slippers to protect it. The jokes in this passage are not meant to be funny, and as keen readers will notice, Lear is barely listening to the Fool, who continues to tease him.

These are small, open sores that can form on the heel when walking and not providing one’s feet with proper protection, such as either wearing poorly fitting shoes or none at all. Additionally, they can form from frostbite, or exposure to cold temperatures.

Lear continues to dwell on his own thoughts while barely listening to the Fool, who is endeavoring to distract him. The dialogue between the two characters is an unusual mixture of comedy and pathos.

Lear is barely listening to the Fool. Here he remembers Cordelia for the first time since he disowned her and banished her. It is through his dawning realization that both Goneril and Regan were totally insincere in voicing their measureless love for him that he sees the genuine sincerity of Cordelia.

Most of the Fool's jokes are not very clever or very funny. No doubt Shakespeare did not really want to make his audience laugh while Lear was undergoing such suffering, and so Shakespeare may have deliberately chosen jokes that could not distract or amuse the king.