# Flies to Wanton Boys **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 22, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484 "2007-08-22T12:43:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![melonhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@melonhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melonhead)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/1 "2007-08-22T12:43:59Z")
Hi, everyone. I sent this to Cecil too, but as I’m more likely to get a response this way, I’ll ask the board. I saw King Lear tonight, and I recognised the line, “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport”, from another work of literature. It was quoted in the opening pages. I just can’t remember the book or author. I can’t even remember if it was a play or novel, although I think it was a novel. Can you please reply if you’ve seen this elsewhere. I’m aware of the connection to Lord of the Flies, but this was a direct quotation. Thanks. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/2 "2007-08-22T13:06:52Z")
Are you asking whether King Lear was quoting from Lord of the Flies? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/3 "2007-08-22T13:08:16Z")
No, I think the OP is recognising that King Lear has been quoted in some subsequent literary work, but can’t remember where. Me too, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![melonhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@melonhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melonhead)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/4 "2007-08-22T13:20:40Z")
[QUOTE=ratatoskK] Are you asking whether King Lear was quoting from Lord of the Flies? 😕 [/QUOTE] No. As has already been clarified, King Lear is quoted in the later, modern publication which I have forgotten. The title of William Golding’s Book Lord of the Flies alludes to King Lear, according to Wikipedia, but I remember a book which directly quotes the full saying “As flies… for their sport” in its opening pages. And I’m cursing my memory. Thanks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/5 "2007-08-22T13:33:47Z")
[Karl Popper: Critical Assessments of Leading Philosophers](http://books.google.com/books?id=yifIUMHCAnEC&pg=PA202&lpg=PA202&dq=%22flies+to+wanton+boys%22+-lear+-shakespeare&source=web&ots=XjYID3I06v&sig=u9kEW9RmK8MfYjolIbqgmaQL6sQ)? ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/6 "2007-08-22T13:42:16Z")
[List of Quotes from Shakespeare in _Brave New World_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_quotes_from_Shakespeare_in_Brave_New_World). > [@](#): > > As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods. > They kill us for their sport. > Chapter 18, 254 King Lear (IV, i) Not in the opening pages though. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/7 "2007-08-22T14:59:56Z")
Since this concerns literature, I’m moving it to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Humble\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/47e85d/32.png) [@Humble\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Humble_Servant)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/8 "2007-08-22T18:25:01Z")
There is a fairy tale about a nasty little rich girl who pulls the wings off of flies. It is from a Grimm’s/Anderson’s fairy tale set I had as a kid. Here it is–The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf. [http://www.fairytalescollection.com/hans\_christian\_anderson/The\_Girl\_Who\_Trod\_on\_the\_Loaf.htm](http://www.fairytalescollection.com/hans_christian_anderson/The_Girl_Who_Trod_on_the_Loaf.htm) It postdates Shakespeare but proably comes from an oral tradition. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/9 "2007-08-22T18:55:58Z")
Shakespeare has on occasion been quoted by many authors over the past few years. ---
**Author:** ![Omphaloskeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bcef8e/32.png) [@Omphaloskeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omphaloskeptic)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/10 "2007-08-22T21:51:39Z")
Searching on Amazon (which does full-text searches for participating books) for that phrase brings up 125 books (though many of them are various Shakespeare editions or commentaries); among them are _Tess of the d’Urbervilles_ (and the previously mentioned _Brave New World_). You could look through those for a start. I know that’s not all of them, because it’s also in _Contact_ (Sagan), in one of the chapter headings, but not near the beginning. I don’t know why the Amazon search doesn’t find that one. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/11 "2007-08-23T03:02:17Z")
There was the variant from _Blackadder II_: “As private parts to the gods are we: they play with us for their sport!” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/12 "2007-08-23T03:51:04Z")
[QUOTE=DrFidelius] Shakespeare has on occasion been quoted by many authors over the past few years. [/QUOTE] Cite, please? An exhaustive list would most helpful. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-to-wanton-boys/416484/13 "2007-08-23T21:50:44Z")
Asimov originally wanted to title one of his sf short stories “King Lear, IV, i, line xx-xx” (the location of your quote), but his editor said “No way!” and just titled it “Flies”.