--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What infinite heart's-ease Must kings…" description: "\"“What infinite heart's-ease Must kings neglect, that private men enjoy! And what have kings, that privates have not too, Save ceremony, save general ce..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/william-shakespeare-4_adulation_what-infinite-heart-s-ease-must-kings-ne_2038734.jpg" --- # What infinite heart's-ease Must kings neglect, that… ![“What infinite heart's-ease Must kings neglect, that private men enjoy! And what have kings, that privates have not too, Save ceremony, save general ceremony? And what art thou, thou idle ceremony? What kind of god art thou, that suffer'st more Of mortal griefs than do thy worshippers? What are thy…” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/william-shakespeare-4_adulation_what-infinite-heart-s-ease-must-kings-ne_2038734.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/william-shakespeare-4_adulation_what-infinite-heart-s-ease-must-kings-ne_2038734.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/william-shakespeare-4_adulation_what-infinite-heart-s-ease-must-kings-ne_2038734.jpg) > ““What infinite heart's-ease Must kings neglect, that private men enjoy! And what have kings, that privates have not too, Save ceremony, save general ceremony? And what art thou, thou idle ceremony? What kind of god art thou, that suffer'st more Of mortal griefs than do thy worshippers? What are thy rents? what are thy comings in? O ceremony, show me but thy worth! What is thy soul of adoration? Art thou aught else but place, degree and form, Creating awe and fear in other men? Wherein thou art less happy being fear'd Than they in fearing. What drink'st thou oft, instead of homage sweet, But poison'd flattery? O, be sick, great greatness, And bid thy ceremony give thee cure! Think'st thou the fiery fever will go out With titles blown from adulation? Will it give place to flexure and low bending? Canst thou, when thou command'st the beggar's knee, Command the health of it? No, thou proud dream, That play'st so subtly with a king's repose; I am a king that find thee, and I know 'Tis not the balm, the sceptre and the ball, The sword, the mace, the crown imperial, The intertissued robe of gold and pearl, The farced title running 'fore the king, The throne he sits on, nor the tide of pomp That beats upon the high shore of this world, No, not all these, thrice-gorgeous ceremony, Not all these, laid in bed majestical, Can sleep so soundly as the wretched slave, Who with a body fill'd and vacant mind Gets him to rest, cramm'd with distressful bread; Never sees horrid night, the child of hell, But, like a lackey, from the rise to set Sweats in the eye of Phoebus and all night Sleeps in Elysium; next day after dawn, Doth rise and help Hyperion to his horse, And follows so the ever-running year, With profitable labour, to his grave: And, but for ceremony, such a wretch, Winding up days with toil and nights with sleep, Had the fore-hand and vantage of a king. The slave, a member of the country's peace, Enjoys it; but in gross brain little wots What watch the king keeps to maintain the peace, Whose hours the peasant best advantages.”” [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. Ceremonial pomp and titles do not bring true happiness; simple, honest labor can be more fulfilling than grand rituals. **In simple terms:** Titles and ceremonies don’t guarantee happiness. Key Takeaway Find fulfillment in honest work, not status. Themes power humility fulfillment Mood contemplative melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career choices - social status - personal satisfaction - daily chores Key Concepts social hierarchy meaning of work Questions to Reflect On - What truly brings you peace? - Can status be both humble and meaningful? A Different Perspective Ceremonies can provide social order and cohesion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adulation/) [Burdens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burdens/) [Ceremony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceremony/) [Emptiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emptiness/) [Enjoy Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-kings-876016/) [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Exaltation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaltation/) [Feudal-society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feudal-society-63340/) [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Fulfillment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fulfillment/) [Honors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honors/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Idle Ceremony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idle-ceremony-3782445/) [King Thee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king-thee-3782443/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Meaninglessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaninglessness/) [Next day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-day/) [Peasants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peasants/) [Pomp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pomp-146670/) [Purpose-in-life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-in-life-2/) [Royalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/royalty/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Thou art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-art/) [Thou Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-idle-3782446/) [Thy Ceremony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thy-ceremony-3782444/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [What infinite heart's-ease Must kings neglect that private men enjoy! 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Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-w-hunter/) [Browse all 86 Adulation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adulation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What infinite heart's-ease Must kings neglect, that private men enjoy! And what have kings, that privates have not too, Save ceremony, save general ceremony? And what art thou, thou idle ceremony? What kind of god art thou, that suffer'st more Of mortal griefs than do thy worshippers? What are thy rents? what are thy comings in? O ceremony, show me but thy worth! What is thy soul of adoration? Art thou aught else but place, degree and form, Creating awe and fear in other men? Wherein thou art less happy being fear'd Than they in fearing. What drink'st thou oft, instead of homage sweet, But poison'd flattery? O, be sick, great greatness, And bid thy ceremony give thee cure! Think'st thou the fiery fever will go out With titles blown from adulation? Will it give place to flexure and low bending? Canst thou, when thou command'st the beggar's knee, Command the health of it? No, thou proud dream, That play'st so subtly with a king's repose; I am a king that find thee, and I know 'Tis not the balm, the sceptre and the ball, The sword, the mace, the crown imperial, The intertissued robe of gold and pearl, The farced title running 'fore the king, The throne he sits on, nor the tide of pomp That beats upon the high shore of this world, No, not all these, thrice-gorgeous ceremony, Not all these, laid in bed majestical, Can sleep so soundly as the wretched slave, Who with a body fill'd and vacant mind Gets him to rest, cramm'd with distressful bread; Never sees horrid night, the child of hell, But, like a lackey, from the rise to set Sweats in the eye of Phoebus and all night Sleeps in Elysium; next day after dawn, Doth rise and help Hyperion to his horse, And follows so the ever-running year, With profitable labour, to his grave: And, but for ceremony, such a wretch, Winding up days with toil and nights with sleep, Had the fore-hand and vantage of a king. The slave, a member of the country's peace, Enjoys it; but in gross brain little wots What watch the king keeps to maintain the peace, Whose hours the peasant best advantages.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-infinite-heart-s-ease-must-kings-neglect-that-private-men-enjoy-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adulation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-infinite-heart-s-ease-must-kings-neglect-that-private-men-enjoy-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/william-shakespeare-4_adulation_what-infinite-heart-s-ease-must-kings-ne_2038734.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/william-shakespeare-4_adulation_what-infinite-heart-s-ease-must-kings-ne_2038734.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/william-shakespeare-4_adulation_what-infinite-heart-s-ease-must-kings-ne_2038734.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What infinite heart's-ease Must kings neglect, that private men enjoy! 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