"A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.” (Shakespeare 4.3.27-29)
Any answers are much appreciated.
2007-03-25 13:39:35 · 6 answers · asked by J K 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
Ultimately no one is better than anyone else. Regardless of where you were in life, we all end up the same. Just because you were a king in life, in death you might end up in some fisherman's belly.
2007-03-25 13:50:16 · answer #1 · answered by DazeyChain 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start singing the "Lion King"!
It's the circle...the circle of life...
"What goes around, comes around." This is a very important theme to both the play and the the character Hamlet. He knows that his father has been killed, but his father comes back to set things right. Shakespeare is using it as one of the metaphors that everything in life is cyclical.
Were you aware that the writers of Lion King have often made references to the fact that they used "Hamlet" as a guide to the story? Think about it - Uncle usurps the rightful King. Rightful king comes back as a ghost to tell his son to make things right. Of course, with Disney, the ending was a *bit* happier :)
See...circle of life!
2007-03-25 21:18:13 · answer #2 · answered by blakesleefam 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
literally he's saying you may eat a king. Its saying no matter how high or important you can't avoid death, and in death become the lowest part of the food chain. Theres also an allusion to the king providing food for the common man. It could also be seen as a comment that even in death, there are good things that happen.
2007-03-25 20:50:41 · answer #3 · answered by quazqlyo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is to show that we all come to nothing, king and peasant.
Kings may be buried, and worms eat upon his dead body, and the worm may be dug up for fish bait and the fish caught with that worm may be used for food by whoever caught it...
Goes to show that in the end, everybody is equal, and no matter how high your station in life, you may indirectly end up some "low life's" dinner.
2007-03-25 20:52:03 · answer #4 · answered by sonyack 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's part of a larger motif in the play. Polonius, the "fishmonger" offered the "bait of falsehood" to catch the "carp of truth." He becomes bait.
2007-03-26 16:07:16 · answer #5 · answered by Ray Eston Smith Jr 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think it means that people die in many ways
2007-03-25 20:43:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋