But this heart shall break into a hundred thousand flaws 2troOr ere I'll weep. O Fool, I shall go mad
Not only is this foreshadowing but it also shows the lucidity of Lear's current state of mind. Although he is being pushed to the edge, he is still somewhat cognizant of his surroundings. The real turning point of Lear's madness is the kings shouts of anger in the large storm that takes place in act 3 scene 2.
R I gave you all.REGAN And in good time you gave it.
While Regan and Goneril try to convince King Lear to give up his army, King Lear continues to be astonished as to why his daughters are acting devilish. First he is denied space at Goneril's castle, then they tie up his servant, and now they want him to rid himself of his knights. King Lear expects his daughters to be in his debt since he gave them his kingdom and yet they - being the ones in power - refuse to see it that way and instead believe they owe their father nothing. This begins to push Lear further and further into insanity.
This thyng was graunted, and oure othes swore With ful glad herte, and preyden hym also That he wolde vouche-sauf for to do so, And that he wolde been oure governour, And of our tales juge and réportour,
Right away, the Host appoints himself as the governor. He does this so that he can make sure to have complete control over what happens and to keep the company under his rule. Looking forward, he might become a type of god-like figure that makes decisions and will be followed by the rest. He is appointing himself into a position of power similar to that of a king. Whether he uses this power for good or for evil is not yet known to the reader but the foreshadowing does not seem very innocent.
Tales of best sentence and moost solaas, Shal have a soper at oure aller cost,
The Host proposes a game for the rest of the company -- whoever has the best tale to tell while on the road to Canterbury shall have a meal at the expense of the other characters. Although this seems lighthearted and innocent, the Host has other intentions. The Host is portrayed as someone who is mainly interested in economic gain. He seems to not care for the others as people but rather just as a source of income. He sees them as a way to make money. By saying that the winner of the contest gets a free meal, it also ensures that the entire company comes back to his inn and therefore will spend more money there. The Host is beginning to come off as a sort of antagonist and initiator of impure events.