As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods;
They kill us for their sport.

William Shakespeare

King Lear

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More information about this quote

Topic

God and man Absurdity of life The human condition

Speaker

Gloucester

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

King Lear

Medium

Play

Genre

Tragedy (play)

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1606 1600s 17th century

Era

European Renaissance

Occupation

Playwright Poet Writer

From

United Kingdom Europe

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. King Lear. King's Men, 26 Dec. 1606, Palace of Whitehall, Westminster, England, UK, act 4, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of King Lear." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 4, sc. 1.

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A quote by William Shakespeare about god and man: “As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods; They kill us for…”
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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote about The human condition

The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

William Shakespeare

The Tempest

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More information about this quote
Topic
Mortality The human condition
Speaker
Prospero

Author

William Shakespeare
Source
The Tempest
Medium
Play
Genre
Comedy (play)
Language
English
Time
1616 1610s 17th century
Era
European Renaissance
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Tempest." Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. London: Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard, 1623, act 4, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Tempest." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 4, sc. 1.

Another quote from European Renaissance

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable; in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god: the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals-And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

William Shakespeare

Hamlet

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More information about this quote
Topic
Man Human nature The human condition
Speaker
Hamlet

Author

William Shakespeare
Source
Hamlet
Medium
Play
Genre
Tragedy (play)
Language
English
Time
1616 1610s 17th century
Era
European Renaissance
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. London: Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard, 1623, act 2, sc. 2.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 2, sc. 2.

Another quote of the following type Metaphor, analogy and simile

We believe if you have a family you can't eliminate certain members of that family because profits are down.

Akio Morita

Quoted in The Sunday Telegraph

More information about this quote
Topic
Layoffs Business management
Speaker
Akio Morita
Source
The Sunday Telegraph
Medium
Interview
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
English
Time
1988 1980s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Morita, Akio. Interviewed by U.K. Sunday Telegraph. c. 1988.