"there's a tide in the affairs of men"
2007-06-07 16:41:53 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
A line from the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare. Brutus is urging his comrades to seize a fleeting opportunity in an armed conflict: “There is a tide in the affairs of men / Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.”
It basically means that men have interferences in their businesses because they aren't playing fair game (affairs)
2007-06-07 16:47:42 · answer #1 · answered by bebekawaii 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
A tide is a strong, inexorable force, whether coming in or going out, so to me it means that sometimes there is such a strong movement for something that it must happen, that it is inevitable.
Or, a tide is a constantly recurring thing, so that a tide in affairs could mean stability, repetition of actions, predictability.
As I remember reading it in context, it meant the first, but I can see how both could apply.
2007-06-07 18:06:18 · answer #2 · answered by LodiTX 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The author is talking about boating, and claiming that if males sail during high tide they are statistically likely to find discover gold.
Which makes no sense, really. Shipwrecks are more likely to occur in deeper water where water depth from tides make only a marginal difference in their discovery. Gear, technology and secured funding for sustained deep sea ventures would be more reliable means for "leading to fortune".
2014-04-28 05:39:04 · answer #3 · answered by Antonio R 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
What it really refers to is the importance of seizing opportunity at the right time.
Large ships still tend to try to leave port at high tide. Tide comes in, and tide goes out. If you try to leave port before high tide, you're going against the flow, and working twice as hard to make progress. Once it reaches high tide, the flow is going out, assuring success with minimal effort.
Caesar was noting that there are such trends and times in other endeavors as well, most particularly he was referring to politics, but his experience had shown him that it was true in military operations also.
The key to success, he is saying, is knowing that there is such a tide in all things, being able to recognize when they reach their peak, and seizing the opportunity that it affords.
2007-06-08 01:43:14 · answer #4 · answered by open4one 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
My message is 4 open4one Caesar wasn't noting anything there it was Brutus and it was William Shakespeare who was noting it maybe if you read the book u would know this
2013-09-24 16:10:12 · answer #5 · answered by B P 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”
William Shakespeare
2007-06-07 17:05:27 · answer #6 · answered by Tenn Gal 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The tide has ebbs and flows. "The affairs of men" is a reference to life, which has its ups and downs.
2007-06-11 15:27:24 · answer #7 · answered by Pamela B 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
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I'm not sure, I stopped reading at the work cock.
2016-03-27 03:21:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Carpe Diem in other words. Seize the day, or grab the moment, or choose your moment,
2007-06-08 03:02:40 · answer #9 · answered by darestobelieve 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
type on thinkexist.com it'll give u the meaning
2007-06-07 16:50:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋