He that feareth is a slave, were he never so rich, were he never so powerful. But he that is without fear is king of all the world. Though hast my sword. Strike. Death shall be a sweet rest to me. Thraldom, not death, should terrify me.

E.R. Eddison
About This Quote

William Shakespeare said: He that feareth is a slave. He who is afraid of being hurt, harassed, or deprived of something he wants, is a slave. But he who does not fear these things can become a king. To be a king, however, one must have more than the ability to overcome fear, one must have the courage to conquer it.

To do this, one must have more than just the desire to be a king. One must have the will to be a king as well as the strength to become one. In "King Lear," the old man says that fear is a slave.

When someone fears too much, they are not free—they are slaves. But if someone fears nothing at all, he becomes a king and becomes free from slavery.

Source: The Worm Ouroboros

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