---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The doctors found out that Bunbury could…"
description: "\"“The doctors found out that Bunbury could not live, that is what I mean - so Bunbury died. He seems to have had great confidence in the opinion of his ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/oscar-wilde-16_confidence_the-doctors-found-out-that-bunbury-could_96854.jpg"
---

#  The doctors found out that Bunbury could not live, that is…

![“The doctors found out that Bunbury could not live, that is what I mean - so Bunbury died. He seems to have had great confidence in the opinion of his physicians. I am glad, however, that he made up his mind at the last to some definite course of action, and acted under proper medical advice.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/oscar-wilde-16_confidence_the-doctors-found-out-that-bunbury-could_96854.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/oscar-wilde-16_confidence_the-doctors-found-out-that-bunbury-could_96854.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/oscar-wilde-16_confidence_the-doctors-found-out-that-bunbury-could_96854.jpg)

> ““The doctors found out that Bunbury could not live, that is what I mean - so Bunbury died. He seems to have had great confidence in the opinion of his physicians. I am glad, however, that he made up his mind at the last to some definite course of action, and acted under proper medical advice.””

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

## About This Quote

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

A character’s death is framed as a rational decision, highlighting the absurdity of relying on expert opinion without personal agency.

**In simple terms:** Death as rational choice.

Key Takeaway

Authority can mask personal will.

Themes

mortality irony authority agency absurdity

Mood

wry critical

Type

satire philosophical

When to use this quote

- discussing medical ethics
- examining personal autonomy
- analyzing literary characters

Key Concepts

satire character study philosophical critique

Practical Applications

- critical essay
- philosophical debate

Questions to Reflect On

- What does the quote say about trust in expertise?
- Can rationality justify fatal outcomes?

A Different Perspective

The quote may exaggerate the role of physicians, ignoring genuine medical constraints.

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[Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/)

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> [Bunbury? Oh, he was quite exploded. Exploded! Was he the victim of a revolutionary outrage? I was not aware that Mr. Bunbury was interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bunbury-oh-he-was-quite-exploded-exploded-was-he-the-victim-of-a/)

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> [“Oh! I killed Bunbury this afternoon... I mean poor Bunbury died this afternoon. What did he die of? Bunbury? Oh, he was exploded!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/oh-i-killed-bunbury-this-afternoon-i-mean-poor-bunbury-died-this/)

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> [We don't take any of our health and medical advice from Marjorie Taylor Greene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-psaki/we-don-t-take-any-of-our-health-and-medical-advice-from-marjorie/)

[Jen Psaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-psaki/)

> [If you need medical advice, let these three things be your physicians; a cheerful mind, relaxation from business, and a moderate diet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-need-medical-advice-let-these-three-things-be-your-physicians/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If anybody said that I should die if I did not take beef-tea or mutton, even under medical advice, I would prefer death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/if-anybody-said-that-i-should-die-if-i-did-not-take-beef-tea-or/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

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[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

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[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

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[Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/)

## More by Oscar Wilde

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

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[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

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> [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/)

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## More Confidence quotes

> [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/)

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Senoraroy

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[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

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