Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust, the dust is earth, of earth we make loam—and why of that lo
am, whereto he was converted, might they not stop a beer barrel? Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay, Might stop a hole to keep the wind away. 190Oh, that that earth, which kept the world in awe, Should patch a wall t' expel the winter’s flaw!
Hamlet's speech from Act V scene i of the play "Hamlet".
Explanation:
These lines are said by Hamlet in Act V scene i of the tragedy play "Hamlet"by William Shakespeare. This play centers on the revenge act by a young prince for the murder of his father by his uncle. The play also shows the greed of the new King Claudius and the lengths he would go to conceal his secret.
The particular passage given in the question is from the dialogue of Hamlet when they were in the graveyard, talking of the different skulls the gravediggers had dug out. Hamlet asked Horatio or rather told him about how life and death can be so different. One can be the ruler of a mighty empire but after death, returns to the same dust that everyone turns back to. He further puts his point forward by suggesting that what if the dust of Alexander or Caesar for that matter, be used as clay to "<em>patch a wall t' expel the winter’s flaw!</em>"
The perspective of speaker discussed here is racism. The injustice done to the whites is described in the excerpt. It makes the speaker angry because of this discrimination due to color of the skin.
