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The King and Queen hid in a secret cupboard in their…

“The King and Queen hid in a secret cupboard in their bedroom for two hours, listening to the searchers grow cold, then warm, then cold again, then warm, and at last hot, and burning hot. The weakly King was hard to kill: when they threw him from the balcony they thought him doubly dead from bullet…” quote by Rebecca West
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““The King and Queen hid in a secret cupboard in their bedroom for two hours, listening to the searchers grow cold, then warm, then cold again, then warm, and at last hot, and burning hot. The weakly King was hard to kill: when they threw him from the balcony they thought him doubly dead from bullet wounds and sword slashes, but the fingers of his right hand clasped the railing and had to be cut off before he fell to the ground, where the fingers of his left hand clutched the grass.””

Rebecca West

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A tense scene where a king survives an execution attempt, highlighting resilience and the horror of war.

In simple terms: King survives execution, showing resilience.

Key Takeaway

Recognize inner strength under pressure.

Themes

war survival resilience

Mood

dramatic intense

Type

narrative historical

When to use this quote

  • battlefields
  • political intrigue
  • historical fiction

Key Concepts

mortality psychological endurance

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the king’s perseverance teach about leadership?
  • How does extreme stress reveal character?
A Different Perspective

Survival may come at a great cost.

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