--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cheney, Rumsfeld - they were…" description: "\"Cheney, Rumsfeld - they were Shakespearean in their attitude of impunity.\" — Glen Duncan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/glen-duncan-1307_attitude_cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean_722889.png" --- # Cheney, Rumsfeld - they were Shakespearean in their… ![“Cheney, Rumsfeld - they were Shakespearean in their attitude of impunity.” quote by Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/glen-duncan-1307_attitude_cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean_722889.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/glen-duncan-1307_attitude_cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean_722889.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/glen-duncan-1307_attitude_cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean_722889.png) > “Cheney, Rumsfeld - they were Shakespearean in their attitude of impunity.” [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compares political figures to Shakespearean characters, highlighting dramatic arrogance. **In simple terms:** Politicians can act like theatrical villains. Key Takeaway Recognize and question unchecked power. Themes politics arrogance theatre critique Mood critical analytical Type political satirical When to use this quote - media analysis - public discourse - leadership evaluation Key Concepts power dynamics dramatic narrative ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - What are the dangers of viewing leaders as theatrical characters? - How can we hold leaders accountable without caricature? A Different Perspective Might oversimplify complex political realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Impunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impunity/) [Shakespearean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespearean/) ## Related quotes > [I say this quite deliberately, this is the finest Shakespearean performance I've seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-wolfit/i-say-this-quite-deliberately-this-is-the-finest-shakespearean/) Donald Wolfit > [“It's Shakespearean, Bill; lots of the important stuff in Shakespeare happens offstage - you just hear about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-s-shakespearean-bill-lots-of-the-important-stuff-in-shakespeare/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [By the year 2070 we cannot say, or it would be imbecile to do so, that any man alive could understand Shakespearean experience better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-p-snow/by-the-year-2070-we-cannot-say-or-it-would-be-imbecile-to-do-so-that/) [C.P. Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-p-snow/) > [I've been on a ranch. I've been in outer space. For a short, unhappy period I was a detective. I've also played Brutus and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorne-greene/i-ve-been-on-a-ranch-i-ve-been-in-outer-space-for-a-short-unhappy/) [Lorne Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorne-greene/) > [I look at my women with a Shakespearean element too - the variant of emotions they are capable of - it's not all completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-aldridge/i-look-at-my-women-with-a-shakespearean-element-too-the-variant-of/) [Miles Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-aldridge/) > [Personality, in our sense, is a Shakespearean invention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/personality-in-our-sense-is-a-shakespearean-invention/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [Olympus has been a much welcomed return to my Shakespearean roots. King Aegeus demanded a much greater range and depth that I've yet had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-shiels/olympus-has-been-a-much-welcomed-return-to-my-shakespearean-roots/) [Graham Shiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-shiels/) > [“O, gentle Bard, if thou couldst but glimpse our digital age! We set words in light called ‘blogs,’ Which are, alas, neither fens nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/o-gentle-bard-if-thou-couldst-but-glimpse-our-digital-age-we-set/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [A Shakespearean tragedy as so far considered may be called a story of exceptional calamity leading to the death of a man in high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-coyle-bradley/a-shakespearean-tragedy-as-so-far-considered-may-be-called-a-story-of/) [Andrew Coyle Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-coyle-bradley/) > [“No one has yet managed to be post-Shakespearean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/no-one-has-yet-managed-to-be-post-shakespearean/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [Shakespearean fish swam the sea, far away from land; Romantic fish swam in nets coming to the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/shakespearean-fish-swam-the-sea-far-away-from-land-romantic-fish-swam/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [“Out, out, thou strumpet Fortune!" I cried with all the venom of Charlton Heston. Oberon asked. "It's a Shakespearean word for whore." ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/out-out-thou-strumpet-fortune-i-cried-with-all-the-venom-of-charlton/) [kevin hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“SHAKESPEARE What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-carter/shakespeare-what-is-a-man-if-his-chief-good-and-market-of-his-time-be/) [Ronald Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-carter/) > [Thou whoreson zed! Thou unnecessary letter! My lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and daub…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-whoreson-zed-thou-unnecessary-letter-my-lord-if-you-will-give-me/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Othello' was my first Shakespearean discovery. I was obsessed with drama at school, and I studied the play for my English GCSE. Desdemona is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/othello-was-my-first-shakespearean-discovery-i-was-obsessed-with/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) ## More by Glen Duncan > [Nineteenth-century English literature I know; 19th-century sewage systems, not so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/nineteenth-century-english-literature-i-know-19th-century-sewage/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“For the longest time the romantic explanation for low rates of female infection endured: Possession of a womb, it was supposed, conferred a gentleness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/for-the-longest-time-the-romantic-explanation-for-low-rates-of-female/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“The question 'What was there before creation?' is meaningless. Time is a property of creation, therefore before creation there was no before creation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/the-question-what-was-there-before-creation-is-meaningless-time-is-a/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“The beauty spot by her lip was one of a dozen or so scattered over her body. My new constellations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/the-beauty-spot-by-her-lip-was-one-of-a-dozen-or-so-scattered-over/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [Fairy tales read before bed tend to make me dream. They're all quite violent stories, as are my dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/fairy-tales-read-before-bed-tend-to-make-me-dream-they-re-all-quite/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [I don’t know where the universe came from or what happens to creatures when they die. I don’t know if the whole thing’s an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/i-don-t-know-where-the-universe-came-from-or-what-happens-to/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [In a fit of pique, I said to my agent, 'I'm going to write something you can sell.' The idea was to write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/in-a-fit-of-pique-i-said-to-my-agent-i-m-going-to-write-something-you/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“The Mortals are free, Lucifer. What they've done they've done from within themselves. - Raphael”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/the-mortals-are-free-lucifer-what-they-ve-done-they-ve-done-from/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [One day the ordinariness will be terminally punctuated by the extraordinary full stop of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/one-day-the-ordinariness-will-be-terminally-punctuated-by-the/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [When I see gurgling retarded children (that's God's doing, by the way, not mine) happily styling their hair with their own stinking mards, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/when-i-see-gurgling-retarded-children-that-s-god-s-doing-by-the-way/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“She understood the genre constraints, the decencies we were supposed to be observing. The morally cosy vision allows the embrace of monstrosity only as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/she-understood-the-genre-constraints-the-decencies-we-were-supposed/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“Show us the world's not the way we thought it was and part of us rejoices.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/show-us-the-world-s-not-the-way-we-thought-it-was-and-part-of-us/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“It’s just what you’re stuck with, the lousy furniture you can’t change. The educated me knows hell’s nothing, a fiction I happened to inherit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/it-s-just-what-you-re-stuck-with-the-lousy-furniture-you-can-t-change/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“Afterwards, sitting on my bunk, I cried. I read somewhere that when you’re a kid it’s people’s cruelty that makes you cry, then when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/afterwards-sitting-on-my-bunk-i-cried-i-read-somewhere-that-when-you/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“The absurdity of it, she thought, this quest for the love of a man who was her equal. She loathed herself for it. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/the-absurdity-of-it-she-thought-this-quest-for-the-love-of-a-man-who/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) [Explore all 259 Glen Duncan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) ## More Attitude quotes > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-stupid-don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-mean-don/) Isaiah Harden (Me > [Your feelings (mood) dictate your thought, your thought determines your attitude (reactions) and your attitude describes your lifestyle, so: be careful how you feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheye-hassan/your-feelings-mood-dictate-your-thought-your-thought-determines-your/) Sheye Hassan > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“Good Seeds! Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude that has no Substitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/good-seeds-gratitude-is-the-greatest-attitude-that-has-no-substitute/) [Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [One genuine reason to feel jealous of my parents:-) I will never ever have a kid as awesome as their's...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-genuine-reason-to-feel-jealous-of-my-parents-i-will-never-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [My attitude it that you don't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/my-attitude-it-that-you-don-t-give-in/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) [Browse all 9,543 Attitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cheney, Rumsfeld - they were Shakespearean in their attitude of impunity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glen Duncan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean-in-their-attitude-of-impunity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attitude" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean-in-their-attitude-of-impunity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/glen-duncan-1307_attitude_cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean_722889.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/glen-duncan-1307_attitude_cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean_722889.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/glen-duncan-1307_attitude_cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean_722889.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Cheney, Rumsfeld - they were Shakespearean in their attitude of impunity.” — Glen Duncan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Glen Duncan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Cheney, Rumsfeld - they were Shakespearean...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean-in-their-attitude-of-impunity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/cheney-rumsfeld-they-were-shakespearean-in-their-attitude-of-impunity/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```