This scene opens with the Duke of Albany's declaration of war on the French and Indian territories. He tells the audience that he has come to fight for the "liberties" of France and India, not for his own self-interest. He says that if he were still a teacher, he would still be able to teach his students the lessons he has taught them, even if he died. But if he is saving the lives of those who have lost their lives in the war, is that really what he is doing? He asks the audience to imagine what his mother used to say when she used to teach her students: "Too bad that it is not your classroom, but a cruel place than battlefields". The Duke says that he is tired of living in such a way, and that he would rather go to hell than live like this.