King Lear

The storm scene seems to be a very telling scene for the aspect of suffering in King Lear.

When this scene come about, Lear begins to take on a sense of resilience as he challenges himself against the storm saying, "Pour on, I will endure." As the scene progresses, Lear gains empathy for the common man as he says"Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, /That thou mayst shake the superflux to them/And show the heavens more just," as he recognizes his very own condition. He finds shelter within the storm as a sense of recess and release from suffering.

But Lear is never able to escape his feelings of his daughters lack of love. the storm seems to make these more persistent. He is trapped within these thoughts. His own condition is all that he can be embroiled in, only being able to relate Edgar's position to his own, rather than forming a kinship.

We can look at the Fool's role in the storm scene as well...his comments are dismissive, snide, and pessimist. As loss is an important theme in this play, the fool makes it clear that his opinion is that there is nothing to be gained, only those to be lost as he says "this cold night will turn us all to fools and madmen".