King Lear : Act 5, Scene 2

Alarum trumpet signal to advance | within i.e., from offstage over the stage —Cordelia, King Lear, and the French army are on the march. They all come out of one door and exit at the other, without a pause.

           Alarum within. Enter, with drum and
           colours, [the Powers of France] over the stage,
           CORDELIA [leading her father by the hand,]
           and exeunt.

           Enter EDGAR and GLOUCESTER.

      EDGAR

father a term of respect for an elderly man—Edgar has not revealed that he is Gloucester's son. host shelterer

  1   Here, father, take the shadow of this tree
  2   For your good host; pray that the right may thrive:
  3   If ever I return to you again,
  4   I'll bring you comfort.

      GLOUCESTER
  5                                           Grace go with you, sir!

           Exit [EDGAR].

retreat trumpet signal to withdraw

Alarum and retreat within. Enter EDGAR.

EDGAR

Away let's go

6 Away, old man; give me thy hand; away!

ta'en taken captive

  7   King Lear hath lost, he and his daughter ta'en:
  8   Give me thy hand; come on.

      GLOUCESTER
  9   No farther, sir; a man may rot even here.

      EDGAR
10   What, in ill thoughts again? Men must endure
11   Their going hence, even as their coming hither;

Ripeness is all —Edgar counters Gloucester's "rot" ("a man may rot even here"), by saying that it's all-important to await the proper time for death, as fruit falls from the tree only when ripe

12   Ripeness is all: come on.

      GLOUCESTER
13                                              And that's true too.

           Exeunt.