I hope we control our acting quite well, sir.

Yes, my lord.

(As the Player King) I know that you believe that, but we often change our minds. Good intentions require a good memory: they are strong at birth but wither with time. Like unripe fruit they are firm on the tree but drop without any provocation when they are ready. It is inevitable that we forget to fulfil our promises, especially the ones we make to ourselves. A hot-head needs hot blood – when the head cools so too does the passion. These extreme emotions interact with and dilute each other. Grief and joy exchange places at even the most delicate quirk of fate. The world is not forever: there is nothing strange in our love changing as often as our luck changes. This is the question we must answer: does love lead fortune or does fortune lead love? A great man in decline will be deserted by his friends: the poor man, advancing, will be befriended by his foes. Fortune does tend those who are not in need, they shall never lack friends. Those who need friends discover they only ever had enemies in waiting. But to get back to what I was saying: our will runs so contrary to fate’s plans that our plans are invariably overthrown. Our thoughts might be ours, but their ends are out of our control. So you say you will wed no second husband but your promise will die when your first lord is dead.