The Fool's mocking speeches adds entertainment to the scene. The fool sees clearly what is occurring between Lear and his daughters and finds it in a sense amusing. Lear's suspicion is raised in the opening speeches of the scene:
" This strange that they should depart from home
And not send back by messenger"
This means that Regan was up to something and did not want Lear knowing of her departure. The Fool continues observing Kent and Lear in their state and begins laughing and saying:
" Ha, ha ! Look he means cruel garters. Horses are tired by the heads, dogs and bears by the neck, monkeys by the lions, and men by the legs. When a man is overlusty at legs, then he wears wonder nether socks."
Metaphorically, the fool is saying that Lear is to be blamed for the ig norance and il treatment of his daughters towards him. When Lear had argeed ti offer up his inheritence to Goneril and Regan, a complete change in attitude occured. They showered him with compliments and what he believed was kindness. But now that hey have gotten what they want from him and Lear is poor, they are quick to disown him. The fool also predicts what is to come of Lear in the following year due to Regan and Goneril's mistreatment. He declares that instead of riches, pain will be brought upon Lear.
In the fool's other speeches, he addresses one in specific to Kent. The fool acknowledges that Kent is undertaking the foolish matters of the King and dissuades him from serving him. He states that now that the King is penny-less, no fortune will be brought to Kent. In the last words of the fool's speeches, he refers to Lear and encourages him that he should continue speaking to his heart since it will never change into a fool. In this scene, it is clear that being poor has now affected the King's mental state. This will occur since the King was a great man of power and now has fallen and has nothing.
