Can someone explain this Shakespeare quote to me?

Question

From Cymbeline:
"The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this and come to dust"

I know it's about death but what is the meaning of a sceptre learing physic?

From this:
ear no more the heat o' the sun
Nor the furious winters' rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.


The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this and come to dust.


Fear no more the frown o' th' great;
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak.
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this and come to dust.

Answer 1

scepter, learning, and physic are symbolic for people and what they do. a king, a teacher, and a doctor...all get old and die, turn to dust.

Answer 2

You have your answer on "The sceptre,...etc."

One thing of interest is that Shakespeare is stating that not only do we all come to dust/death, but that death is the great equalizer.

Example A: the juxtaposition of reed and oak. Example B: The use of "chimney sweep". The latter is used, not only to paint a literary image that ties in with the "dust" theme, but by utilizing it in the same context as the king, teacher, etc., he posits that at the point of death there is no difference between the greatest and the lowliest of men.

Answer 3

I haven't read Cymbeline, so it's a little hard without the context. But, it seems to be saying that everyone dies, whether you're a king (sceptre), wise man (learning) or doctor (physic). Basically then what Shakespeare is saying is that we're all going to turn to dust no matter how rich, smart or powerful we are.

Answer 4

If memory serves me isn't this the scene the place B ought to chosen between 3 caskets as a fashion to win Portia? wherein case, take the awareness "fancy" to signify love. Does love initiate interior the middle, or interior the ideas? to place it yet in any different case, are you attracted through what your head/eyes see or do you bypass deeper and have confidence your feeling and what you realize is interior the two your self or yet somebody else? coronary heart vs Head. Cos B listens to the music he's in a position to choose for the final casket. through being reminded that fancy isn't an exterior wanton desire, something for possession or reveal, he seems deeper. He rejects the gold for its obtrusive attraction even however he's conscious no longer what lies interior. with the aid of music he recalls elegance can each and every so often be in basic terms epidermis deep. He rejects too the silver however i do no longer likely remember the reason, i think of it grew to become into something to do with it somewhat is pretentious imitation of the gold that made it seem cheesy or appear like it grew to become into attempting to be something it wasn't. B chosen the lead, which grew to become into ornamented only and accurately, alluring with out attempting to make you have confidence it grew to become into something different than itself. interior he unearths a image and another issues re Portia. as a result "love" comes from the middle, the interior soul, the place as "fancy" could come from the two. in case you like the real element you should look under the exterior. desire this is of a few use. good success

Answer 5

The quotation means that royalty (the sceptre), knowledge (learning) and medicine (physic) are all eventually claimed by death.

Answer 6

You need to include the context to solve this puzzle.