"A equus caballus! A horse! My kingdom for a equus caballus!"

Written past Shakespeare in around 1593, these words have become immortalised as the terminal words of desperation spoken past King Richard 3 of England as he battled Henry Tudor for control of the throne of England.

These words are also maybe the most frequently misinterpreted Shakespeare quotation in history, although Prince Hal's "The first thing nosotros do, permit's kill all the lawyers!" from Henry Vl is right up there on the listing.

Shakespeare very cleverly painted Richard Iii to be entirely evil and villainous, cocky-serving and unmarried-minded in his pursuit of the throne at the expense of all others who stood between him and the ultimate royal goal.

As evil and villainous as Shakespeare's Richard is, it's crucial to recall that Richard was fighting for both his kingdom and his life. It makes absolutely no sense, therefore, that he would have been wandering effectually Bosworth Field offer someone his kingdom in exchange for a horse.

What this line actually means is that Richard knew he was going to lose the boxing if he couldn't get back on a horse and keep fighting. His equus caballus had just been killed in battle, while he was still riding it. On foot, he was without ways of either strategic defense force or meeting the enemy in an even fight. He was an easy target that travelled much slower and far less deftly than his mounted opponent.

The line could be interpreted every bit significant, "Without a equus caballus, I'one thousand going to lose my kingdom!" Information technology was a cry of despair, not an attempt at concluding-minute marketing.

The urgency and foreboding in Richard's words make this scene a magnificent slice of drama. If at that place's annihilation the audience loves more than a villain getting it in the neck, it's the villain realising that it's coming.

When understood properly, this oftentimes-misinterpreted quotation reveals again the genius of the wordsmith.

If you accept a line or scene of Shakespeare you'd like explained, feel free to ask a question or make a suggestion in the comments and I'll requite it a red hot shot.