My kingdom for a horse

 “My kingdom for a horse”

That is a rather well-known quote people use in a variety of ways. In a way, this quote represents momentary need – rather, a need so all-encompassing that any price is equal to it – and usually, the price is exponentially higher than the actual value of the object.

This quote originated from Shakepeare’s work, Richard III, and is one of his more famous sayings -

King Richard:

“A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!”

Catesby:

Withdraw, my lord; I’ll help you to a horse.

King Richard:

Slave! I have set my life upon a cast,

And I will stand the hazard of the die.

I think there be six Richmonds in the field;

Dive have I Slain today instead of him.

A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!

(Richard III, Act-V, Scene-IV, Lines 7-13)

In this scene, Richard goes to the battleground in a crazy and desperate mood. Mad with bloodlust, the king says he has killed five Richmonds and one is left. But after losing his horse, he is desperate, because he fears losing the battle.

These days, the usage of this saying is more derivative than direct, and nearly always ironically stated. This is more commonly heard that the original - “My kingdom for a Starbucks!”, meaning, the speaker is desperately thirsty for a coffee.

This quote really is a cool, trendy one. Give it a try once and see if you like it!