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Question
In what way is every hillock similar to Everest?
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Solution
The poet does not compare rare feats of athletes, mountaineers, or horsemen. He does not attach great value to positions or possessions. He scoffs at those who pull strings to achieve their ends. The means must justify the ends. One should not stoop to underhand dealings to achieve their desired goals in life. Those who reach great heights in lifelike Everest due to their hard work, perseverance, and competence are adorable. At the same time, those who trek any small hillocks can’t be underestimated. The efforts made in reaching even the smallest positions in life, if done with sincerity of purpose and deep devotion, are worthy of hearty appreciation.
One who holds a humble position, but upright and serves as a ladder for fellow humans to reach great heights deserve our respect. The poet admits that he is proud of people’s humble positions because their pride springs not from positions or possessions but the way they live. Their life knows no bending. The poet just doesn’t bother the height of the peak one reaches. It could even be a hillock. What matters is how one reaches that spot. If merit and competence have paved the way for their success and positions, however humble they are, the poet admires them.
“Take on risks and ride the journey called life with no regrets. ”
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The historical background:
The poem is an extract from William Shakespeare’s play King Richard the Second. The play is based on true events that occurred towards the end of the 14th century.
Richard II was crowned the King of England in the year 1367. He continued to be the British Monarch until 1399, when he was deposed by his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, who crowned himself King Henry the Fourth in the same year. Shakespeare’s play is a dramatic rendition of the last two years of King Richard II’s life. In this brief span of time, he was ousted from his royal position and sent to prison, where he died in captivity.
The following extract is set in the Coast of Wales. King Richard and some of his followers awaited the arrival of the Welsh army [after facing defeat at the hands of his cousin, Bolingbroke], of about 10000 warriors. But to their shock and surprise, they received the message that the army was not coming to their rescue. His followers tried to boost their King’s courage against the news, only in vain. When Richard came face to face with the reality of his terrible fate, he spoke the following verse, famously known as the “Hollow Crown” speech in theatrical circles. In it, King Richard is reminded of the power of Death that overshadows everything else, including the power of rulers, and renders them as powerless as any commoner at a moment’s notice.
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“Our lands, our lives, and all are Bolingbroke’s,
And nothing can we call our own but death;”
