English
Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary EducationHSC Science Class 11

Explain the following line with reference to the context in about 5 to 8 line: “How can you say to me, I am a king?” - English

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Question

Explain the following line with reference to the context in about 5 to 8 line:

“How can you say to me, I am a king?”

Answer in Brief
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Solution

  • Reference: This line is from the poem “The Hollow Crown” by William Shakespeare. The poem is an excerpt from the play “Richard II”.
  • Context: King Richard says these words to his loyal nobles when he talks about the power of death over monarchs.
  • Explanation: British subjects usually believe that a king is born with a divine right to rule. People respect his crown as a symbol of great power. After he is deposed from power, Henry II realizes the bitter truth that he is in no way different from ordinary subjects. He also has wanted, a need for friends, and the compulsion to taste grief. Nobody can escape death.
  • Comment: Death – the only thing inevitable in life.
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Poem (Class 11th)
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Chapter 6.2: The Hollow Crown - Exercises [Page 187]

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Samacheer Kalvi English Class 11 TN Board
Chapter 6.2 The Hollow Crown
Exercises | Q D. iv. | Page 187

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