Cowards die many times (Julius Caesar Act II Scene II)

William Shakespeare

Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I have yet heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.

About This Reading

William Shakespeare’s Cowards Die Many Times, from Julius Caesar, takes a bold view of death. Caesar argues that death will come when it comes, so there is little sense in living in fear of it. The familiar line, “The valiant never taste of death but once”, sits at the heart of the passage.

This could suit a non-religious funeral for someone remembered for their courage, independence or determination. It is not a gentle reading about grief. Instead, it faces death directly, which may feel right for a person who approached life in much the same way.

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