“Thou know’st the first time that we smell the air we wawl and cry. When we are born we cry, that we are come to this great state of fools.”
- April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616
- Born in England
- Playwright, poet, actor
- Wrote many masterpieces such as “Hamlet,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Macbeth,” and had a great influence on English literature
Quote
“Thou know’st the first time that we smell the air we wawl and cry. When we are born we cry, that we are come to this great state of fools.”
Explanation
This quote from Shakespeare’s King Lear reflects on the inherent suffering and absurdity of life from the very moment of birth. The first part, “the first time that we smell the air we wawl and cry”, suggests that life begins with suffering. The first breath we take is followed by crying, which can be seen as a reaction to the harshness of the world we are born into. Shakespeare presents birth not as a joyous event but as an introduction to a life filled with struggle and folly. The second line, “When we are born we cry, that we are come to this great state of fools,” implies that life itself is a state of foolishness, where people are destined to experience hardships and face the absurdity of human existence.
In modern contexts, this quote can be interpreted as a reflection on the existential challenges of life. The idea that life begins with crying can resonate with the experience of feeling helpless, vulnerable, and unsure as we enter the world or face difficult situations. It touches on the universality of human suffering and the realization that, despite our attempts to find meaning or purpose, we are often left to navigate a world that seems filled with contradictions, mistakes, and disappointments.
Ultimately, this quote serves as a meditation on the human condition—the inevitable pain that comes with being alive, as well as the foolishness of human existence. It emphasizes that we are born into a world that can feel overwhelming, and yet we must navigate it with the understanding that life is full of folly, and this is simply part of the human experience.
