"The Strength of the Horse in Battle"
In Shakespeare's “Richard III”, the King Richard III is felled from his horse:
“CATESBY:
Rescue, my Lord of Norfolk, rescue, rescue!
The king enacts more wonders than a man,
Daring an opposite to every danger:
His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death.
Rescue, fair lord, or else the day is lost!
The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.
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KING RICHARD III:
A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!
CATESBY:
Withdraw, my lord; I'll help you to a horse.
KING RICHARD III:
Slave! I have set my life upon a cast,
And I will stand the hazard of the die.”
(Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King Richard III, Act V, Scene IV).
I'll come back to this, but notice the urgency of the situation: the King's horse has been slain, and now Richard is highly vulnerable and unable to withdraw quickly. The immediate thought that comes to mind when we hear “my kingdom for a horse” is that fear has driven the king to beg. This couldn't be farther from the truth. It is rather, it is that my kingdom falters for lack of a horse, since his next statement is one of distain at the offer to withdraw to find a horse. I believe the phrase “The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name,” which we will see it again shortly, is a prayer of sorts, making the comparison to the king and divine providence.
