---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace…"
description: "\"“Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace as far as day does night; it's spritely, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, letharg..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/william-shakespeare-4_coriolanus_let-me-have-war-say-i-it-exceeds-peace-a_1462663.jpg"
---

#  Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace as far as day…

![“Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace as far as day does night; it's spritely, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible; a getter of more bastard children than war's a destroyer of men.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/william-shakespeare-4_coriolanus_let-me-have-war-say-i-it-exceeds-peace-a_1462663.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/william-shakespeare-4_coriolanus_let-me-have-war-say-i-it-exceeds-peace-a_1462663.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/william-shakespeare-4_coriolanus_let-me-have-war-say-i-it-exceeds-peace-a_1462663.jpg)

> ““Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace as far as day does night; it's spritely, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible; a getter of more bastard children than war's a destroyer of men.””

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## About This Quote

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

War is portrayed as lively and invigorating, while peace is depicted as stagnant and harmful, suggesting a paradoxical view of conflict.

**In simple terms:** War feels alive; peace feels dull and harmful.

Key Takeaway

Question the romanticization of conflict.

Themes

war peace paradox human nature energy

Mood

critical thought‑provoking

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- military history lessons
- peace studies seminars
- creative writing
- public debates
- artistic interpretations

Key Concepts

philosophical conflict psychological states cultural narratives

Questions to Reflect On

- Why might people find war more exciting than peace?
- How can societies value peace without it seeming inert?

A Different Perspective

Romanticizing war can ignore its devastation.

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[Coriolanus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coriolanus-37965/) [Exceeds Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exceeds-peace-5287368/) [Lethargy Mulled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lethargy-mulled-5287367/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace Apoplexy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-apoplexy-5287365/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) [Vent Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vent-peace-5287366/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

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