--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then I am fundamentally a slave, I whom…" description: "\"“Then I am fundamentally a slave, I whom you call the most glorious king of all?” said Arthur. “No man is free who needeth air to breathe,” said Merlin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/795/thomas-berger-28947_said-arthur_then-i-am-fundamentally-a-slave-i-whom-y_3191804.jpg" --- # Then I am fundamentally a slave, I whom you call the most… ![“Then I am fundamentally a slave, I whom you call the most glorious king of all?” said Arthur. “No man is free who needeth air to breathe,” said Merlin.” quote by Thomas Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/795/thomas-berger-28947_said-arthur_then-i-am-fundamentally-a-slave-i-whom-y_3191804.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/795/thomas-berger-28947_said-arthur_then-i-am-fundamentally-a-slave-i-whom-y_3191804.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/795/thomas-berger-28947_said-arthur_then-i-am-fundamentally-a-slave-i-whom-y_3191804.jpg) > ““Then I am fundamentally a slave, I whom you call the most glorious king of all?” said Arthur. “No man is free who needeth air to breathe,” said Merlin.”” [Thomas Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A king questions his freedom, realizing even royalty depends on basic needs like air. **In simple terms:** Freedom is limited by necessity. Key Takeaway Recognize dependence on essentials. Themes power freedom humanity Mood reflective melancholic Type literary dialogue When to use this quote - leadership - personal reflection - political discourse Key Concepts existentialism selfawareness limits of authority Questions to Reflect On - What does true freedom mean? - Can power ever be absolute? A Different Perspective Even kings cannot escape natural constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fundamentally Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentally-slave-5890167/) [Glorious King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glorious-king-5890168/) [King Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king-said/) [Said Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-arthur-337013/) [Said Merlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-merlin-491343/) ## Related quotes > [Beware what you speak,' said the Merlin very softly, 'for indeed the words we speak make shadows of what is to come, and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-zimmer-bradley/beware-what-you-speak-said-the-merlin-very-softly-for-indeed-the/) [Marion Zimmer Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-zimmer-bradley/) > [“You – you don't really want to hear me talking about my love life, do you?" 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"Sorry," said Merlin, wondering who the blazes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fayjay/its-like-mrs-fitzherbert-all-over-again-or-that-bloody-simpson-woman/) [FayJay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fayjay/) > [“Trust me, my dears, I am smarter than the both of you,” said Merlin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soman-chainani/trust-me-my-dears-i-am-smarter-than-the-both-of-you-said-merlin/) [Soman Chainani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soman-chainani/) > [“It is a child speaking," said Merlin, "not a king and not a knight, but a hurt and angry child, or you would know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-is-a-child-speaking-said-merlin-not-a-king-and-not-a-knight-but-a/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Good grief," said Merlin. "You look like the bastard child of Dumbledore and David Bowie. No, sorry, Dumbledore and Ziggy Stardust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fayjay/good-grief-said-merlin-you-look-like-the-bastard-child-of-dumbledore/) [FayJay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fayjay/) > [“Some factual information for you. Have you any idea how much damage that bulldozer would suffer if I just let it roll straight over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/some-factual-information-for-you-have-you-any-idea-how-much-damage/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You cannot see what I see because you see what you see. You cannot know what I know because you know what you know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-cannot-see-what-i-see-because-you-see-what-you-see-you-cannot/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Oh, shit," said Arthur, covering his face with his hands for a moment and screwing his eyes shut."You've been co-opted.She's got you spying on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fayjay/oh-shit-said-arthur-covering-his-face-with-his-hands-for-a-moment-and/) [FayJay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fayjay/) > [Hey, this is terrific!" he said. "Someone down there is trying to kill us!" "Terrific," said Arthur. "But don't you see what this means?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/hey-this-is-terrific-he-said-someone-down-there-is-trying-to-kill-us/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like-this-when-i-m-trapped-in-a/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“I haven’t seen anyone for years,” he said, “not anyone. I can hardly remember how to speak. I keep forgetting words. I practise, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-haven-t-seen-anyone-for-years-he-said-not-anyone-i-can-hardly/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“And the Wise Emrys said that Arthur would yet come again to lead his own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-lawhead/and-the-wise-emrys-said-that-arthur-would-yet-come-again-to-lead-his/) [Stephen R. Lawhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-lawhead/) > [“On his first parade the sergeant-major exclaimed that he couldn't make out the shape of Arthur's head because there was so much hair on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sillitoe/on-his-first-parade-the-sergeant-major-exclaimed-that-he-couldn-t/) [Alan Sillitoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sillitoe/) > [“Ford and Arthur talking: "This is very, very serious indeed. The Guide has been taken over. It's been bought out." Arthur leapt up. 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Far from being sour, life is so sweet you will live it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berger/what-it-means-is-you-will-fight-until-you-re-all-used-up-far-from/) [Thomas Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berger/) > [“privilege is founded on duty, and if the horse carries the man, the animal is fed before the rider himself doth eat. 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I practise, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-haven-t-seen-anyone-for-years-he-said-not-anyone-i-can-hardly/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like-this-when-i-m-trapped-in-a/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Hey, this is terrific!" he said. "Someone down there is trying to kill us!" "Terrific," said Arthur. 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Sir,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-thomas-mallory/now-said-sir-ector-to-arthur-i-understand-ye-must-be-king-of-this/) [Sir Thomas Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-thomas-mallory/) > [“Why,” said Arthur Dent, “isn’t anyone ever pleased to see us?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/why-said-arthur-dent-isn-t-anyone-ever-pleased-to-see-us/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“It's not so much an afterlife' Said Arthur, 'more a sort of apres vie”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/it-s-not-so-much-an-afterlife-said-arthur-more-a-sort-of-apres-vie/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Time,” said Arthur weakly, “is not currently one of my problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/time-said-arthur-weakly-is-not-currently-one-of-my-problems/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Merlin, if you don't stop whining, I'm going to take Gwen's sword and beat you to death with it," said Arthur, evenly. 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