Hatrack River Forum: Literary quote

This is topic Literary quote in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :

I'm trying to think of a quote, but I can't place it. It's something about the crimes of kings being played out by fools. It may be Shakespeare.

It has to do with parrellelism in a plot where a great person commits an offense, and in a subplot, a simpleton commits a similar offense, and to the great person, grave consequences result, and with the simpleton, the matter becomes a bit of a farce.

Can anyone think of the quote?

Posted by Pelegius (Member # 7868) on :

Was it this?

quote:
History: n. An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools.

Ambrose Bierce

Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :

Thanks for trying, but it's a one liner, something like, "The errors of kings played out by fools." I don't know. I think Roger Ebert quoted it in one of his reviews of a woody allen movie. I'll track it down.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

Sounds like something from Hamlet.