Some men think the Earth is round, others think it flat; it is a matter capable of question. But, if it is flat, will the King's command make it round? And, if it is round, will the King's command flatten it?
Robert BoltRead
Death comes for us all. Even for kings he comes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Death is an inevitable part of life that affects everyone, regardless of their power or status.
This quote emphasizes the universality of death, highlighting that no one, not even those with great power like kings, can escape its grasp. It serves as a reminder of our shared mortality and the equality of all human beings in the face of death, urging us to reflect on the value of life and how we choose to live it.
Themes
DeathMortalityEqualityLifeKings
In practice
Example use cases
In a memorial speech to emphasize the shared fate of all individuals, reminding the audience of our mortality.
More from Robert Bolt
All quotes βWhen a man takes an oath... he's holding his own self in his own hands. Like water.
Robert BoltRead
Thomas More: ...And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned around on you--where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast--man's laws, not God's--and if you cut them down...d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake.
Robert BoltRead
If we lived in a State where virtue was profitable, common sense would make us good, and greed would make us saintly. And we'd live like animals or angels in the happy land that /needs/ no heroes. But since in fact we see that avarice, anger, envy, pride, sloth, lust and stupidity commonly profit far beyond humility, chastity, fortitude, justice and thought, and have to choose, to be human at all... why then perhaps we /must/ stand fast a little --even at the risk of being heroes.
Robert BoltRead
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