sc. iii.
“
The glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against fate;
Death lays his icy hand on kings:
Sceptre and Crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade.
— James Shirley
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against fate;
Death lays his icy hand on kings:
Sceptre and Crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade." in the context of "sc. iii." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "James Shirley" (Quotes, The Contention of Ajax and Ulysses)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About James Shirley
James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 29, 1666) was an English poet and dramatist.
About James Shirley
James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 29, 1666) was an English poet and dramatist.
View all quotes →