The Story So Far: After much talking, the forces of Cordelia and the forces of Edmund and Albany are ready to finally fight it out at Dover! THIS IS IT, GUYS! THIS IS THE BIG BATTLE OF THE PLAY!
Well.... that was a bit disappointing.
OK, I recognize that the battle isn't the big thing in this play, unlike in Henry V. But still! After all this talk of armies gathering at Dover, all we get is Gloucester sitting around on an empty stage, probably listening to piped-in battle sound effects, waiting for Edgar to run on and tell him he's missed it, it was a great battle, and they lost.
Tune in again on Wednesday for the big finale! What this scene lacks in content and excitement, the next scene makes up for in SPADES. It's got EVERYTHING. Except a guy getting his eyes gouged out. That's a once-in-a-play event. Sorry.