stroke of death

Freud’s stock-in-trade – duplicity, envy, desire, and conscience – is all grist to Shakespeare’s mill, from “there’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face” to “the stroke of death is as a lover’s pinch, which hurts and is desired”.

If humour, wit, and honesty could save The humourous, witty, honest, from the grave, The grave had not so soon this tenant found, Whom honesty, and wit, and humour, crowned; Could but esteem, and love preserve our breath, And guard us longer from the stroke of Death, The stroke of Death on him had later fell, Whom all mankind esteemed and loved so well.

Lewis XIII. having, at the Solicitation of Cardinal Richelieu, order’d his Head to be cut off, he receiv’d the Stroke of Death with a Constancy worthy of his Name, and of a better Cause.

Then he fell on his Knees, without shewing the least Sign of Fear; and receiv'd the Stroke of Death with a Constancy of which there are very few Examples.

She wish'd that but on Hagan the stroke of death might fall; Twas the foul fiend's contriving, that they should perish all.